My cat has a lump on his left side, is losing weight, and acts like he is in pain, his activity level is medium and he weighs 9.5 lbs. He seems to be reluctant to eat hard foods so I feed him wet. I asked Dr. Macartney, BVet Med, MRCVS from here, but the answer wasn't helpful because she thought he was a dog. HE IS A CAT. Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Male | neutered | 6 years and 7 months old

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Im' sorry to hear Olliver hasn't been doing well. If he is reluctant to eat hard food but is willing to eat wet food, he may have some dental disease going on that makes him less willing to crunch on his regular food. As cats age, they can develop numerous issues that can lead to weight loss, including kidney disease, diabetes, an overactive thyroid, inflammatory bowel disease or another underlying medical issue. Many of these can be diagnosed via bloodwork. Finally, I do recommend any abnormal growth be evaluated by a veterinarian. While cats can develop many benign (non-cancerous) growths, there are others that are more concerning that we would want to address. I would have him evaluated by his regular veterinarian, have his teeth/mouth examined, have any necessary testing (bloodwork, xrays, needle aspirate of the mass) performed, and a treatment plan developed to help him feel better. Good luck!