My cat has a tumor what is it from?

by Sheila
(Skowhegan, Maine)

My cat Blackie has a lump or tumor on his left side how do I know if it is cancer? He is going to the vet on Wed. but I'm really scared that it could be cancer and I won't be able to afford the treatment. How do I know what is best for him?

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My Thoughts:

I'm sorry to hear that Blackie has a lump. I wouldn't presume to know what the diagnosis will be, but I wouldn't jump to any conclusions. It may be a few weeks before you know for sure, but it might not be cancerous.

Lumps under your cat's skin that you can feel and sometimes see are not always cancer. The only thing I can offer you is a personal experience that I went through with Teddie, and hope that Blackie has what Teddie had.

Teddie had a lump that turned out to be a benign lipoma, which was removed under general anesthesia. The lump has never returned. Here's an article on lipoma in cats. If there's any interest, I can offer more details about what happened with Teddie.

If it turns out to be cancer, there are many types, and various treatment options. You'll have to work out with your vet (and probably a specialist) what to do. I'm assuming you don't have insurance, but there are also sometimes payment plan options, and alternative financing that can help.

Unfortunately, at this point it's just a matter of waiting for what the vet says, and then waiting for the test results (if tests are necessary). Once you know more, you can examine your options.

Keep us posted on Blackie's progress and let us know what the vet said. If anyone else has similar experiences with their cats, maybe they'll chime in.

Good luck with him,

-Kurt