Best Cat Toothpaste : 5 Great Choices For Great Oral Care
Quick Guide
Still, they know that if their cat begins to, say, build up a lot of tarter and swallow the plaque and other bacteria (that comes from them eating their food and licking/cleaning themselves) they could get really sick.
That being said, it’s important to maintain your cat’s oral health, and know how to properly approach brushing their teeth on a regular basis to avoid other possible problems later on down the road.
What is the Best Cat Toothpaste?
How to Brush Your Cat’s Teeth
The first thing you want to do is find a table where your cat will be sitting at about waist level. Position yourself behind your cat where you can reach around their head, and place your fingers near their mouth area.
If putting the cat on a table doesn’t work for you, holding their back legs between your knees with the cat facing forward while you’re sitting down could prove more effective in keeping the kitty more secured and still.
Reaching from behind, gently lift up one side of their mouth at a time, and take a look at their teeth.
Be sure and look deep into the back of their outside gums to inspect for any signs of gingivitis, and notice where the plaque buildup is. Once you have, you are ready to brush.
Should I brush my cat’s teeth with a towel?
Some people try to brush their cat’s teeth with a towel, but this is not recommended.
One reason that you need a quality cat toothbrush and good cat toothpaste is for safety. Some cats are more laid back than others, and will easily let you tend to their teeth. But other felines who may not be used to the teeth cleaning process may not be so easy to deal with.
If you are using a towel and trying to rub off the plaque from their teeth manually, then there is a good chance that your kitty may try to bite the towel that’s wrapped around your finger.
For best results, brushing your cat’s teeth should be a daily routine. You could even schedule it around the times that you brush your own teeth, which would make it easy to remember to do. You don’t have to spend as much time daily on your cat’s teeth as you do own your own. In fact, all you really need is about 30 seconds or so of brushing time, and, in some cases, that’s about as long as the owner can get their cat to be still enough to do the job.
Why Do I Need To Brush My Cat’s Teeth?
Bad Breath
Cats use their mouths for multiple purposes. They of course eat, but they also clean their bodies constantly. So, not only are food particles on their teeth and gums, but also whatever they were licking off the last time they gave themselves a tongue bath! That being said, if you go too long without brushing their teeth, their breath is going be about ten times worse than if you didn’t brush yours.
Tarter Buildup
As cats continuously clean themselves, more and more gooey plaque begins to build. Then, as time goes on, your cat’s saliva (along with the bacteria) will cause tarter to form and accumulate in their mouth. If tarter builds up too badly, taking care of it yourself may no longer be an option, and you’ll call a vet for the teeth cleaning job. Before brushing their cat’s teeth for the first time, some cat owners take their kitty to the vet for a really good initial cleaning. This is smart, because although you can maintain your cat’s oral health well at home, having a routine of seeing the vet for this cleaning every six weeks or so is a great idea.
Periodontal Disease
Also referred to as Periodontitis, this is when the cat’s tarter buildup has reached its worse, and bacteria has begun to form on and underneath their teeth and gums. This can not only affect your cat’s mouth, but also the rest of their body as they swallow saliva. Once it enters their blood, other organs in their body could be infected. This is a gum disease that is hard to come back from, so retrieve a quality toothbrush and cat toothpaste, and be sure to use them regularly.
5 Best Cat Toothpastes
Quick Look : Best Cat Toothpaste in 2025
| Toothpaste | Price | Rating | Quality |
| Virbac C.E.T. Tarter Control Beef Flavored Cat Toothpaste | $ |
A+
| 5 Stars |
| Vet Solutions Poultry-Flavored Enzadent Enzymatic Cat Toothpaste | $ |
A
| 5 Stars |
| Sentry Petrodex Vet Strength Malt Cat Toothpaste | $ |
A
| 4 Stars |
| Bluestem Oral Care Cat Toothpaste | $ |
A-
| 4 Stars |
| Nylabone Oral Care Cat Kit | $ |
A-
| 4 Stars |
So, are you ready to give brushing your cat’s teeth a try? It’s going to take a number of sessions, but over time your feline friend will get used to you opening the sides of their mouth, inspecting their teeth and gums, and allowing you the few minutes a day that it’ll take to maintain their oral health. Finding the best cat toothpaste, in a way, is like finding the best type of kitty litter for them. You may have try a few before getting one that your cat likes, but here are some of the best ones to use.
Virbac C.E.T. Tarter Control Beef Flavored Cat Toothpaste
For a cat toothpaste that is highly recommended by veterinarians, try Virbac C.E.T. Tarter Control Beef Flavored Cat Toothpaste.
