First, eliminate all plastic bowls or plates you may use for feeding or watering your cat. Use only stainless steel, glass, or ceramic bowls/plates and wash them regularly.

Clean your cat's chin daily with a cotton ball soaked in hydrogen peroxide. Then apply a topical antibiotic like bacitracin, triple antibiotic, or similar until the acne clears up.

Laurie

Thanks.

I've always used only glass/porcelain/stainless steel dishes. I wash them regularly.

I noticed that this seemed to have flared up after I'd boarded her at the vet's over Thanksgiving. It might be coincidence-- or not.

This is the worst flare-up she's had to date. She's been scratching her chin and mouth to the point that she has open sores all over. I've been washing her chin with peroxide every few days. I'll do it twice a day from this point on.

Regular Bacitracin is safe for her? I'm concerned about when she washes her face, gets the bacitracin on her paws and then licks them.

When she got her shots a few weeks ago, it was pretty bad, but, not as bad as now. The vet looked at her and agreed that it was acne. He said that hydrogen peroxide was as good as anything.

My vet told me that regular bacitracin was fine to use, but if you have concerns you should certainly run it past your own vet first.

No, I looked it up. Another site says that a tiny amount, if swallowed, is harmless.

Thanks for the information, Laurie. I'm going to use it tonight.

Also: Feed your cat in flat dish, not a bowl.

"Feed your cat in flat dish, not a bowl."

Thanks. I started doing that as soon as it got noticeable.

My cat had feline acne (it flared after he was diagnosed with hyperthyroidism) and I started feeding him his dry food on a washcloth (washed in unscented detergent). It took care of the problem (in addition to keeping the area clean). The unfortunate side effect of this is now he wants his dry food only on a washcloth!!!

I'm thinking of changing to paper plates and bowls -- at least for awhile. That way, I can just toss them every night.

My cats had this once. The vet told me to do two things: get rid of the plastic dishes and wipe their chins several times daily with those medicated acne scrubs (Stridex, I think) you buy in a little jar. The acne cleared up in about two weeks and they never had it again.

My DD's cat gets acne periodically. For a long time we just thought his chin was dirty. The vet recommended the acne pads that my daughter used for her acne. Works like a charm.