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My cat has a new black bump on her chin. Could it be feline acne?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed

My cat has a bump on her chin and it's black as well. She didn't have it yesterday and I noticed it today (8/10/17) in the morning. What could it be?

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4 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Sara Farmer, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 10th, 2017

This looks like it could be a scab or potentially feline acne. Feline acne can be related to using a plastic or dirty food bowl so you may want to switch to glass or ceramic if you have a plastic bowl. It does not typically require treatment and does not bother the cat. If this lesion is getting bigger, if you notice redness or discharge or if it seems to be bothering Lydia I would recommend having your vet examine it.

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12Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Other Answers

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    Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on January 21st, 2018

    Feline acne can present as a single papule (bump) or pustule (pus filled bump) that can be red and painful. If it ruptures, it can crust over and create a dark area like you are seeing on Mrs. Jones' chin. There isn't any way to tell from the pictures exactly what is going on under the dark area which is how we could determine what is going on . Feline acne results from an overgrowth of normal bacteria and yeast on the skin. It can become a problem when it involves a significant amount of the chin and/or is painful. If the crust is dried and non-painful, I would not recommend cleaning it or medicating it since that will sometimes makes them more irritated. If the area is red, swollen, painful or enlarging, Mrs. Jones needs to see her veterinarian. If this area resolves, but she is continuing to develop new areas, then I would also have your veterinarian examine her to see what can be done to prevent further outbreaks. There are topical products that we will use to help treat and prevent mild outbreaks. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your question. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Dr. Heidi DVM, CVA, CCRT, CVTP, CVSMT, CVCH

    Veterinarian, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner

    Published on May 22nd, 2018

    It is certainly possible that Domino has some chin acne. The black material is likely coming from the hair follicles, so the topical treatment that we use is typically a topical product that has what we call a "follicular flushing" action. That means that it will help open the follicles. There are a couple of topical prescription products that we commonly use for feline acne that contain benzoyl peroxide in the form of a shampoo, gel or wipes. I would ask your veterinarian for a recommendation. It is good that you are not using plastic bowls, but the oil from dry food can still remain on bowls and cause a problem, so be sure to wash the bowls after each meal and/or consider changing to canned food. Good luck! I hope that was helpful and answered your questions. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Rebecca, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on June 14th, 2017

    Hi! It looks like fern may have feline acne. It actually is similar to acne that people can get in that it's a collection of blackheads. One thing is to make sure her food and water bowls are cleaned daily. Stainless steel or ceramic bowls may be better than plastic. Keep her chin clean. Sometime benzoyl peroxide pet shampoo may help. Most of the times it is self limiting but if it spreads or seems infected occasionally they need antibiotics so check with her vet if it gets worse. Here's some more info. https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-pet/chin-acne-in-cats Ps- she's a cutie!

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