Dental hygiene is important for our pets, including cats, and regular brushing will help keep your cat’s teeth and gums healthy and free from tartar build-up. This can be a challenging task with felines because most will not enjoy the process, so it’s important to begin when they’re still a kitten to get them properly accustomed to it. Of course, the right tool for the job will make the process easier, and this is where toothbrushes made especially for cats come in.
Just like human toothbrushes, toothbrushes for cats come in various shapes and sizes, with some that look like regular toothbrushes and others cleverly made to look like toys. Which brush is best for you depends on your cat’s age, size, and temperament. Luckily, there are many to choose from.
But how do you choose the best toothbrush for your cat? We’re here to help! In this article, we created in-depth reviews for 10 of our favorite cat toothbrushes, to help narrow the options and make choosing the right one for your kitty easier. Let’s dive in!
A Quick Comparison of Our Favorites in 2023
Image Product Details
Best Overall
Vetoquinol Dual-Ended Pet Toothbrush
Dual heads
Angled brush heads
Soft, gentle bristles
Check Price
Best Value
Woobamboo Pet Toothbrush
Made from organic and biodegradable bamboo
Ergonomically designed handle
Covered in a non-toxic protective wax
Check Price
Premium Choice
Petosan Double-Headed Pet Toothbrush
Double-headed design
45-degree angled head
Makes brushing faster
Check Price
Best Overall
H&H Pets Small Pet Toothbrush Set
Four brushes per pack
Small heads are ideal for use with kittens
Ultra-soft, polished bristles
Check Price
Pet Republique Cat Finger Toothbrush
Simple design
Comes in a pack of six
Great value for money
Check Price
The 10 Best Toothbrushes for Cats
With two different-sized heads conveniently on one single brush, the Vetoquinol Enzadent Dual-Ended Toothbrush for Dogs & Cats is our top choice overall. With one small head and one large head, the toothbrush is ideal for both adults and kittens, and the smaller head enables you to brush far more accurately. Both brush heads are angled for a more thorough brush with a flat handle for a comfortable grip and have soft bristles that will not hurt or irritate your cat’s gums.
Life stage: Adult, kittens
Featured: Dual-ended
Quantity: 1
Check Price on Chewy
While having two heads is certainly convenient, the large head is too big for small cats and is best for large breeds only.
Dual heads
Angled brush heads
Soft, gentle bristles
Flat handle
- Dual heads
- Angled brush heads
- Soft, gentle bristles
- Flat handle
Large head is not suitable for small cats
- Large head is not suitable for small cats
The Woobamboo Dog and Cat Toothbrush is made from organic and biodegradable bamboo, making it great for the environment because you aren’t using disposable plastics. Since the toothbrush is covered in a non-toxic protective wax, it’s great for your kitty too. This toothbrush also comes at a low price and is our favorite cat toothbrush for the money. The brush handle is ergonomically designed with a comfortable hump for your thumb, enabling you to brush more comfortably and accurately. The bristles are made from soft but effective nylon for a gentle brushing experience.
Life stage: Adult
Featured: Bamboo construction
Quantity: 1
This brush is not made specifically for cats, and as such, the head is a bit large for small felines.
Inexpensive
Made from organic and biodegradable bamboo
Covered in a non-toxic protective wax
Ergonomically designed handle
Soft nylon bristles
- Inexpensive
- Made from organic and biodegradable bamboo
- Covered in a non-toxic protective wax
- Ergonomically designed handle
- Soft nylon bristles
Not made specifically for cats
Fairly large brush head
- Not made specifically for cats
- Fairly large brush head
If you’re looking for a premium quality toothbrush for your feline, we highly recommend the Petosan Double Headed Dog & Cat Toothbrush. The double-headed action of the brush reaches your cat’s teeth at a 45-degree angle, enabling it to effectively clean the teeth and gums. The double head can clean both sides of your cat’s teeth at once, making brushing far easier and more efficient. The Petosan brush is recommended by veterinarians and comes in four different sizes. Depending on your cat’s size, we recommend the extra-small or small heads. Due to the double-sided head, any larger sizes may make it difficult to reach the back of your cat’s mouth.
Life stage: Adult
Featured: Double-headed
Quantity: 1
Double-headed design
45-degree angled head
Makes brushing faster
Vet recommended
Four size options
- Double-headed design
- 45-degree angled head
- Makes brushing faster
- Vet recommended
- Four size options
Expensive
- Expensive
The H&H Pets Small Dog & Cat Toothbrush is specifically designed for small mouths and is ideal for use with both kittens and adults. The brush has ultra-soft, polished bristles that have been tested for both safety and comfort. It’s soft enough to not cause harm to your cat’s gums but effective enough to properly remove plaque and tartar build-up. Each brush should last for up to a month, and the pack contains four brushes, enough for roughly 4 months of use, which is great value. Lastly, a percentage of profits from each pack sold goes to non-profit animal rescue organizations!
