age spots on my orange tabby?

Our 15 yr.old orange tabby has been getting freckles? age spots? on his gums and around his eyes. Otherwise he's healthy and as ornery as ever. Does anyone know what these spots are?
Treas

vet time ...

I agree with Sharky- always, when in doubt go to the vet. Even if it seems like nothing at all- it is better to catch it as soon as you notice

That being said, I will tell you that my orange girl, Chichi, is 17 years old and has developed "age" spots on her lips/gums, and eyes. It is caused by the sun but go ahead and take him in to rule out any skin cancers or other skin problems

Do you have any pics of it?

My dear Fred, now gone to the Bridge, lived to 18, and he had those spots for the last 7 years of his life. His were age spots, but the vet said they could have been several things. When in doubt, a vet trip is in order. The good news is, the vet said they were usually just age spots. Please keep us posted.

If he hasn't had bloodwork done, I would highly recommend having his thyroid checked. Most 15 year old cats aren't as spry and active as they were when they were younger. The spots are probably just age spots--a lot of vets use the presence of spots in the eye to determine how old the cat is likely to be.

It is very common for orange tabbies to develope black spots on their eye lids and gums as they get older. They are harmless but please take your cat to the vet and have confirmed. My orange tabby has lots of black on her lids and gums and she will be 12 years old this year.

My 14 year old ginger boy also has pigmentation spots, his have also been checked by the vet as being nothing to worry about - but after my 11 year old was diagnosed with pre-cancerous scabs, I wasnt taking any chances.