Bumps on your cat? What could they be?

Here at Catify we have our own share of problems with our kitties and one of those is bumps. Both of our cats had different bumps at one point in time and it was a quite a scare, we went through several vets and medication just to get rid of them. And just like your cute furry companion, we were worried and fearful of what bumps on a cat could mean.

There's a lot of information below but I cannot stress enough that a vet is ultimately the best place to go. Use this article as a guide to help you determine next steps. However, if you are unsure, it's always better to go to a professional! 

This is Jimmy and Precious, resident cats of Catify.co: 

What are these? Are they sick? Did we do anything that would have caused this? We kept having these thoughts and it wasn’t until we talked with several vets did we realize it wasn’t as bad as it seems.

Take a deep breath! Know that there’s a lot of possibilities but more than likely whatever the bumps are, they are treatable and won’t be harmful to your kitty.

Top 5 Possible Issues with Bumps on cats

1. Bug bites

If you’ve recently moved or have a change of weather, then it’s likely that the new environment is affecting your kitties. These bumps tend to be infrequent and you might feel one or two around the stomach or legs of your cat. Similar to mosquito bites these are harmless and is a natural defense from the bite.

One side effect from the irritated skin is a tendency to scratch it. This can lead to scratches, bleeding and further irritation in that area. If that’s the case, then you should go to a vet immediately and see if they have any medication you can apply. Most of the time we have seen these types of bumps come with warmer seasons and they always went away within a week.

2. Allergies 

Yes. It sounds a bit weird but anything that affects humans also affect our friend felines. Allergies are sometimes a reason why they might get rashes which then shows up as a series of bumps across their skin.

Most of the times this will happen in the belly area, but I’ve seen it on the hindlegs and inner thighs of Jimmy. Here is where you have to do some detective work to understand how this might have happened. I usually think about the day and if I introduced any new items, foods or people recently. Most of the time I realize it’s a new cleaning spray or chemical that caused this.

If you are not sure it’s a good idea to do skin testing. Once you have an appointment setup, you should know within a couple of hours. Referenced: http://aadconline.com/content/skin-testing

3. Ticks

These little buggers are notorious for hiding under fur and causing issues. A lot of the times your kitties may have ticks and they go undetected until it becomes an issue. Tick bites could also cause an allergic reaction which usually ends in a rash of some sort. 

Ticks are more common in the summer and that's exactly the time when you should be on the lookout for any signs from your cat. If you take your cats outside or have the doors constantly open, it's recommended to get medication to help prevent ticks as well. 

Here's a map of the ticks around the United States, as you can probably already tell, most of the animal ticks are in the eastern side. So unless you live on the east cost, or California, you won't even have to worry about these guys. 

4. Tumor 

Possibly one of the scarier diagnosis of bumps but just understand that this is rare. These are known as basal cell tumors and are most common in benign form. A vet will require a biopsy in order to fully investigate and provide further suggestions.

Some of these symptoms include fluid modules around the head, neck and chest. These are all areas that are easy to do a checkup on. The biggest difference is color, if the color is different than your cat's skin then it's likely a tumor. 

Treatment includes what we mentioned above, which usually involves a biopsy to first identify if the tumor is cancerous or not. If it is, the vet will usually suggest surgically removing the mass. Even if this is the not the case it's usually recommended to remove tumors, even benign ones. 

5. Feline Acne 

This is as common as you would expect in humans but for cats they can get this once or multiple times. Like us, our feline companions can have acne develop around their head area and especially their chin. These are harmless bumps but can cause your cat to itch the irritated area. 

If the area becomes too irritated or cut due to the constant itching, it's recommended to have a vet do a physical examination. They'll probably provide shampoo or other medication to help temporarily relieve the issue while the body naturally removes the acne.

I get it. It's hard seeing your lovely cat in danger or even in pain of any sort. With this knowledge you'll be able to better diagnose and understand next steps for them. Bumps on your cats are scary, but there's a clear set of actions you can take!  

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