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My kitten is scratching a red bump on its chin. What should I do?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | unneutered | 20 lbs

Just found a small red bump on my 17 week old kittens chin. He scratches that area from time to time so unsure what caused it. I touched it and he didn't flinch or anything so I don't think it painful. Can you give me some advice please?

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3 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Destini R. Holloway, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on December 10th, 2017

This is likely a small bug bite or an inflammatory reaction to some type of trauma (puncture, scratch, abrasion) to the skin. You can try cleaning it with a small amount of Betadine diluted 50:50with warm water, letting it air dry, and then applying a thin layer of Neosporin to the area twice a day to see if this can start to heal over the next few days.. Also an e-collar purchased from your local pet store can be placed on Simba to prevent her from scratching this area and causing more irritation as well as delaying the healing process. If this doesn't help then its best to see your vet to have this area investigated closely and in person. The vet may also want to shave the hair around it to get a better view and prescribe topical pet friendly antibiotics to help this heal. Best wishes with your kitty Simba and I hope this wound resolves soon. Take care.

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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 14th, 2018

    Chloe is adorable! I would recommend having your veterinarian examine the area next time Chloe goes in for her next kitten vaccination. We commonly see mild skin infections in kittens that can cause some redness, hair loss and swelling, but often have to do some skin cytology and look at a sample under the microscope to determine if the problem is bacterial, fungal or parasitic (such as mites). If the area is growing rapidly or appears to be bothering her, I would certainly recommend having it evaluated right away, but otherwise, I think you can just have you vet evaluate it at her next regular appointment and decide if it needs any treatment at that time. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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    Answered By Amber Da Silva, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 8th, 2017

    A bump can be many different things - an abscess from a bite or scratch, a reaction to an insect bite, a growth, etc. It may be helpful to post another question to the forum and attach a good picture if you can. If it does seem to be bothering her if you touch it, I would recommend getting it looked at by a veterinarian. They may do a test called a fine needle aspirate to determine what it is and then come up with a treatment plan based on that.

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