Cat Has Hard Lump In His Pouch

[Tannabanana]

I have a 1 year old neutered orange tabby. He has a dense ball in his pouch. He's had it since I can remember. The vets in area don't look into stuff like this so I'm on here. He's 12 pounds. It doesn't bother him when I grab it or touch it. Could it just be fat rolls? I'm really concerned. He also doesn't clean his bum or boy parts (vets said laziness). Any help would be appreciated

 

[Tannabanana]

The lump is not rock hard, but dense and a little squishy

 

[jen]

It could be fat. Ideally a vet would feel it and poke it with a needle and see what comes out of it. Where are you located? Also is he neutered?

 

[Tannabanana]

It could be fat. Ideally a vet would feel it and poke it with a needle and see what comes out of it. Where are you located? Also is he neutered?

Yes he's been neutered since February

 

[jen]

Ok so whats with the vets around you? Are there others a little farther you could travel to?

 

[Tannabanana]

Ok so whats with the vets around you? Are there others a little farther you could travel to?

They don't like to work on cats that much I'm guessing. I live in rural Wyoming. I've seen them do work on dogs, horses, reptiles etc. They spay and neuter cats at this vet buy won't look at his belly. It's really odd to me

 

[jen]

Oh boy, well at a year hopefully it isn't anything. Is he a bit on the heavier side?

 

[Tannabanana]

Oh boy, well at a year hopefully it isn't anything. Is he a bit on the heavier side?

When I got him neutered he was 12 pounds. So a little bit I'm guessing? We don't overfeed we keep a good diet and feed certain times during the day. Good exercise. He's just always had that since he was a few months old

 

[jen]

Well, hmm, I am going to guess it is probably just fatty lumps but keep an eye on it. Obviously I and anyone on the forum have no way of knowing. If it changes in any way maybe think about trying to find a vet he can see, even if you have to travel a bit. If anything else odd happens too, his behavior, or appetite... Maybe when he is due for his vaccines make the appointment at a vet who will take more time on a cat and have it checked out.

That's the best I got for ya

 

[Columbine]

Hi, and welcome to TCS

As it sounds like he's had this his whole life, it likely isn't anything major, especially if it's stable in terms of size etc. Having said that, I'd want it investigating if it was one of mine. Maybe try going back to your vet and asking them to do a needle aspiration. That's the technical term for the needle poke jen is referring to. It's very quick, and doesn't usually require sedation. The resulting tissue is then analysed/sent for analysis (If your vets don't have the facilities to do it on site). I'd be very surprised if they won't do this for you. I think with some vets (or doctors, for that matter), it helps if you can tell them the exact test you want

This kind of lump can occur if the cat has some degree of urinary blockage, which is a definite veterinary emergency, but this seems unlikely as there are very obvious physical symptoms and pain that come with this issue (most noticeably pain on and difficulty with urination), which worsen fairly rapidly.

As your boy doesn't clean himself very well, it does sound like he may be overweight. Excess weight is often carried in the pouch area, and makes grooming the back end much more difficult. Condition scoring him should help you assess whether that is part of the problem.

 

[silkenpaw]

He also doesn't clean his bum or boy parts (vets said laziness).

The laziness here is on the part of the vet. The cat is not cleaning his behind because he can’t reach it or because it’s painful.

I’m not clear on where this lump of his is. Where is the “pouch”? The way you describe it, it sounds like a thick-walled cyst. Can you explain the location to me?

 

[Tannabanana]

 

[Tannabanana]

That's him. He does look a bit over weight. I felt my other cats bellies and almost all of them have a lump. His is just a lot denser than theirs

 

[Columbine]

What a pretty boy

It's hard to judge his weight from that pic. You need to look from above and from the side when he's standing up (like the pics in the chart)

If all your cats feel similar in the pouch region, then it likely isn't anything to worry about. My instinct would be to get the needle aspiration done though, just in case. With any health issue, the sooner it's picked up the easier (and often cheaper) it is to deal with

 

[silkenpaw]

Pretty boy I agree with Columbine . Better safe than sorry.

Let us know what happens, please.

 

[Tannabanana]

Update:
Found a vet that would see him. Drove about an hour n a half. They felt his belly and poked it. It's just huge fat rolls. They said since they're not specifically round lumps and are super long he's just a big boy. They brought their office cat into the room and it had the same exact lumps in its belly. He's weighing in at 13.2 pounds so he is overweight for his age. We do have certain times all the kitties eat per day and get good exercise but he's just storing more fat. They checked his bladder and hes been going regularly so no crystals. About him not cleaning his area, they said the same thing. Laziness and being overweight. She put water near his butt area and he cleaned it right off. So we're going to have to bath and wipe his butt once a week if he doesn't start. He should be okay they said

 

[Tannabanana]

fat kitty

 

[Columbine]

I'm really glad you were able to find a more cat-friendly vet and get him checked out. Great that it's only a bit of excess weight! Maybe try putting him in a different room when the kittens get fed, so he can't 'help' them eat it

 

[misterwhiskers]

I’m so glad you got this checked out. My worry was you were feeling hard stool in his colon, a sign of megacolon (being overweight is a risk factor). You did the right thing, and now you know a good vet for cats!!