Feline Acne may be affecting your cat if you’ve noticed black specks around Kitty’s face and mouth, and if his or her fur is oily, too. Teens aren’t the only ones who can have problems with skin acne- cats can too. Acne, which is a glandular disorder in humans, as well as in cats, is caused by overactive skin glands. When cats suffer from Feline Acne, it’s because their sebaceous glands are producing too much sebum. An excess of sebum causes blackheads and pimples to form in the clogged skin pores, thus Feline Acne.
You see, cats have two types of glands in their chin and jaws. The first type is the sweat gland, and the other type is the sebaceous glands. The latter produces an oil called sebum. Sebum is an oily substance that helps to make your cat’s coat shiny and waterproof. It also has a scent that can only be detected by other cats. This is why your cat likes to rub his or her chin and jaw on you. In doing that, they’re marking their territory with the sebum.
Human teens are more prone to have skin acne than adults. But with cats, they can get feline acne at any age. Especially if they don’t clean their face and jaw areas enough to reduce the amount of sebum they have on their skin.
So, how can you tell if your cat has Feline Acne? Telltale symptoms include a greasy appearance to their fur, especially around the facial area. You might also see dark spots in the fur around their face and jaw area.
However, even though your cat has the symptoms, it might not actually have Feline Acne. There are two contagious diseases that act like this Feline Acne. They are dermatophytosis and demodecosis. Or, the symptoms may be a result of your cat having a food allergy, an allergic reaction to plastic food bowls, or a yeast infection.
A mild case of Feline Acne can often be treated at home. If you do notice that your cat has the symptoms of this health problem, you can create a homemade treatment by carefully cleansing the affected area with a mild antibacterial soap. The soap will not only remove the oily sebum, but it will also kill bacteria and germs.