My outdoor cat has a hard head lump and is acting sick. What is it?

If Yellow Cat is allowed outside, this lump could be an abscess. Cats who go outdoors can get into fights with other cats, and bites from other cats frequently lead to abscesses. These are very painful to the cat, and need to be sterilely drained and flushed, and oral antibiotics prescribed to treat the infection. Other causes of the lump include a cyst, a benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. I would have him seen by a vet first thing in the morning to have this lump examined and diagnosed so it can be treated as needed. Best of luck.

Unfortunately, it's impossible to tell what is going on with a skin problem by just looking at the skin since most skin problems look very similar. My best recommendation would be to have your veterinarian perform some simple skin tests to get a sample of the area to examine under the microscope. They will be able to evaluate for bacteria, yeast, mites, fungus and abnormal cells. Hopefully that will determine what is causing the problem and how to treat it. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

That looks like it may be a hematoma or a wound that has become infected (very common in outdoor cats). Unfortunately, it needs to be seen by a vet in person so it can be clipped away and the area cleaned/antibiotics given as needed. If you are unable to catch him and bring him in yourself, you may see if your local humane society or animal control can come out to humanely trap him so he can be brought in fore care.

It’s hard to be sure what this is from the photo. The most common lump that come up quickly in cats is an abscess, or pocket of infection. They develop from a puncture wound usually. If it’s an infection it will be sore, hot to the touch, and feel soft. Due to Sampson’s age though this could be a mass or tumor. Those lumps are firm, non painful and do not feel warm. I recommend a veterinary exam to determine what the lump is. They can take a needle and examine some cells from inside the lump and get a diagnosis. If it’s an infection this should heal with antibiotics. If it’s a growth, depending on the diagnosis they may just watch it for enlargement or recommend surgical removal. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Samson.

Hi there and thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to address your concern. Judging from your description and the fact that she is an outdoor cat, I would suspect what you are seeing is an abscess. I would recommend getting her to a vet if possible to have the lump examined so that the most appropriate diagnostic and treatment recommendations can be made. If you know who the owners are, I would try to discuss this with them before taking their cat to the vet for treatment. I hope this helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions or concerns and I would be more than happy to help you further.

This could be a cat bite abscess. Your kitty may have been in a fight. If she lets you you can put a warm compress on it with warm epsom salt solution which may make the abscess burst. If it does not burst by tomorrow, take her to your veterinarian who can lance it. In case it is not an abscess your vet can then examine the lump or injury and treat it accordingly.

This lump needs to be checked and analysed as there are many conditions and types of tumors that could look like that. take Blacky to the vet, they will perform a fine needle aspiration on the growth and send it to the lab for analysis. when the result comes, the vet will advise what needs to be done according to the diagnosis.