Should I worry about a lump on my older cat's head near his ear?

This is a skin growth and is not going to go away without surgery. That being said, I’m not sure I would rush into surgery on an older cat for what is most likely a benign growth that is more of a nuisance than it is a health problem. I would monitor it, keep it clean and if it is really a constant bother to her, discuss the potential of surgery to remove it with your veterinarian.

When our pets get older we start to notice more lumps and bumps appearing in random places. You'll want to continue to monitor the growth and if you notice any changes in size, shape, or color visit you local Veterinarian and request a fine needle aspiration. This will allow your doctor to identify the cell type of the growth and proceed with an appropriate treatment plan.

Thank you for posting again with the pictures! Yes, I would definitely get this lump checked. 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. Give Patsy's vet a call to make her an appointment. Best of luck.

Hi Your cat may seem fine, but even so, you should have a veterinarian check it out. There's no way to know what's going on by just seeing or feeling it. It could be an abscess, a mild trauma, or a more serious problem. The vet will preform a fine needle aspiration to take a sample for analysis and diagnosis.

Your suspicions are right. This is a skin mass unfortunately. Due to the color, I would recommend having Nanni seen by your vet and the mass sampled to see if this is cancerous or benign (non-cancerous). Hopefully it is not cancerous and we can just monitor it. But if it does end up being cancerous (after viewing the cells that make up the mass microscopically), then removal of the mass can be discussed with your vet. I wish you all the best moving forward with Nanni. Take care!

If she is otherwise acting normal, then you could monitor it for a little bit and see if it goes away. If the lump persists, then she should be examined by your vet to determine the cause. Your vet can do a fine needle aspirate and cytology to help diagnose the type of mass. If the cells look concerning, then your vet may recommend removal with biopsy.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! These could be benign or malignant growths. There is no way of knowing for sure without an examination though this represents a reason to seek veterinary care. This is usually determined with an examination and a fine needle aspirate (FNA) or a biopsy. Treatment depends on the findings up to that point. I recommend you have Moo evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!