'Beauty marks' on my cat's skin?

[Naotalba]

Hi folks, I was wondering if anyone here has had experience with tiny browns spots, kind of like 'beauty marks', suddenly appearing on a sphynx's skin? (I have attached a recent picture.)

I noticed those some 2 weeks ago on Himiko's flanks. They might have been here for longer, hidden by her clothes (I've only recently stopped clothing her as it's getting warmer again), but not that much longer, I'm pretty sure there was nothing there back in January.

It doesn't look like a rash nor any kind of irritation. It doesn't bleed, doesn't look like black spots/comedones, it doesn't feel raised or depressed, just flat. She doesn't groom herself more than usual there, nor scratches herself. It's not dirt, as it didn't go away/flake away when I gave her a bath. Her habits haven't changed either; she eats, pees, poops, plays and naps exactly as usual, and doesn't seem in any kind of discomfort whatsoever. There has also been no change to her diet or litter. The only change I can think of is that I got her new clothes some 3-4 weeks ago, but if she was having an allergic reaction, I suppose it would look different.

I've already brought her to the vet and they're not sure what it is yet (they're not specialised in sphynx cats, alas). The vet used the blue light lamp to check for anything fungal, but nothing appeared. They also checked her eyes for corresponding spots (as apparently this is the case of it's melanoma) -- nothing. All looks normal, no fever, no discomfort, no distress. For now, I am to monitor and take pictures at regular intervals for the next 2-3 weeks, to see if these spots propagate or evolve in any way; if they do, we'll have a biopsy done.

In the meantime, I figured out I might as well check here too... Some of you may have experienced the same with their sphynx cats?

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Hoping if you keep the clothes off, the skin balances out on its own. Keep us updated. We rescued a girl once with ringworm and it looked similar. A pinkish pimple would pear and turn black and look like a freckled tiny scab. I see your vet did the blacklight test, but that only works about 50% of the time my vet said. If you see similar pimples start and turn black/scab I would push for a skin scrape.

Our vet back then didn’t have experience with Sphynx and didn’t think anything of the spots as they didn’t look like ringworm on her.

 

[Naotalba]

Hoping if you keep the clothes off, the skin balances out on its own. Keep us updated. We rescued a girl once with ringworm and it looked similar. A pinkish pimple would pear and turn black and look like a freckled tiny scab. I see your vet did the blacklight test, but that only works about 50% of the time my vet said. If you see similar pimples start and turn black/scab I would push for a skin scrape.

Our vet back then didn’t have experience with Sphynx and didn’t think anything of the spots as they didn’t look like ringworm on her.

Thank you, I'll keep that in mind and will check for pinkish/red pimples as well. I didn't notice anything like that in the past few days, at least.
I do hope it's not ringworm, first of all for her of course, but also because if it is, it means I'm infected too. (This girl sneaks in my bed at night to make biscuits... I live in a studio flat, so short of locking her in the tiny bathroom, I literally can't keep her away from me, I have no doors to close!)

 

[Yoda mom]

@Naotalba ,hugs n head smooches, Himiko is adorable. wondering if it will clear up going clothing free? brainstorming here.. has she ever had prickle heat rashes from clothing that scabbed over to heal afterwards?

my darker skin boys near 12 yr old Tobylove and Batman near 15 have pigmentation spots as they are aging. Tobylove and Batman both have a few "beauty spots" that have never been an issue.
sharing, many of us stopped using coconut oil as it can clog pores.

following closely for update. .. I always love her avatar photo! those eyes!!!

 

[Naotalba]

@Naotalba ,hugs n head smooches, Himiko is adorable. wondering if it will clear up going clothing free? brainstorming here.. has she ever had prickle heat rashes from clothing that scabbed over to heal afterwards?

my darker skin boys near 12 yr old Tobylove and Batman near 15 have pigmentation spots as they are aging. Tobylove and Batman both have a few "beauty spots" that have never been an issue.
sharing, many of us stopped using coconut oil as it can clog pores.

following closely for update. .. I always love her avatar photo! those eyes!!!

Thank you. She IS an adorable, gorgeous baby.

I'm keeping her clothing free for now, indeed. Not sure about prickle heat rashes—what does it look like? (The spots she has don't look like scabs, in the sense that you can't feel them/they're not raised. But she's my first sphynx and I still have so much to learn, so not discarding this either for sure.)

Hmm I did use coconut oil back in January, to try it, after her baths. Going to stop that as well, just in case.

Not sure it's an aging thing, she's only 18 months old... actually, maybe this counts as "aging" and not "growing up" anymore?

