Liz, I used to have a cat, Polly, who had no teeth. I only found this out when she sat on my lap and yawned. Imagine my surprise at seeing only gums. She ate normal food, and ate well. I think her gums had hardened. Maybe giving Clio normal food would help her gums to harden to be able to chew cat food, which is usually soft.
Polly used to catch mice and try to gum them to death!
Her friend, Samantha, would pinch the mouse and kill it unless I could rescue the poor thing first.