Just today I had a talk to my sister who said a professional dental clean for cats is very expensive and I suggested she could do it herself. We had a interesting conversation and I am curious how you (pet parents) handle it at home? Do you brush your cat’s teeth?
I brush my brother’s dogs’ teeth when I sit with them - but they both love to be held and are used to it.
I can’t imagine a cat that would allow you to brush its teeth. Hard enough to get pills into them - tightly wrap in a thick towel and force the small mouth open. I’ve had a few cat sits where the cat completely avoids pills hidden in food, etc. And PP have asked that I put the pill into the cat’s mouth.
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My vet put my cat under general anaesthesia in order to do it.
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I have tried brushing cat’s teeth before and can’t recommend it 
My FIV+ cat was on the verge of needing a full dental but we decided to try Science Diet dental care kibble and dental treats first. He gets a small serving of food and about five treats daily. It’s worked great! Teeth and gums were much better within a couple months. I’m hoping we can stave off the costly full dental for a few more years.
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When we get a new cat we try to get them used to brushing their teeth when they are young but we haven’t gotten a cat yet that would let us do it. Many many years ago our vet guilted us in having our ten year old cat’s teeth cleaned saying she probably suffered. She didn’t show any sign of pain or discomfort, quite the contrary. We went ahead anyway but our cat developed complications from the anesthesia and died a few days later. We had never done it for our other cats before and never since.
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Oh no, I’m so sorry to hear that. That’s pretty understandable that you wouldn’t do it again after that traumatising experience! Sending love!