My 6-month-old cat has a neck lump, watery eyes, and is tired. Why?

It is common in cats to see abscesses due to bites and scratches from other cats. I would bring him in to your veterinarian as they can evaluate it. An antibiotic as well as cleaning and flushing the abscess may be indicated. If it is not an abscess your veterinarian can help to determine what it it by collecting a fine needle aspirate. Certainly an abscess would describe many of the things you are describing.

Poor girl. Due to her age a mass here would be less likely as the cause for this hard lump. This may be an abscess or even a cyst. It is difficult to tell without feeling it in person, however, if it does not go down on its own within a few days to a week, then I would recommend having your vet check it out further. If it is an abscess, then cats typically will start to act ill (decreased appetite, low grade fever, lethargy) after a few days, in which case the abscess would need to be drained by your vet and then KitKat would need a short course of antibiotics to get things to heal well. Otherwise, I would recommend monitoring this for now to see what happens. I hope that Kit Kat's strange lump heals well soon! : ) Best wishes and take care.

Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is difficult to see a lump in the photo, but at Capernicus’s age, malignant growths are fairly unlikely. This may be a reaction to a vaccine if administered recently that should disappear with time. I recommend keeping an eye on it and having the spot seen by a vet if there is any discharge, bleeding, increase in size, or it seems to be bothering him. I hope this helps and that all is well!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Dexter. This lump may be an enlarged lymph node if it's right below his neck. That can indicate an infection or a dental problem. Other possibilities include a cyst, an abscess, a lipoma, or a benign growth. Given it's local, I do think it's important to have it checked out by a vet, and I would have him seen by one in the next few days. I hope this helps!

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.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be due to an eye injury or conditions such as a corneal laceration, corneal ulcer, conjunctivitis, dry eye (also known as KCS), among many other conditions. That lump could represent the site of an infection like a tooth root abscess which could also explain the eye discharge. I highly recommend that you have Simba evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Further therapy would be based on the findings. Good luck and best wishes!

Great question! This lump could be a localized reaction to the vaccine if the lump is in the area where the vaccine was given. Other options could be a cyst or a benign tumor. Given it's not painful and if she is otherwise acting normally, this isn't an emergency. Keep an eye on this lump, and if it doesn't go down over the next couple of days or gets bigger, then I would have Poppy seen by a vet. Good luck, I hope this helps!