 

[Yoda mom]

@Naotalba, when my girl gets prickle heat from staying too long under blankies, they are small pink, then turn brown fall off. my darker Tobylove had his "beauty marks at about 2 yrs old, now near 12. the spots stayed the same. Batman has various pigmentation. Does she sunbath in windows? just trying to brainstorm.

 

[Naotalba]

@Naotalba, when my girl gets prickle heat from staying too long under blankies, they are small pink, then turn brown fall off. my darker Tobylove had his "beauty marks at about 2 yrs old, now near 12. the spots stayed the same. Batman has various pigmentation. Does she sunbath in windows? just trying to brainstorm.

Sunbathing... Not much, I only have the one window (north-west aspect), and she'll go there at times but never sitting there for hours. Maybe she stays 5-10 minutes, and then she goes to nap somewhere else. She does sit on the sofa which is ~1m from the window; that said, when she does this, she faces the window, her flanks/back aren't particularly exposed. Also it's UK winter sunlight anyway, so that isn't worth much anyway.

I think if it's just pigmentation like your Tobylove, that'd be the best outcome, actually? I really try to make sure she doesn't get sick, I hope I'm not the one dragging back ringworm and flea poop and stuff back to the flat...

 

[Yoda mom]

Keep us updated often, all paws are family

 

[Naotalba]

Hi folks, OK I still have no idea! I've kept watch and taken pictures every week or so, and the spots have pretty much faded (see new picture). Vet is still puzzled as well but clearly not worried since the spots are almost all gone.

Were those 'heat spots' then? (I'm still not even sure what those exactly are, to be honest.)

She's been clothing-free since early March, too, but I don't know if that helped, or if it's just a coincidence.

Guess that's the questions I get for picking a sphynx for my first cat ever

 

[Yoda mom]

@Naotalba , how old is she? sharing my darker sphynx got normal pigmentation as they aged. members will surely chime in. thanks for the updated pic
does she sit in sunny windows for prolonged times?

 

[Yoda mom]

@Catzzzmeow

 

[Catzzzmeow]

Many of the darker colored Sphynx can get dark spots. We had a tuxedo girl that once got a huge splotch of black and it was all from sunning. Perhaps this is the same case.

 

[Naotalba]

@Naotalba , how old is she? sharing my darker sphynx got normal pigmentation as they aged. members will surely chime in. thanks for the updated pic
does she sit in sunny windows for prolonged times?

She's not even that old, she'll turn 2 year old in August.

Well, if this kind of spots is not unexpected and I don't need to worry about them, I guess I'm all good with that.

I checked again today and all the spots are pretty much gone. It's so bizarre. And no, it wasn't dirt, I wash her regularly.

 

[Yoda mom]

@Naotalba , wonderful update all spots are pretty much gone. she has the bestest mum, hugs n head smooches adorable Himiko.

 

[Naotalba]

Hugs and smooches given

Not sure if she has the bestest mum, but she sure has an absolute worrywart for a mum (and also one who should stop buying so many cat trees and little cat houses because my flat is like 40 sqm only)

 

[Yoda mom]

@Naotalba , oh, Himiko definitely has the bestest mum!! only the best for your sweet baby!! lol I have several cat trees too. one year I bought a little 6 gallon fish tank for them instead of cat toys. I got little peapuffer fish. they follow the cats tails and the peapuffers roll their eyes around watching the nakidss.

look forward to pics and tales! what is Himiko's silliest habit? fav toy? love your avatar photo! such beautiful coloring!!! and she looks like she has spunk in them eyes!!

 

[Naotalba]

@Yoda mom Haha she does have spunk, and she's the whiniest baby in the world, I swear, she always have something to say. Which is fair, considering I also talk to her all the time, so if sounds are coming out of the hole in Mummy's face, surely it's okay tomewl back, right?

She doesn't have one favourite toy specifically, but in general she likes toys with crinkly paper. I have a feather stick which crinkles too, she loves catching it from me and running away with it in her tunnel, where I have to go and pick it and start all over again. She likes strings, too, but more because she enjoys nibbling at the string itself. And I have a sort of round scratchpad platform with a groove containing heavy glass-like balls, that she can push against each other in the groove.

As for her silliest habit, not sure what qualifies as silly? She has her little rituals, for sure, such as climbing on my chest to sit and purr when I'm in bed, she does that a couple of times and then she waits for me to 'inivte' her under the duvet, after which she lets out a sort of contended, happy little mewling sound, and makes biscuits on my legs and drools all over me (I have a permanent rash due to this but how could I ever force her to stop, she seems so happy doing this!). Oh yes, and I have a sphere-shaped lamp, she likes to stick her but tin the air on this lamp (forelegs on the table, hind legs on the lamp), it's just so funny.