Strange Lump On Geisha's Back

Sometime within the last two or three days, a sizeable bump on Geisha's back appeared... It's about halfway down and just to the side of her spine. It doesn't seem to cause her any pain; I don't think she even knows it's there.

Geisha isn't one to hold still for you, but from what I can tell, it feels almost loose beneath the skin, and firm but not quite hard. Geisha's behavior hasn't changed at all, nor has her appetite.

I don't have easy access to a vet, so could anyone give me an idea of what this is before I make an emergency trip?

I don't know much about any of this, so how would she have gotten any of these things?

Abscesses are usually caused by cat bites or scratches. They can also happen if some other type of bacteria gets under the skin and the skin heals over it. Abscesses will usually feel warm to the touch. If it's an abscess, it may keep growing and eventually burst.

Cysts are kind of like little pimples. They usually clogged oil glands. If they aren't causing an issue, they don't need any treatment. Sometimes they can become irritated and also burst.

A benign fat tumor, or lipoma, is sometimes the cause of lumps as well. The vet can take a very small sample via fine needle aspiration to ensure that it is benign.

Since it appeared suddenly, I would be concerned about the lump possibly being an abscess. Abscesses seem to heal best when the cat is given antibiotics. You will also want to put warm compresses on the area (if possible) to help draw out the infection. If the vet finds that it is an abscess, s/he will likely lance it (make it burst) and put in a drain to keep the area from healing over too quickly with bacteria still trapped inside.

Thank you for the help, everyone. I'll see about trying to get her to the vet a.s.a.p.