HAS MY CAT GOT SOMETHING WRONG WITH ITS TEETH?
A cat can't tell you when it has tooth pain. But if a cat is going towards food, looking as if it is hungry, then taking only a bite or two and retreating, this may be tooth pain. Dribbling, refusal to eat hard food, bad breath, red inflamed gums, pawing at the mouth, blood in the mouth and teeth chattering are all other symptoms. Occasionally a cat in severe tooth pain will sometimes also pull its own fur out.
Tooth or mouth problems can be a symptom of serious underlying disease, so it is essential that you take your cat to the vet. A cat which doesn't eat for 48 hours must always see a vet fast. For information on this consult “Mouth problems in the cat” on www.fabcats.org The underlying disease will need to be treated, in order to cure the mouth or teeth problems.
Other causes of tooth or mouth pain include skin irritation because the cat has eaten something like a household cleaning product, foreign bodies stuck in the mouth, broken teeth, abcesses, gum infection etc. All these need proper inspection, diagnosis and treatment by a vet. In difficult cases get an expert – see British Veterinary Dental Association www.bvda.co.uk.

HOW CAN I BRUSH MY CATS TEETH?
Older cats will often not tolerate having their teeth brushed, but young cats can learn. Get some CET forte toothpaste from your vet or pet shop, and put it on your finger. "Sit with the cat between your knees facing away from you," says Evelyn Barbour-Hill of the British Veterinary Dental Association" (www.bvda.co.uk). "Then push your finger under her lips from the front to the back of her cheek. Maybe she will only allow one side to be done at first, but don't attempt force or make a struggle. Even this much cleaning helps.
“When a cat is used to the finger, you can try a toothbrush, a soft cat one. Daily brushing is valuable, even if it is a bit haphazard. You don't have to brush up and down, sweep sideways."
The disconcerting thing about brushing a cat’s teeth is that you have to push the brush in so far back. Get your vet or the veterinary nurse to demonstrate because it is difficult to make yourself do this.

HOW CAN I KEEP MY CAT’S TEETH CLEAN WITHOUT BRUSHING?
Wet tinned food provides nothing crunchy to clean teeth. Some cats are more prone to plaque than others. The ideal diet for teeth is what a wild cat would eat -- mice and birds crunched up whole.
A complete dried food is the next best thing for teeth, though if your cat has any other medical problems check with your vet first. Make sure water is always available. There is a special diet - Hills Prescription Diet t/d – for cats prone to dental disease.
Some dental experts suggest raw (never cooked) chicken wing tips as a chew, though there's a slight risk with any bone. A new product, C.E.T. chews for cats, is utterly safe -- £5.95 for a pack of 24, sold only through vets. These are freeze-dried fish or meat, treated with an "antibacterial enzyme system". They help keep teeth clean, but they don't appeal to all cats, and they are expensive.
Or try the BARF diet (www.holisticvet.co.uk) which consists of raw meaty bones and fresh fruit and veg. It is essential to read up on this. Don’t start feeding your animal just raw flesh meat. It must have a mixture of meat, bones, and raw veg. Talk to your vet before you embark on this, because this diet may not unsuitable for cats that are still growing or cats with other health problems.