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New mom cat has a hard lump on her belly after birth. Is it serious?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | unspayed

Hi, my cat just gave birth 2 days ago and has this large lump on her lower abdomen. She has given birth to 4 healthy kittens and my cat also seems healthy as well. The lump seems a bit hard. Is this a worry?

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By David Elbeze, DVM, MRCVS

Veterinarian

Published on November 29th, 2017

This could be a swollen mammary gland that got very inflamed, it's quite common in lactating cats, you should get it checked by your vet as she may need to take anti inflammatories if it is bothering her.

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    Answered By Kevin Sanada, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 26th, 2017

    Having done thousands of surgeries at shelters, I would venture to guess that the lump is likely a fluid swelling around the spay site. These are usually not a problem and will eventually go away on their own. However, it will still be good to get it checked out, because they occasionally develop infections or hernias. The chance of mammary cancer is very low in a cat that young and I think less likely considering that she probably got spayed recently. I hope that helps and Luna gets better soon. Also, good on you for adopting!!

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