Life stage: Adult, kitten
Featured: Soft, polished bristles
Quantity: 4
Four brushes per pack
Ultra-soft, polished bristles
Small heads are ideal for use with kittens
Percentage of profits goes to non-profit animal rescue organizations
- Four brushes per pack
- Ultra-soft, polished bristles
- Small heads are ideal for use with kittens
- Percentage of profits goes to non-profit animal rescue organizations
Somewhat slippery handle
- Somewhat slippery handle
The Pet Republique Cat Finger Toothbrush is a simple yet effective toothbrush design that simply slips over your index finger, which helps with accuracy while keeping your cat’s teeth clean. The design helps keep most cats at ease, as there is not a large, foreign object being inserted into their mouths. The brush has soft yet durable rubber bristles that clean gently but effectively. Getting six brushes at a reasonable price makes this toothbrush great value for money.
Life stage: Adult
Featured: Finger brush
Quantity: 6
This toothbrush is not suitable for small cats and kittens, unfortunately, and if your cat does not enjoy getting their teeth brushed, your finger is vulnerable to getting bitten!
Simple design
Comes in a pack of six
Great value for money
Soft rubber bristles
- Simple design
- Comes in a pack of six
- Great value for money
- Soft rubber bristles
Not suitable for kittens and small cats
Leaves your fingers vulnerable to biting
- Not suitable for kittens and small cats
- Leaves your fingers vulnerable to biting
The Petsmile Professional Pet Toothbrush is designed for use with professional pet groomers but is great for regular home use too. The dual-headed design is a great feature, enabling you to clean both the fronts and backs of your cat’s teeth with ease, and the 45-degree angled heads promote accuracy. The brush has a comfortable, ergonomic grip made from textured rubber that makes it easy to grip even when it gets wet, and it has pet-safe, BPA-free nylon bristles, which is great peace of mind considering that you’ll be putting the brush inside your cat’s mouth regularly.
Life stage: Adult
Featured: Dual-ended
Quantity: 1
This toothbrush is expensive because it’s made for professional use, and it’s not ideal for kittens or small cats.
Designed for use with professional pet groomers
Dual-head design
45-degree head angle
Ergonomic rubber grip
BPA-free nylon bristles
- Designed for use with professional pet groomers
- Dual-head design
- 45-degree head angle
- Ergonomic rubber grip
- BPA-free nylon bristles
Expensive
Not ideal for kittens or small cats
- Expensive
- Not ideal for kittens or small cats
The Virbac C.E.T Dual-Ended Cat Toothbrush has two heads, one large and one small, with tapered ends to easily get to hard-to-reach areas. The long, contoured handle has reverse angles to make reaching gums and back teeth a breeze, and it’s easier to hold and use the brush overall. The brush has soft yet effective bristles that are gentle on your cat but work well to remove tartar and plaque build-up.
Life stage: Adult
Featured: Dual heads
Quantity: 1
This brush is not suitable for kittens and small cats, and the large head is not ideal for even large cats. Also, while the heads are angled, we feel that a sharper angle would make cleaning far easier.
Dual heads
Long, contoured handle with tapered ends
Soft, gentle bristles
- Dual heads
- Long, contoured handle with tapered ends
- Soft, gentle bristles
Not ideal for kittens or small cats
Angle not sharp enough to ease cleaning
- Not ideal for kittens or small cats
- Angle not sharp enough to ease cleaning
If a standard toothbrush is not suitable for your cat for whatever reason, these Professional Applicator Swabs from Petsmile may just do the trick. No matter how soft some brush bristles are, certain cats are highly sensitive to them, and this can cause an understandable resistance to brushing. Applicator swabs can solve this issue because they are far more gentle, and the long wand design still enables you to reach the back of your cat’s mouth, where most food tends to hide. The wands are made from BPA-free plastic, and there are 50 wands included in the pack.
Life stage: Adult, kitten
Featured: Swabs
Quantity: 50
While these will be gentler on your cat, they won’t do as good of a job as regular brushing will, and the straight design of the wands can make it difficult to brush accurately.
Great for sensitive cats
Long handles for hard-to-reach areas
Made from BPA-free plastic
50 wands included
- Great for sensitive cats
- Long handles for hard-to-reach areas
- Made from BPA-free plastic
- 50 wands included
Won’t clean as effectively as regular toothbrushes
Expensive
- Won’t clean as effectively as regular toothbrushes
- Expensive
- Sentry Petrodex Deluxe Finger Toothbrush for Dogs & Cats
Check Latest Price
Life stage: Adult
Featured: Finger brush
Quantity: 2
The Sentry Petrodex Deluxe Finger Toothbrush for Dogs & Cats is a simple but effective toothbrush design, ideal for cats that don’t enjoy the bristles of regular toothbrushes. The soft, rubber bristles effectively remove plaque and tartar while gently massaging your cat’s gums, and they have a slightly longer length than other finger toothbrushes — they fit over your finger’s knuckles for better grip. The brush also has a convenient ring for safety while using, and it is completely dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
Check Latest Price
Life stage: Adult
Featured: Finger brush
Quantity: 2
As with most finger brushes, this is not ideal for kittens or small cats, and many customers reported that the finger hole is fairly tight, making it difficult to use if you have large fingers.
