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What are these growths under my senior cat's eye? Are they normal?

Updated on September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 16 years and 7 months old

What is that growth under my cat's eye? It's in a couple of spots. My cat is 16.5 years old so not sure if this is normal at his age.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on December 23rd, 2018

These could be benign tumors or they could be malignant. 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. I'd give Shadow's vet a call next week to make him an appointment. Best of luck.

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Answers from Veterinarians

Answered By Lauren Kennedy, DVM
Veterinarian
Published on March 2nd, 2018
It is difficult to know just from the picture what that is, but it looks like a benign (non-cancerous) skin growth. It may be like a small war or cyst. I would recommend monitoring it for now. If it continues to grow larger than you should have it looked at by your veterinarian. They can do an aspiration and cytology to see what kind of cells are making up the mass and if it needs to be removed. But if it is not bothering her for now just continue to monitor.

I hope this helps. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. Best of luck.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

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