I have recently noticed several spots on my black cat's nose. At first I thought they were just dust spots, but they don't wipe off and have a slightly raised texture. He seems to have developed a few more since I first noticed them. They are not filled with an kind of pus. They are small and just slightly discolored from his normal black nose, probably around 10 bumps.
Should I be concerned about these spots? What might they be?
If they are small (roughly 1mm in diamater), are flat and they don't hurt your cat (he doesn't recoil or otherwise seem to be in pain if you touch them) and your cat is not actively scratching them due to itchiness, your cat probably has lentigo simplex, AKA "cat freckles".
They are 99% harmless and more will appear as the cat ages. However, if your visibly feels pain if they are touched, or they grow large (more than 2mm in general), check with your vet. You can take your cat to the vet right away to confirm that they are just cat freckles, if you want to be sure and rule out anything serious.
My 11 year old cat started developing black spots on his pink nose when he was around 5 or 6. They are harmless and the cat is none the wiser.
