My senior cat has a nose bump. Why does she pull away when I touch it?

First of all Purrito is one handsome little guy! The bump on his nose is fairly prominent and also appears to be a bit red/inflamed through the fur. Cats do not often get as many lumps and bumps as dogs do, so when one pops up, we take a bit more notice. Some of the common causes of bumps can include benign or malignant masses, abscesses, granulomas, or in this case, even nasal cavity infections or tumors. The only way to determine the cause of this bump is through further testing, either including a needle aspirate (a needle draws out some cells for microscopic evaluation), x-rays, or even a CT scan or MRI of the head. Even though Purrito does not seem to be bothered by this bump, I still recommend taking him to the vet for further evaluation since bumps do not often go away on their own. It's better to address these issues before they grow larger and become potentially more problematic. I hope this helps and that all goes well!

Hi Your cat may seem fine, but even so, you should have a veterinarian check it out. There's no way to know what's going on by just seeing or feeling it. It could be an abscess, a mild trauma, or a more serious problem. The vet will preform a fine needle aspiration to take a sample for analysis and diagnosis.

Hello and thank you for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. It could be a hematoma that resulted from trauma to the nose. If Theo is acting as normal and the swollen area is not bothering him at all, you should monitor him at home. The hematoma should disappear in the next 5-7 days. However, if the lump gets bigger or becomes painful, you should take Theo to your local vets for an appointment.

There really is no way to know what the mass is without a surgical biopsy. I understand the hesitation going forward with surgery, but if it's growing you need to determine what it is, and biopsy is the best option to do so. This mass May just be inflammation or eosinophilia granuloma or it could be a cancerous mass. There are even cases of fungal disease causing nasal masses. If it is growing I would strongly recommend addressing it as soon as possible as surgery may become more difficult as it gets larger. Best of luck to Pol and I hope it is something easily treatable. Thank you for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Ouch, poor Winston. I'd just keep an eye on it for now. If it doesn't go away over the next few days, gets bigger, or starts to bother him, have him seen by a vet. Also have him seen by a vet if it appears infected or there is nasal discharge.

From the pictures, it looks as though what you are seeing may be from trauma. Cat scratches to the face commonly occur on cats that are outdoor cats. Many times the hair will not grow back and the cat will be left with a small scar. If canto is indoor only and the nodule is raised, I would say get a vet to examine him to see for sure what it may be. It could be from a bug bite or a skin tumor of some type. If you cannot get to your vet right away, I would say just monitor for now and if it worsens get him seen sooner. It does not look infected or swollen from the picture. I would monitor for signs of infection which may include swelling, redness, painful to the touch, discharge, etc. I hope this helps! Please feel free to contact me with any further questions or concerns you may have. I am also available via consultation if needed.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! This is possibly an infection. However, this is a somewhat common location for a tumor in cats as well. I still think that a focal infection or traumatic lesion is more likely. You can use a topical medication like Douxo 3% PS pads which you may find online. You can apply this to the affected area twice daily for 2 weeks. If this does not resolve or appears to be progressing, have Lovey evaluated by your veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a great day!