Reply #23: we used tuna water to begin with and made a loose "paste"

[haele]

making sure it would be more lap-able than chewy - of the tuna fish and cat-food, only putting down a few tablespoons at a time when our elderly cats had teeth or kidney problems and would stop eating. An unseasoned boiled chicken and rice mixture made into a watery paste is also a good option, especially if it is more of a kidney or gastric issue than a teeth issue.
Kitties will also get gum and tooth issues when there's a lot of gastiric reflux problems. Good luck at the vets, I've gone through this with my two old boys who passed due to a bone cancer in their jaws.

Haele