What is Cat Acne and How to Treat it

Marble's never treated chin blackheads

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Cats Get Acne?

Much like regular human teens and adults, cats can also develop acne. That’s right—even God's favourite creatures are not immune to the occasional breakout. Cat acne is surprisingly common, and while it may sound alarming, it’s usually not a big deal.

I first noticed Marble's acne when I was just casually staring at him and saw he'd developed a little brown soul patch. Assuming it was just some left over food from a Bruce Bogtrotter style chow down, I got a wet wipe to try and get out the dirt so he could go back to his normal platinum blonde.

Aftermath of using a wetwipe on Marble's chin

Despite the wet wipe's claim to leave a 'superior clean feeling', the dirt just seemed to multiply. I then took a closer look at the skin on his chin and saw little black specs that looked like black dandruff or the dreaded fleas. Marble is very much terrified of the outdoors, strangers, other animals, and his own shadow so very low risk with regard to getting fleas. Ruling fleas out left us with only one option: acne.

So, what exactly is cat acne, and how can you help your kitty put their best paw forward? Let’s break it down.

What Is Cat Acne?

Cat acne typically appears as small black specks around your cat’s chin and lips. These specks—sometimes mistaken for dirt or flea debris—are actually clogged hair follicles, which can become inflamed or infected. Think of it as your cat’s version of blackheads.

The good news? Cat acne is rarely serious, and most cats don’t even notice it. The bad news? If left untreated, it can escalate into red, swollen spots that could become the site of a painful infection.

Why Do Cats Get Acne?

Unlike us humans, cats don’t binge on greasy take aways or skip their skincare routine (at least not when they're young and fit enough to lick themselves). The exact cause of cat acne is unknown, but a few common culprits include:

Plastic bowls: The nooks and crannies of plastic food and water bowls can harbour bacteria, which can irritate your cat’s chin. Basically, the acne equivalent of sleeping on dirty pillowcases.
Excess oil production: Some cats have naturally oily skin, leading to clogged follicles. (Who knew cats could have oily T-zones?)
Poor grooming habits: If your cat isn’t as meticulous with their grooming as they used to be, dirt and oils can build up.
Poor grooming abilities: Some body parts are just hard to reach. Case in point with Marble: how is he supposed to lick his chin?? And why would Fika ever want to lick his spotty chin for him?
Stress: Yes, even cats can stress-breakout! Changes in their environment, routine, or housemates can trigger a flare-up.
Allergies or sensitivities: Certain foods, cleaning products, or even their own saliva can irritate their skin.

Considering the above points, Alex and I tried to figure out what it could be in Marble's case. Now this isn't actually the first time that Marble's acne made itself known.

Many months ago, Marble had a big obvious pustule on his lip. At this point, both cats were using raised plastic bowls. Since only Marble had acne at the time, we changed just his bowls to ceramic plates as a temporary measure to see if it helped. A few weeks later, Marble was decidedly acne free and so we thought he was cured. We eventually changed over all of the cat bowls to ceramic plates that could sit on a raised cat stand.

And so we moved onto the next bullet point: excess oil production.

In an effort to manage oil production you can:

Give food supplements: Supplements, such as omega-3 fatty acid can support healthy skin
Brush your cat: Brushing you cat can help distribute natural oils and slough off dead skin cells.
Use topical treatments: Using an antiseborrheic skin cleanser can further assist in treating conditions such as seborrhea. Look for cleansers that contain cat safe anitseptics such as Hypochlorus, Chlorhexidine diacetate, and Povidone iodine.

On the first bullet point, I used to be heavily into food supplements and would give the cats kelp powder, egg shell powder, and omega-3 oil. I use the kelp powder religiously for plaque removal benefits but have let the other 2 slip. I found that they avoided the egg shell power (perhaps they thought it was mould?) and then I found Marble had visible dandruff when using the omega-3 oil.

After looking into it more, I think the dandruff could have been due to giving Marble a bit too much for him and so I am trying the same omega-3 oil out again but just a small pump once per day.

On the next bullet point, we have always brushed both our cats, however - at least for me- the intention was to help remove loose fur and avoid tangles and matts. We have since adapted our brushing routine to better focus on skin issues. Now I make a point of giving lots of gentle chin scritches (not too hard in case the skin breaks and the site becomes infected). We've also bought a finger tooth brush to more effectively brush the chin. In addition to the brush, we paired it with an antiseborrheic skin cleanser containing 3% chlorhexidine digluconate.

How to cleanse you cat's chin

Gently dry brush the affected area to remove dead skin
Wet the area slightly with warm water
If using a finger tooth brush like I am, wet the brush and apply a tiny blob of you chosen cleaner
Rub the brush with your finger to create a lather on the brush
Brush the affected area like you would brush your teeth, think gentle small circles. Make sure to avoid the mouth
Leave the cleanser to sit for 5-10 minutes if your cat isn't too uncomfortable
Rinse your cat's skin with a damp wash cloth (warm water)
Gentle dry the area
Treat time!

Steps 3 & 4: apply cleanser to finger tooth brush

Step 5: apply cleanser to the chin

Step 7 & 8: rinse and dry

Progress So Far

It has been about 2 weeks since we notices Marble's little skin condition but we have already seen a marked improvement. The acne is still definitely there, but the affected surface area is getting smaller

Marble 2 weeks after starting a proper skincare routine

Final Thoughts

Cat acne might seem like a quirky problem, but it’s just another reminder that our feline friends are full of surprises (and sometimes clogged pores). With a little patience, a few adjustments, and a gentle chin-cleansing routine, you can help your kitty keep their skin healthy and their confidence sky-high.

Because let’s be real—Marble may be prone to breakouts, but he’s healthy and not in pain because of it and that's all that matters.

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