Oddly-shaped paw pads?

So, we recently noticed our cat, Luna, has these oddly-shaped paw pads that she didn't have when we adopted her. We're not sure if these hurt her or not; she's pretty squirmy when being held. Is there anything we can do for her? We want a vet visit to be plan B if we can help it, but aren't against taking her if it comes to it. Any advice on how to care for her pads in this condition? Thanks!

We only got photos of her back feet; she got mad when we tried to get her front feet, but they are in the same condition.

Those paws do look swollen and uncomfortable.

I really think a vet visit is needed. There are a few medical reason for the pads to change like this, including an autoimmune one called Plasma Cell Pododermatitis. There may also be a fungal infection.

Interesting, we couldn't find anything about this at all. We'll call the vet to get her in right away. Thank you very much!

It does look like pododermatitis (bumblefoot) from a glance.  Worth a vet visit for sure.

My cat has a really similar condition! We treated with steroids until we figured out what it was thanks to TCS. His issue tends to resurface every few weeks in the summer for some reason (there's not a lot of information on what causes the condition), so we're working on a better long-term plan. But a dose of steroids is probably a good place to start, especially since her pads are SO swollen. Mendel's usually cleared up in less than a week. Hopefully this is a one-time deal for Luna!