Inexpensive
Soft bristles
Convenient safety ring
Dishwasher safe
- Inexpensive
- Soft bristles
- Convenient safety ring
- Dishwasher safe
Difficult to use if you have large fingers
Not ideal for kittens or small cats
- Difficult to use if you have large fingers
- Not ideal for kittens or small cats
10. Nylabone Advanced Oral Care Cat Dental Kit
Check Latest Price
Life stage: Adult
Featured: Fingerbrush and toothbrush
Quantity: 2
The Nylabone Advanced Oral Care Dental Kit is a complete kit for ultimate dental care for your feline. It’s great because it has both a finger brush and a regular toothbrush, giving you the option to choose and see what your cat prefers. It also contains a tube of Denta-C pet toothpaste, which is scientifically proven to reduce plaque and tartar, all at a highly affordable price.
While it’s great to have the options of a finger brush or toothbrush, both are far too large for kittens and small cats. Also, many customers reported that the toothpaste has a pungent odor that their cats did not enjoy.
Finger brush and normal toothbrush included
Includes Denta-C pet toothpaste
Inexpensive
- Finger brush and normal toothbrush included
- Includes Denta-C pet toothpaste
- Inexpensive
Not suitable for kittens and smaller cats
Toothpaste has a pungent odor
- Not suitable for kittens and smaller cats
- Toothpaste has a pungent odor
Buyer’s Guide: Choosing the Best Toothbrush for Your Cat
Dental hygiene is vital for cats because they can suffer from the same dental problems as humans. Without regular brushing, this can cause tons of pain and discomfort for your feline. It can even cause extreme discomfort while your cat is eating, leading to a reduction in appetite and a decline in nutrition and overall health. Cats cannot brush their own teeth, and while kibble may help reduce plaque, you are solely responsible for your cat’s dental health, making choosing the right toothbrush all the more important.
Toothbrushes are not complicated items, but you do want a cat toothbrush that works effectively, is easy to use, and is gentle on your cat’s gums. Let’s take a look at a few factors to consider when choosing a toothbrush for your cat.
Cat toothbrush types
Handled toothbrushes
Handled toothbrushes for cats are similar to human toothbrushes and the go-to choice for most cat owners. They typically have a single or double head with soft, nylon bristles and varying head sizes. You’ll want the head to be small enough to fit inside the mouth of small cats or kittens and to reach difficult areas. It should also be angled to make brushing easier. Some handled toothbrushes have two heads, either a large and small head on either side or a double head on one side, to clean both sides of your cat’s teeth at once and make the process far quicker. Double-sided heads are great, but the large head is often only usable for the largest cat breeds.
Finger brushes
Finger brushes are simple brushes that may be great alternatives to regular brushes for some owners. They are finger-shaped sleeves, usually made from rubber, that simply slide over your fingers. Some cats prefer these brushes over handled brushes, and it may make the process easier. Of course, there are a few flaws with this design: Your finger may be too small or too large for the brush, and it cannot reach tight, difficult areas. Also, these brushes are far too big for kittens or small cats.
Applicator swabs
If your cat has sensitive gums or is already suffering from gingivitis, toothpaste applicator swabs may be your best bet. They are usually made with cotton attached to a long plastic wand, and you simply place the toothpaste on it and rub it onto your cat’s teeth. While these are great for sensitive cats, they are not as effective as regular toothbrushes because they don’t have bristles, so they don’t clean that well overall.
How often should you brush your cat’s teeth?
Most experts recommend brushing your cat’s teeth at least two or three times a week to prevent dental disease, but daily brushing will give the best results. It will rid your cat’s teeth of the daily build-up of food and thus prevent any build-up or debris from getting stuck in your cat’s teeth. It can be a challenge to brush your cat’s teeth every day, though, so aim for at least twice a week.
You’ll need to get your cat used to the taste of toothpaste (one designed for cats only) and to having a foreign object in their mouth, so it’s best to start as young as possible. This will make the process easier for both you and your cat, and it will be easier to keep their teeth healthy and disease-free as adults.
Conclusion
While we recommend any of the aforementioned cat toothbrushes, the Vetoquinol Enzadent Dual-Ended Toothbrush is our top choice overall. The brush has one small head and one large head, both of which are angled, and a flat handle with soft bristles that will not hurt or irritate your cat’s gums.
The Woobamboo cat toothbrush is the best cat toothbrush for the money. It is made from organic and biodegradable bamboo and covered in a non-toxic protective wax, and it has an ergonomically designed handle with a comfortable hump for your thumb.
If you’re looking for a premium quality toothbrush for your feline, we highly recommend the Petosan Double Headed Cat Toothbrush. The double-headed action of the brush reaches your cat’s teeth at a 45-degree angle, cleans both sides of your cat’s teeth at once, and comes in four different sizes.
While a cat toothbrush is a simple product, you want one that does the job gently and effectively, so it can be a challenge to find the right product. We hope that our in-depth reviews have helped narrow the options so you can find the best cat toothbrush to suit your needs and keep your cat’s teeth clean!
- Related Read: 9 Best Cat Toothpastes in 2023
Featured Image Credit: Natallia Boroda, Shutterstock
