My cat has a rough spot on his skin. What is it and should I worry?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Hello! I was pettong my cat when I noticed this. his name is Mellow, and he is about seven years old. What could it be? Its rough to the touch.
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on February 10th, 2019
That could be a few things on Meow. Sometimes cats will get a little skin infection, if he goes outside that could be a healing fight wound or it could be something like a skin mass. The best and safest way to know for sure what it is, would be to have it checked out by his veterinarian. The doctor will palpate the area and should get a good idea of the cause. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions!
2Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on June 8th, 2019
I am sorry to hear about your cat. It is difficult to tell from this photo what area we are looking at, but it looks like this could possibly be an abscess or wound with some dead/necrotic skin overlying the area. This wound needs to be seen by a veterinarian in person. It may need antibiotics and wound therapy including removal of the dead tissue if present.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
Any idea what this is? Tried whipping it with a towel but nothing worked to get it off. Feels like a mole
Is it a scab which could be related to a scratch or an infection. Without being able to move the hair around and feel the area, it's hard to say. Monitor it closely. If it is still there in 2 weeks or if it starts looking worse at any point, have your kitty examined. Please feel free to post any additional questions.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Any idea what this sore might be? Just came across it today.
Unfortunately it's really hard to tell from the picture, because many skin issues look the same in a cat. I would be concerned about an allergy (allergies to fleas, food, or the environment being the most common causes), or possibly a skin parasite that is causing itching. I would recommend a vet visit for a simple test called a skin scrap in which they will look at some skin cells under the microscope to see if they can find any organisms, and then treat accordingly. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, today i saw this sore area on my cat, we have no idea what it might be. We suppose he might have got in a fight with another cat.
It could possible be a wound from a cat fight, but other possible causes for a spot that looks like this include an eosinophilic granuloma, tumor, abscess, among a few other things. If it doesn't go back to normal in a couple days, or if Felix isn't eating like normal, he should get checked out by a vet. Here is an article with more information on eosinophilic granulomas: https://www.petcoach.co/article/eosinophilic-disease-in-cats/
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
We noticed this yesterday. It doesn't seem to hurt him at all, what do you think it could be?
Hello! it could be a skin infection or an allergic reaction, it could also be ringworm (fungal infection) , if it doesn't seem to be getting better within a week, i would recommend having it checked aby your vet
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat was a stray that we took in, and over the past week a red patch on his back has grown. It grew over a scratch that he got fighting another outdoor cat. I'm not sure if it is from the cat scratch or if it is separate from it. But since he got t
It looks as if Jack has been licking this spot, meaning it is probably irritating him. It could be from an old wound, a bacterial infection (called a "hot spot"), or even a mite infestation. Unfortunately, when cats groom sore areas they often become more irritated and take longer to heal. If you can, place a cone collar on him or a kitty t-shirt over the area to cover it. I would recommend having it looked at by a vet just to make sure it does not require additional treatment such as antibiotics or medication for mites.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Should I take my cat to the vet for this?
Hello and thank you for your question. That spot on Floyd could be several things including a wound, allergies, skin mites, bacterial infection or ringworm (which humans can get). From the photo, that doesn't look like a puncture wound but if you find one or if there is a potential this is a fight wound, I recommend to have him examined within 24 hours. Bite wounds often become infected. If treated with antibiotics early, abscesses are less likely to form. There are a couple things you can do at home and they can help but they may not address the underlying cause. You can try adding in an omega 3 fatty acid supplement for pets, this can help improve the skin health. You can wash the lesion once a day with a medicated wipe for cats (not his whole body, just the lesion) if he will allow you. Don't get bitten. Just so you know, cat bites almost always get infected and could land you in the hospital. Also protect the area from trauma by having your kitty wear an elizabethan collar at a
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My 5 year old male cat has a lump on his chin. Near the middle bit it feels like its more to one side than the other. He had fleas for a month or 2 before we got rid of all of them and had scabs and things around his neck during that time, but those
Hello! Thank you for using Pet Coach! Judging from the pictures and your description, it looks like and sounds like it could be one of several possibilities. This could be feline acne, but it is slightly farther back than flare ups typically occur. An abscess is another possibility or a tumor of some type. This is something I would have a veterinarian examine and do further testing on. A vet can insert a needle into the mass and pull out cells or material in order to help determine what it could possibly be. I hope this helps. Please contact me if you have any further questions / concerns.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Rough bumpy skin on hymalan cat that has been outside 4years old
The rough bumps skin indicates that something is damaging the skin. Yeast and/or bacterial infections are usually present with these cases, but there is often a primary problem. The primary problem may be any of the following: 1) Allergies - this can happen suddenly and is usually due to an environmental (i.e pollen) cause. 2) External parasites - fleas, lice and mites can all cause intense itching. It's good to check him for fleas and get treatment if needed. 3) Over-bathing, or using the wrong product for bathing - Bathing too often can cause the skin to get dry and irritated. Cats should normally be bathed no more than once a month with a shampoo that is labeled for dogs. If you bathe more than that, or use a shampoo or soap that is meant for people, then you could be damaging the normal protective barrier of the skin. 4) Autoimmune (self attacking) diseases - these are much more rare and we usually only check for these after we've ruled-out the previous causes. On
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Cat has a large red circle with grey bumps in middle. Pictures attached
It is difficult to tell from the pictures, but it looks like the red area is raised which makes me worry that it is a mass. I would recommend having your veterinarian evaluate it. They will likely take a small sample of cells with a needle and evaluate it under the microscope to determine what it is and what to do about it. I would not recommend any topical treatment until we know what it is. Good luck to you and Mittens. I hope it is nothing to worry about! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has this weird bump cant tell what it is
It looks like a scab or a spot of infection (bacterial/fungal). I suggest you try using these medicated pads on the affected area 1-2 times per day. If you treat it for about a 7 days and there is no improvement or only minimal improvement then he should see a vet. ( https://www.allivet.com/p-5393-douxo-chlorhexidine-3-ps-pads-for-dogs-and-cats-30.aspx?SearchTerm=duoxo%20pad+Auto )
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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