My cat has a large lump on his side and has lost a lot of weight?

(December 31, 2009)

The development of a lump on any part of the body of a pet cat can always be quite scary for the owner. Given the fact that owners are almost always very attached to their feline friends makes it even harder to take, were the condition to be diagnosed as being a serious one. Since you have not provided much information about the condition such as the presence of any other symptoms or unusual behavior of the cat as well as the duration and speed at which the lump has grown, any information provided will only be very general and in no way be directly linked to the health of your cat. In most cases, this is likely to be a tumor – but since cancer is something that you will definitely want to get confirmation on, it’s best that you have a few tests carried out with your local veterinarian. You may also want to double check and identify if the tumor is malignant or not. Either way, having a broader knowledge of feline cancer and the best methods to treat is always important as a pet owner in the long run. Recent studies have shown that the instances of feline cancer are increasing, although the advances in veterinary medicine have allowed us to effectively combat it to some degree.

Cancer is essentially the unrestrained division and growth of the cells in the body at rates significantly higher than what is considered to be normal. As a result, another common name for cancer is neoplasia (which translated means ‘new growth’). The tumors or growths can be classified as being either benign or malignant. The major difference being that the benign tumors remain at their original site while the malignant variety tend to invade the surrounding tissues as well as gain access to the bloodstream and lymphatic vessels. In cats the most commonly affected sites for the development of tumors are the gastrointestinal tract, liver spleen and kidneys.

Like any medical condition, the best form of treatment is always prevention. As a cat owner, you must also be aware of the fact that your cat has no control over some of the factors it is exposed to on a daily basis, most of which may be directly responsible for the development of the cancer. For example, cigarette smoke is a very common cause of the condition and is very often overlooked. To substantiate this, studies have also shown that cats living in smoke free environments are much less likely to develop cancer.