12-year-old cat is hiding and has oozing tummy tumors. Is it cancer?

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Fiona. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine if the mass is cancerous or not just by looking at it. Her veterinarian could perform a simple procedure known as a fine needle aspirated. The doctor would use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This can lead to a diagnosis in some cases, but can be inaccurate. For a more accurate diagnosis, the mass would need to surgically removed and the whole mass submitted to the laboratory for a pathologist to review. I understand your hesitancy to do so given her age. That being said, cats have a higher rate of cancerous mammary tumors compared to dogs. Furthermore, the mass appears ulcerated in your picture. This can can associated with malignancy as well. Unfortunately, there is a good chance that it is cancerous. I hope this information helps.

I'm wondering if your cat is spayed or not. If your cat isn't spayed, she could have a mammary tumor. In cats, 90% of these are malignant. She does have to see a vet for this problem, as a malignant tumor could also be causing her to vomit. Please take her into a vet now. Best of luck.

Oh no, poor MK! This sounds very serious these lumps have slowly been growing, and I would be very concerned that these lump are malignant tumors. It's also concerning that it has opened up to a wound on top. Given that this is spread and opening up, the best thing to do it have MK seen by a vet. I too am worried about infection and the seriousness of these, so it would be best to have her seen by a vet right away for this. Please take her into the vet first thing in the morning.

Poor Kitty! Mammary tumors can grow and rupture, so it is possible that she has a mammy tumor that has burst through the skin. It is important to make a decision quickly about treatment with mammary tumors in cats, as 90% of these tumors are malignant with rapid spread to nearby lymph nodes and mammary glands. The sooner she receives treatment if she has mammary cancer, the better for her. I would recommend making a decision as soon as possible regarding treatment for Kitty.

Hi. It appears to be a mass that is oozing near that nipple area. This could be an infection or an actual mass. We get concerned with older female pets who have masses on the mammary glands. They can get benign masses, but they can get cancer as well. I'd get her right away to have it checked and sampled asap

The shape and appearance of this mass makes me more suspicious of a tumor. If there is a similar lump on her back, then this would help to confirm the suspicion, but the only way to tell for sure is to have it tested. Unfortunately, we can't tell exactly what this is from appearance alone, because many different tumors can look like this. I recommend taking Sasha to the vet sometime soon to have this further evaluated. It's best to have this done earlier rather than later, because treatment will be less complicated and more successful the earlier it is diagnosed. Below is a link to an article with more helpful information. https://www.petcoach.co/article/lumps-and-bumps-on-your-pet/ I hope that helps and all is well with Sasha.

Hi,if Pusi is not spayed I suspect that this lump could be an ulcerated mammary tumour. These tumours are very aggressive and have such terrible behaviour. If you look at the size of this wound and compare it to the size of your cat, it is a very large open area. As cats tend not to show sign of pain, I am sure she is acting normal as she tries to overcome this injury, however I can only imagine the pain having an ulcerated area of this size open to the air will cause. Please take Pusi to see a vet, it is the kindest thing to do, and she deserves it as she is also starting to be elderly. Hope you can get her checked over soon.