Expert: Jessica - 6/29/2010

Question
Hi!  My 12 year old female house cat had a bump on her back, near her tail.  it seemed to be a little crusty and maybe leaking a little clear fluid.  Now she has a couple MORE bumps on her back.

Someone told me it's probably cancer.
Is this a symptom of cancer?

She's always been a house cat but we were adopted by an inside/outside male cat for a year or so until he died of feline leukemia.

I'm wondering if the male cat gave our female cat an illness?

Are these lumps signs of cancer?  She's older and is very slow at walking also.  

When I pet her near these spots, she sometimes flinches - seems to be in pain.  Thanks in advance for your help!  Janice

Answer
Hi Janice,

These lesions can be a sign of some forms of cancer, such as squamous cell and basal cell carcinomas.  Often, these growths will break open and bleed eventually, but surprisingly, they don't seem to cause very much discomfort.  

It's possible your cat has cancer, but there are many conditions that can cause bumps that can ooze.  A staph infection, which is a simple bacterial infection, curable with antibiotics, is one example.  While usually simple to treat, staph can be deadly if allowed to go without antibiotics.  Fungal infections, parasitic infections (mange), auto immune disease and food or environmental allergies are also possibilities.

Feline leukemia is a contagious disease, and it's possible your male may have passed this infection to your female, unfortunately.  Leukemia positive cats are slightly more prone to skin infections than cats who don't have leukemia.  They also may be less resistant to skin parasites.  If your cat now has leukemia, this may make a fungal or bacterial infection or parasites a more likely possibility for her skin problems.  Most cats will recover with the appropriate treatment.

I would strongly recommend that you bring your kitty to the vet for a proper diagnosis.  She should be tested for leukemia, as well, to get a general idea of her health status.  I would be sure to mention that she's getting around much more slowly these days.  That can be an indication of bad arthritis.  Your vet can give you a pain medication to help her feel better and also some joint supplements to help prevent the arthritis from progressing.  Some good supplements are Cosequin for cats and Zuke's Hip Action cat treats.  My cats love the treats.  Both supplements are available at some pet stores and through many pet websites such as entirelypets.com.

Best of luck!

Jessica