I've got Kitty Pimples

I'm sure you've been wondering where I've been this past month.  In fact I've been too busy looking out the window to even think about touching the computer.  You know, computers take time away from the family... these days all people are thinking about is what to put on their Facebook statuses.

See my larger pimple? 

I decided to have some quality time and actually take a nap on my adopted "mother's" lap while she read.  Usually I can't stand sitting on people's laps, but luckily she had a fuzzy robe on and I wanted to be nice.  The only other news I have is that my acne has gotten worse.  I know, I know, in human years I'm in my early twenties.  I really shouldn't be having the trademark pimples of teenhood.  Unfortunately that just isn't the case with me.

For a while now I've been having small black specks where my follicles are getting clogged with black sebaceous material.  Luckily they are mostly disguised by my chin fur.  One of my pimples got larger a couple days ago, got pink and bled a bit.  While cleaning it off with a bit of peroxide (a common treatment for feline acne) my adopted mother noticed that there was pus on it.  If only I could steal some of that ZapZyt from the human's cabinet, then I would be totally pimple free!

I'll leave you with some of the possible causes and treatments for feline acne.

Reasons we cats get acne

• Stress.  Just moved to a new house? You might get some acne.
• Plastic or ceramic food bowls.  Those are houses for bacteria! (I have a ceramic dish...)
• Poor grooming habits- Definitely not me!
• Over active sebaceous glands.
• Food allergies.  

How to treat feline acne

• If the acne isn't severe, use a topical treatment such as peroxide, iodine, Epsom salts, or antibacterial soap.
• Topical Vitamin A
• Topical retinoids
• If it's more severe you may have to use an ointment containing benzoyl peroxide.  
• If you find that the acne is getting so bad that the cat's chin is raw, you might want to consult a veterinarian.
• Cats can NOT use anti-acne treatments for humans! 

If you want to prevent acne all you need to do is switch to a metal food bowl, and you should stay acne free.  Ceramic is definitely better than plastic but can still house bacteria.  Make sure you wash food and water bowls at least once daily!  

Now I just need to figure out how to get rid of these things!