Cat dental care for Russian Blues

So the chicken flavour was a no-go — that's more common than you'd think, especially with Russian Blues, who can be surprisingly particular. Dental disease affects most cats over three and is one of the most common causes of chronic pain in cats — pain they hide completely, sometimes for years. Since your cat is five, it's genuinely worth finding something that works. Can I ask: has your vet flagged any dental concerns yet, and when your cat refused the chicken paste, was it the smell, the taste, or the whole brushing experience that seemed to be the problem?

That tells you a lot. If she was reacting before the brush made contact, the chicken scent itself was the trigger. Russian Blues have a strong aversion response to things they decide are wrong — and once they've decided, that particular product is usually done. The good news is that malt and seafood flavours tend to land very differently, and some cats who reject poultry-based pastes take to them almost immediately. Do you want to stick with a paste and brush approach, or are you open to a gel that you can apply with your finger or just let her lick off?

Given that she rejected on smell alone and you want to keep brushing, I'd go with Beaphar Toothpaste for Cats in the malt flavour. It has a much more neutral, slightly sweet scent — nothing meaty — and a lot of cats who've rejected chicken or beef pastes accept it without fuss. It also contains an enzyme system that keeps working after you've finished brushing, which matters because most cats won't tolerate long sessions. You apply a small amount to a finger brush or soft toothbrush, and the malt scent is low enough that you can usually get the brush close without triggering that back-away response. It's widely available on Amazon UK and reasonably priced. I'd introduce it slowly — let her sniff it off your finger for a few days before attempting the brush again.

Yes — the reset matters as much as the product. Put the new paste somewhere she can encounter it casually, like beside her food bowl, before you ever open it near her. Let her sniff the tube. Then offer a tiny amount on your fingertip with no pressure at all — just let her decide to investigate. Russian Blues respond much better when they feel like they made the choice. Only once she's licking it off your finger voluntarily should you bring a brush into it. If you rush that sequence, you risk her associating the new paste with the same bad memory. Take a week if you need to. The enzymatic action in the Beaphar paste means even partial coverage done consistently is genuinely useful, so don't feel you need a perfect brushing session to get results.

Good plan. Give it two to three weeks before you judge it — the first few sessions are just about rebuilding trust, not cleaning teeth. If she's still refusing after a proper slow introduction, come back and we can look at a no-brush gel alternative. But I think with the scent issue removed and a patient approach, you've got a good chance of getting this working for her.