A Trusted Brand
When it comes to your cat’s health, you only want to get the best items to maintain it, such as quality cat toothpaste. The company that produces this brand, C.E.T., has for decades been known as a leader in vet home dental care. They have developed many different products over the last 25 years, and this enzymatic toothpaste is another one that you can trust.
Good for Fast-Developing Plaque
Some cats develop plaque much faster than others. This is especially true if they have smaller mouths because, as they eat and constantly clean themselves, more gunk accumulates around their teeth and gums. This cat toothpaste is especially designed to remedy just that.
Pros
- Wonderful beef flavor
- Strong enzyme system
Cons
- You’ll have to buy the toothbrush separately
Vet Solutions Poultry-Flavored Enzadent Enzymatic Cat Toothpaste
For a great tasting cat toothpaste that removes plaque and polishes teeth at the same time, try Vet Solutions Poultry-Flavored Enzadent Enzymatic Cat Toothpaste.
Great Tasting
One of the easiest ways to get through the many times hard-to-achieve tooth brushing session is to trick your cat into thinking that they are tasting their favorite foods. The flavor of this particular one is poultry, so if your cat loves this kind of meat you may benefit from this cat toothpaste. Not only does it taste great, but also battles plaque and potential gum diseases effectively if you brush your cat’s teeth on a regular basis.
Double Ended Bristles
It may be easy to brush your cat’s front teeth, but it’s harder when you lift open the sides of their mouth and try to reach the back ones that are mostly hidden by their jaw. This is the place in their mouth that can accumulate a lot of gunk in just a short while, and is why the brush that comes with this pack has a head with smaller bristles on one end, and larger ones on the other.
Pros
- Taste is satisfying
- Your cat can safely swallow this toothpaste and not get sick
Cons
- All cats may not like the flavor if they are not fans of poultry
Sentry Petrodex Vet Strength Malt Cat Toothpaste
For a cat toothpaste that freshens breath and kills tarter and germs well, you may want to give Sentry Petrodex Vet Strength Malt Cat Toothpaste a try.
Prevents Bad Breath
Many cat owners have had that moment when they are playing with their cat and, all of a sudden, they get a whiff of their bad breath. This toothpaste has a hydrogen-peroxide produced formula that helps remedy that common oral hygiene problem in felines.
Soft Bristle Brush
One of the hardest things to do when brushing your cat’s teeth is to make them comfortable with it, especially if it’s one of the first times you are doing it and they don’t like the brush. Hard bristles are a turn off for them, and this brush that comes with this cat dental hygiene pack has softer ones for a more pleasurable experience.
Pros
- Fights against tarter buildup well
- Cleans teeth and freshens breath simultaneously
Cons
- All cats may not like the malt flavor
Bluestem Oral Care Cat Toothpaste
The Bluestem Oral Care Cat Toothpaste comes with a dual headed brush for a better cleaning each time.
Tastes like Chicken
This toothpaste has a chicken flavor that most cats enjoy. Many times, before they realize they are actually getting their teeth brushed, the taste will have given the owner just enough time to get the job done, which is normally just a few minutes a session.
Good for Dogs and Cats
If you are a cat owner who also has dogs, its nice to know that you could also use this toothpaste for them as well. Of course, you will not use the same brush that comes with this pack for your dog as you did your cat, but sharing the actual toothpaste is just fine.
Pros
- Toothbrush has a dual head to clean both back and front areas of your cat’s teeth
- Ingredients are fully food quality
Cons
- Lots of cats like the chicken flavor, but not all
Nylabone Oral Care Cat Kit
If your cat has a smaller mouth, maybe you should try the Nylabone Oral Care Cat Kit.
Fits Cats Mouth Well
One of the reasons that cat owners have problems when they try to brush their kitty’s teeth is because they don’t have the proper sized brush. If it’s too big, their cat may keep turning their head during brushings. If it’s too small, then they won’t get all the plaque and other gunk off their teeth and gums. This Nylabone pack comes with a just-right sized toothbrush that will fit most cat’s mouths well. And, the way that the brush has a slight hook at its tip makes for easier brushing overall.
Comfortable for Your Cat’s Mouth
One of the main things that will make your cat reject tooth brushing time are toothbrush bristles that are too hard. Along with a Denta-C toothpaste formula that prevents tarter buildup and accumulated bacteria, the brush bristles are soft and comfortable, and won’t irritate their gums.
Pros
- Bacteria resistant toothpaste formula
- Hooked brush gets between teeth well
Cons
- Cats with bigger mouths may not benefit as well from the smaller toothbrush
