My cat has a hard, whitish lump near his anus. Is it an abscess?

Hmm... from your photo, I can't tell for sure what this might be. You're right that it looks like a piece of litter, but it could also possibly be a piece of fecal material that is still inside the rectum. If Toby is acting normal, I would recommend waiting 24 hours (or until he poops again) to see if it's still there. It may pass on its own the next time he has a bowel movement. If it's still present by this time tomorrow, or if it begins to bleed or show any other signs of a problem, it would be best to have him checked by a vet - he/she can do a rectal exam to palpate the area and get a better idea of what may be going on.

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 (very unlikely given the age). Treatment would depend on the underlying cause. Disinfection can eventually be started at home with very diluted hibiscrub or betadine or salted water baths. Buster collar may be useful as well to avoid any licking. Hope this answer was helpful, but 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

She may have an infected anal sac or a little growth. You should have this examined by a veterinarian. If it is an impacted anal sac, it can easily be emptied. If it is a growth, it may have to be removed.

Poor guy. The fact that he is so young, and the location of the bump, suggests that he may have unfortunately been bitten by an insect in this area. If he is not licking it excessively causing redness of the skin or seems bothered by it, I would leave it be for now and monitor it for the next few days to see if it starts to resolve on its own. If it seems irritating, then you can try applying a very small amount of Neosporin on the area and play with him for 15 mins to allow it time to absorb. Do not apply too much where he can lick it off and cause stomach upset. If it happens to not be improving after 4-7 days, then I would take him in to your vet to have him checked out so they can get a closer look at the area. Other possible causes is a foreign body with subsequent inflammation (granuloma) or an allergic skin reaction. I hope everything goes well for your little fur baby Cleo moving forward. : ) Best wishes and take care!

The pictures are not clear but this must be checked by a vet urgently. I would be concerned that this is a prolapse (when internal organs poke out) and surgical repair may be required, urgent assessment is vital as damage and trauma can occur

I would recommend having this evaluated fairly soon. It could be a swollen lymph node or abscess or tumor of some sort. The vet can do a needle aspirate of the lump to look at cells and determine what it may be or if it's of concern. Because some tumors can grow quickly it's always better to have lumps evaluated fairly quickly to make sure it's not malignant.

I am afraid I cannot see a lump on this photo, however if you can feel a lump near the anus it is likely a full or impacted anal sac. *You may need to take your dog to a vet to have it expressed, if he is bothered by it. Usually dogs start scooting on the floor when they have a bothersome anal sac.