Some cats will let you near their mouth for about a second and a half. A spray works inside that window: two or three pumps aimed at the teeth and gumline, no rinsing, no holding a jaw open, done before the objection has properly registered. It is the least invasive way to get anything at all onto the teeth of an animal who has decided the whole area is off limits.

The formula goes on and stays on, with no rinsing, so it keeps working at the gumline where plaque forms. Breath improves first, because the smell comes from the same bacteria the spray is aimed at, but the reason to use it daily is the slower work on plaque before it hardens. It belongs alongside dental chews and vet check-ups rather than in place of either, and it is worth introducing gradually so the bottle does not become the thing to run from.

• 100ml spray bottle
• Suitable for dogs and cats
• No brushing and no rinsing needed
• Helps freshen breath and loosen plaque
• Applied to the teeth and gumline
• Suitable for daily use

Introduce it slowly. Spraying an unsuspecting cat in the face once will cost you a fortnight of trust. Start with the bottle simply in sight and a treat afterwards, then a pump on your finger rubbed along the gum, then the mouth itself. Bad breath that keeps coming back, drooling or sore gums mean a vet visit, because no spray fixes a tooth that needs taking out.

Who it's for: Owners of cats and dogs who tolerate neither a brush nor a finger, and who want the quickest daily dental routine that exists.