Please help!!! Swollen cheek!

Hi guys, my friend rescued a stray cat a week ago which is surprisingly mellow and she gave it to me because she studies in CA and her family won't keep it. The first day I got it I noticed that one side of his cheek is slightly swollen, and then it got bigger and bigger!!! I am really worried now. The cat hasn't been fixed yet and has no vaccinations. I was planning on doing that next week (I just got it for 2 days). But within 2 days one side of his cheeks swell so much.

I have a pic to show you:
http://students.washington.edu/columyip/swollen.jpg

Anybody have similar experience and can tell me what is going on!? I am REALLY worried! I tried to book an appt with the vet but he won't have anything until tomorrow but I am really worried now. I hope it's a toothache and not something too serious!

I only got this cat for 2 days... but within a few hours after he arrived he clicked with my resident cat and he is very tolerant of the resident cat who's got really excited because he has a new friend. He would let the cat sniff him and touch him. He also is very mellow, never bites, never scratches, and will sleep on my lap.

Please tell me what it is if you know

As much as we all would like to, there's just no way that anyone can give you a firm diagnose from a picture. Lumps can be caused by trauma, a wound that has absessed, bug bite, glandular problems, etc. Since he was a stray, it is likely that its an absessed wound, but that is only speculation on my part.

It is a good thing that you are getting him to a vet tomorrow. Please let us know what you find out!

Poor baby!!

It looks like an abcess, but it's hard to tell. If it is an abcess, sometimes you can get them to pop by applying warm, damp compresses. You could also look for a wound in the fur. It could be something very small because it was likely caused by a puncture, probably when he was outside.
Your vet will most likely lance it so it can drain and prescribe some antibiotics. It sounds like he's friendly and happy, so it's probably not something too serious. I have always found that orange male tabbies are the sweetest cats in the world! Even my Morris, who is Orange and White, has this disposition and the ability to get along with everyone else. Enjoy your new furbaby!

Devlyn

Thanks guys! It's an abscess and it ruptured this morning when I woke up (yuck!). I sent him to the vet this afternoon. They cleaned the wound and shaved the fur on that part and gave him some antibiotics.

Glad it was nothing serious
He looks lovely. What is his name?

I am sure he will feel a lot happier now it is cleaned out, he must have been quite miserable with all that gunk in his face, poor love. I'm glad it was an abscess rather than some sort of growth.