Why is my cat losing weight with a tummy lump but still eating?

No, none of these symptoms are natural. They all indicate that Minnie is sick and that she needs veterinary care. This hanging lumping could be a lipoma, benign tumor, or a malignant tumor. Drinking and urinating all over the place could be due to diabetes, kidney failure, or hyperthyroidism. Those would also cause her to eat a lot too. She needs to see a vet as soon as possible to diagnose what is causing her symptoms so she can be treated. Please bring Minnie into the vet first thing Monday.

Hi, and thanks for your question. Although a picture of the lump would help to give you more specific answers, this growth should be ideally examined by your veterinarian to have a definitive diagnosis. Your vet will examine it and possibly perform with an FNA (fine needle aspiration) or a biopsy. Differentials would include skin cyst, infections or benign or malignant type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Any firm swelling in the belly should be looked at by your vet to confirm this is not an enlarged organ (kidney, liver, spleen, etc). I would have Buttercup examined in the next week or two to confirm and air on the side of caution. Often-times a cat will act completely normal if there is organ enlargement, until things progress, so we want to check this out for sure. I hope that things work out well for your pet Buttercup moving forward. Take care!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Lily. She will need to see a veterinarian. The symptoms you have described are very worrisome. Cats can actually develop a liver disease if they go too long without eating. The veterinarian will feel her belly and try to determine the source of the knot. She could be pregnant, have a wound under the skin that has become infected forming an abscess or even have a mass in her abdomen. Her veterinarian may recommend x-rays and bloodwork based on her exam findings. I hope this information helps!

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.

Thank you for contacting Pet Coach with your concerns about Ren. In a senior cat, there is always a concern that any growth could be malignant. Cancer would cause her to stop eating and lose weight. In addition, while the lump may not be malignant, there could be something else causing her to stop eating and lose weight. I would take her into the vet first thing in the morning. The vet can diagnose what is going on with her, and what treatment options may be available. Best of luck, I hope this helps.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Im' sorry to hear Olliver hasn't been doing well. If he is reluctant to eat hard food but is willing to eat wet food, he may have some dental disease going on that makes him less willing to crunch on his regular food. As cats age, they can develop numerous issues that can lead to weight loss, including kidney disease, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, inflammatory bowel disease or another underlying medical issue. Many of these can be diagnosed via bloodwork. Finally, I do recommend any abnormal growth be evaluated by a veterinarian. While cats can develop many benign (non-cancerous) growths, there are others that are more concerning that we would want to address. I would have him evaluated by his regular veterinarian, have his teeth/mouth examined, have any necessary testing (bloodwork, xrays, needle aspirate of the mass) performed, and a treatment plan developed to help him feel better. Good luck!