At what age should I start brushing my kitten's teeth?

I have a nearly 5 month old kitten. I've had him since he was two months old. Should I be brushing his teeth already? I asked my vet's assistant and she said something like he doesn't have his adult teeth yet, but that I can try to get him used to the idea by introducing the toothbrush and toothpaste.





So, will my kitten's teeth fall out soon and be replaced with new ones? What is the timeline for a cat's tooth development? When should I start brushing his teeth on a regular basis?





Thanks! I want my kitten to be healthy so I want to know when I should start brushing his teeth... and also how often? I've heard once a week.

At what age should I start brushing my kitten's teeth?
start brushing them as soon as you can to get him use to it. here is a video:





http://www.felinevideos.vet.cornell.edu/...
Reply:Yeah he will lose his sharp little kitten teeth and get new adult ones. Its lovely you want your cat to have clean teeth but I would not brush them just get him some hard dry cat food or cat treats and that will keep his teeth tartar free and you wont have to annoy him by sticking a toothbrush in his mouth. Maybe thats ok for dogs but totally unnecessary for cats IMHO
Reply:You can start brushing their teeth once they have been weaned. I'm not sure about when their adult teeth come in, but regardless if he does or doesn't have them- brushing them now will get him used to the idea. Just make sure you are using a toothpaste formulated for kitties, I'm sure you know this however.





I brush my 2 kitties teeth twice a week. I used to do it more often, but with a 3 year old son %26amp; a new puppy I don't get to do it as often!





Good luck and thanks for caring enough about your little kitty. :)
Reply:it dosen't matter how old brush it every day the effects are in http://www.vetbase.co.uk/information/tee...
Reply:Wow, your gonna brush your cat's teeth? I want to see that posted on youtube. Please send me the link when you do.
Reply:with anything you want to be doing with your kitten best to start early


you can get toothpaste from the vets, it taste good to them so maybe start by putting some on your finger and letting it lick it off


then try rubbing it in with your fingers


then when its happy with that go to the brush, you can get cat brushes but small dog teethbrushes work fine too


i have cats that like it and some that dont


but best to try as old age dentail problems in cats are a nightmare!


good look


x
Reply:I do not know what vet you asked, but toothpaste is not for animals. Toothpaste is very dangerous even for children. Read the label; IT SAYS DO NOT SWALLOW!





A vet will show you how to effectively clean a cat's or dog's teeth. Remember, this is not a human; it is an animal. It's immune system is not as strong as humans'. I am sure when your cat is older, you can buy a paste EXCLUSIVELY for animals.
Reply:The earlier you get it used to the brush the better.





Daily brushing is best but if you can manage even weekly brushing that's better than nothing.





You don't use human toothpaste. You CAN use pet toothpaste if you wish. However, just know that it's purpose is only to make the brushing palatable for the cat - it's not like human toothpaste (necessarily) that provides benefits for the teeth). I may be wrong about that, but you could just as well brush WITHOUT any toothpaste.





And once again - dry food doesn't clean the teeth. If it did, we'd all be eating cookies.



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