Nursing cat has a lump on her teat after giving birth. Is it serious?

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.

Thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach with your question about Akina. The lumpy left side could be due to enlarged mammary glands to support feeding her kittens. I don't think it's due to a kitten that hasn't been born, but I can't say for certain without seeing her in person. Because her health is so important during this time, I'd take her and her kittens into the vet in the morning for a health check. I hope this helps!

Your baby may be suffering from mastitis (inflammation of the mammary gland). This is very painful and you really need to take her to the vet for an exam. and pain medicine and antibiotics if called for. In the meantime you can put warm moist compresses on the teat. This should relieve some of the pain temporarily.

Hello, thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. This mass looks pretty serious. Any type of color change, especially dark like this one, makes us suspicious of cancer. I suggest you take her to your vet for an exam. Likely this mass will need to be surgically removed and sent to a laboratory for histopathology testing. I don't mean to scare you but I don't think this is something to ignore. I hope this helps. Best wishes.

Hi and thanks for posting on Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! It is hard to say exactly what the lump may be. It could be an abscess, a reaction to an injection given, or a tumor. I would recommend Nugget see his veterinarian soon to have this evaluated. Your veterinarian may take a sample of the material or tissue from the lump to help determine what it is so it can be appropriately treated. If Nugget is otherwise normal, I do not think this is an emergency. I would just be sure to have this evaluated soon within the next few days. I hope this helps and thanks again for posting!

Thank you for submitting your question regarding Princess. Yes, I would make an appointment for her to see her veterinarian right away. Cats, that have not been spayed, are very prone to developing mammary tumors. The majority of these tumors are unfortunately cancerous. If this appears to be the case, her veterinarian may recommend some testing or discuss surgery with you. I hope this information helps!