What is this hard, irregular, non-fatty lump on my cat's shoulder?

In a cat this young, the lump is likely to be something like a cyst or a benign tumor. Any suspicious lumps should be examined by the vet. The vet can perform a test called a fine needle aspirate on it. To do this, the vet sticks a small needle into the lump to get a sample of its cells, and examines the cells on a slide under a microscope. It's usually painless to the animal, and relatively quick to perform. Once the cause of the lump is diagnosed, the vet can discuss treatment options if needed. I'd call Baby's vet to make her an appointment to get this checked out. Best of luck.

I'm sorry to hear your kitty has a lump. Unfortunately, tumors cannot be differentiated from fat by just touching them. They need to be sampled and looked at under a microscope. I would highly encourage you to have this lump checked by your veterinarian at your pet's next visit to make sure it isn't something more serious.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. I am sorry for your concerns about Rocky. This appears to be a small cystic nodule, probably not cancerous, but all lumps & bumps should be evaluated by your veterinarian. A small sample taken with a very small needle can be examined under a microscope to see if there is anything to be worried about. You can watch this for a while, but if it suddenly should enlarge, please have it looked at. Take care.

Lipomas are benign but they can grow larger. It's recommended to have them removed surgically if they start bothering the cat, get really big, and/or impede their movement. Since this lump is getting bigger, I'd take Jeepers back into the vet to have it checked out. Best of luck.

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

It's hard to tell the size but it looks like it may be a benign wart or growth. It appears to be more on the surface of the skin which is good, and it is well defined. Cats do get malignant skin growths so it is a good idea to have your veterinarian examine it and feel underneath also. They can easily remove this if necessary and do a biopsy. I'm not overly concerned looking at the photo but it's best to be sure. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Louis.

The most common lumps on cats are pockets of infection, or an abscess from a cat fight. An abscess is generally hot to the touch and painful and may cause a fever and lethargy. It also could be a tumor which often are non painful but can be malignant and will grow if not removed. Also some cats get a skin reaction to a vaccination if it’s given in that location and the swelling should improve over a week or so. I recommend a veterinary exam so they can feel the lump, take her temperature and decide if further treatment is needed. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for your cat.