Weird thing in Cats skin

Question
I have a 4 year old neutered Maine coon male who lives exclusively inside. Today I was petting his belly and found a little spot that initially felt like a scab between his forelimbs. I asked my husband to pass me a flashlight, thinking that it was possibly a tick, since we do have a dog who goes out to do her business every day.

When I shined the light on it, it didn't seem quite like a scab. Rather than having the skin gathered around it, the spot almost seemed embedded directionally in his skin. So I gently pressed the skin around it, and an odd specimen popped out of his skin. The initial spot I had seen was only about a third the size of the whole, the entire thing measuring approximately a quarter inch long, and about 2/3 of that in width. It had a tan color with a black line just under the part that was under the skin, almost halfway down. Through the whole removal process the cat was quite calm and clearly not uncomfortable, and the skin around the specimen was clear, pink, and normal except for the small hole.

Since his fur is so thick, I find it unlikely that something random just got jabbed into his skin. It almost looks like the exoskeleton of a tick without legs or head. I am a biologist and know most of the parasites around, but have never seen anything like this.Is my cat in danger?

Thanks,
Nervous in NC

Answer
Amanda,

I would be concerned about the potential for a skin infection that might have attracted a maggot or two based on your description... I really think that it might be a good idea to have that spot looked at by a vet just to be sure that there isn't something more serious like a skin infection going on under all of that fur... Be forewarned your kitty will probably be quite naked in and around that area so that the vet can check for similar spots - if nothing obvious is found then perhaps the vet will suggest a wait and see approach or maybe a course of anti-parasitics and antibiotics... I wouldn't suggest leaving this for too long - if this had happened to my kitty they would be in to the vet clinic within a few days! I would certainly be interested to hear what your veterinarian's verdict is so please feel free to follow up with me. If you have any further questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again at any time - I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can.

Kind regards,

Ali