Male Kitten

Question
My male kitten has has lump on his rib cage but it is under the skin. I just noticed it.  He went about a month ago to get fixed and declawed and shots but i don't remember it being there.  No change in behavior or eating.  I wasn't sure what i could be..

Answer
Hi Amanda.  This is definitely something that should be brought to the attention of his vet.  Lumps may always be something of concern until a vet clears them.  Since your kitten is young, it is probably not something cancerous, although malignant tumors have occurred in kittens.  Lumps can be abscesses typically caused by a puncture wound, which need treatment with antibiotics.  He could also have a hernia.

There are some lumps of no concern, such as sebaceous cysts and lipomas.  Sebaceous cysts are fluid-filled growths, and lipomas are non-cancerous tumors made up of fatty tissue.  It's generally advised not to treat these since they are not dangerous.  These are more common in middle-aged to older cats than in kittens, though, so you should definitely have your kitten checked out to make sure the lump isn't something threatening.

Good luck!

Jessica