My cat has a strange spot he keeps licking or scratching, what is it?

Hi there! It appears from the picture that it's a patch of irritated skin- this can be caused from self trauma (obsessive licking), allergies, or a skin infection. Many cats cope with anxiety by over-grooming themselves, and they most commonly do it in the belly area. From your story, I'm suspicious that Jack was nervous while you were away and possibly did this to himself. For this spot to go away, he needs to stop licking it. This can be done by putting on a cone collar or a shirt- whatever you think he will tolerate best. As far as fixing the problem in the future, I'd recommend using Feliway products. It's a natural feline pheromone that helps to relieve anxiety. If that's not helpful, your vet can recommend a low dose anti-anxiety drug to help him get through stressful times, like when family members are away. If the area begins to ooze or smell bad, it is a sign of an infection. Your vet will likely take a sample to find the cause of the lesion, and then treat with antibiotics and possibly antihistamines or anti-inflammatories. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! From your pictures the white thing looks like a skin mass. It could be something benign like a skin tag or an sebaceous adenoma or something more serious. Sadly a lot of things look the same. I am not sure how old Jack is, but it might be best to have it looked at by your Vet and determine if it is a mass. If it is they may recommend removing it and sending it out for biopsy. I hope this helps and good luck!

I am sorry to hear about Jack! I would be concerned these could be a bacterial or fungal infection of the skin, and possibly a condition in cats called eosinophilic plaques or eosinophilic granuloma syndrome, which can be incited due to an allergy and usually resolves with steroid treatment. I would recommend bringing Jack in to his vet for an examination of the area.

Hi there. If your vet has tested appropriately and Jacks already has a history of Herpes, I would be concerned about an immune mediated disease. If you have also done a food trial as well as steroids, etc the best thing would be to do a biopsy and send off a piece of affected tissues for histopathology. I hope this helps and I wish you the best.

I am not quite sure what is. It could be a small abscess, infection, ringworm, a wound from fighting or caused by itching, mites, or even a small tumor. I would recommend that Winsky be checked out by a vet to figure out what this spot could be.

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Casper. I recommend that that he sees a veterinarian. He will likely need to have the hair shaved to better evaluate under area. He could have an infection, a wound or be experiencing an allergy. In the meantime, place an E-collar on him to prevent any further self trauma. Based on his exam findings, his veterinarian will prescribe medication to help him feel better. I hope this information helps!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Jack. He will need to see his veterinarian for a procedure known as a fine needle aspirate. The veterinarian will use a small needle to collect a sample of cells to evaluate under the microscope. This will allow you to know the type of mass and if it appears cancerous or not. From there, decisions can be made on management for him. I hope this information helps!