My female cat has a tummy lump that won't go back in. Is it serious?

The lump you are describing on Jaffacake sounds as though it may be an umbilical hernia, which is a defect in the body wall that can allow fat (or intestines in severe cases) to protrude out. If this is an umbilical hernia, correction is a fairly simple surgical procedure that can easily be performed at the time of a spay surgery. However, if it is a mass or cystic lesion, it could be more involved to remove and biopsy. Jaffacake should see her vet for an exam so that the cause of her lump can be evaluated. Your vet will be able to give you a cost estimate for any surgical procedure, as this will vary based upon the size and type of lesion.

It is not likely to be a retained kitten if she had [a normal delivery](https://www.petcoach.co/article/queening-giving-birth-in-cats) and is behaving normally otherwise (no [vomiting](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/vomiting/), [diarrhea](https://www.petcoach.co/cat/condition/diarrhea/), [loss of appetite](https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-isnt-my-cat-eating), discharge, etc.). It may be a hernia, but your veterinarian will need to make the diagnosis after a physical exam. If it is a hernia, a repair may be done if you decide to have her spayed. [Spaying](https://www.petcoach.co/article/spaying-ovariohysterectomy-the-benefits-in-cats) would strongly be recommended if she is not breeding stock or a show cat. This would prevent accidental or unwanted litters in the future. Spaying also decreases the risk of mammary gland tumors (breast cancer) and eliminates the risk of a pyometra (uterine infection) later in life.

This could be a swollen mammary gland that got very inflamed, it's quite common in lactating cats, you should get it checked by your vet as she may need to take anti inflammatories if it is bothering her.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This could be a benign or malignant growth. This is likely from her mammary gland. 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 Dahlia evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Monkey. First off, love her name! Fatty lumps can grow to be quite big over time, but it is worth getting checked out. 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 her vet a call to make her an appointment. I hope this helps!

I'm sorry to hear that Al has a skin lump that you found. Cats can develop growths that are benign (cysts, fatty deposits) or some that are concerning (skin cancers, abscesses). I would recommend he be evaluated by his regular veterinarian to determine what kind of mass it is, and whether or not it is potentially a problem for him. Good luck!

This bump on Mino could be a mammary tumor. Those can be common in intact female cats. It could also be that she may have mastitis from nursing. This needs to be checked out by a vet, and I would take her into one today. Best of luck.