Bone sticking out of chest

[Choccywoccyhooha]

Okay this may be an odd question at this time of night but... Last week we inherited a ragdoll. He's really lovely, settled in well, had a vet's check up a couple of days ago - all good. However tonight my DH has found a bony lump sticking out of his chest. Neither of us have noticed it before, but a quick Google seems to suggest that the sternum bone on a cat does indeed stick out. Maybe we just haven't noticed it before because of all his fluff, but I'm starting to worry that he has broken a bone or something, especially since he is a ragdoll and may not notice he had but himself.

So... My question is does your cat have a protuding sternum bone, is it usual, or should I get him checked in the morning?

[SpoonBlender]

Get him checked, that's not a normal thing - cats have non-bumpy chests although ribs should be obvious but even (just checked all three of mine).
Hope it's nothing serious!

[Lonecatwithkitten]

As the cat sits facing you between the two shoulders there should be a small bony lump where the two clavicles meet the sternum. It is entirely normal, if you can't feel it on your cat they are too fat.

[moredogsthansense]

Cats only have rudimentary clavicles. Do you mean underneath, OP, or sticking out at the front? If you mean underneath, this can be normal - the end of the sternum can be quite protruding in some cats, but unless his chest is very flattened it's nothing to worry about.

[Choccywoccyhooha]

Thank you, yes it is where Lonecatwithkitten describes. Strange that I've never noticed it on other cats.

[Ollivander84]

I think my cats sticks out a bit. Will look when he emerges from next doors garden

[EachandEveryone]

I can feel it on my small one

[Ollivander84]

My cat is giving me a face of "why you poke my chest? Weirdo" but I can confirm his sticks out and is noticeable the second you touch him

[AlexaAmbidextra]

This has made me laugh. Sorry. I had a new Siamese girl and took her to the vet as she had a lump on her chest. It was pretty much a case of ‘that’s her sternum, 30 quid please’. I felt a fool as I was an experienced cat owner. Mind you, the vet did concede that it was quite a prominent sternum. 😄. Seriously though, do take your cat to the vet to put your mind at rest.

[Bunnybigears]

Both my cats havr quite sticky out chests. Kind of like the bow of a ship.

[Toddlerteaplease]

I'm also getting funny looks for chest poking! And yes I can feel the sternum as well.

[ICantBelieveIDidThis]

Across the country, cats are giving their slaves quizzical looks as they are being stroked in a weird way.

[pumkinspicetime]

My Siamese has this too.

[Vinorosso74]

Further to Lone's comment I think our lad needs to shift a little weight..... Am sure he will disagree.

[lljkk]

One of my cats has a pronounced sternum when his weight is trim (freaked me a out a bit too), his litter mate & other cat do not.

[Marydoll56]

Hi, my cat has got the same but she has overactive thyroid ( treated)
Couple months ago this bone was quite obvious when I felt her chest and vet confirmed it wasn't supposed to stick out. She keeps going up n down in weight and at the vets she had lost a lot, was just slightly over 2k . In the next few weeks she put a bit on so couldn't feel that bone. She's not interested in food these days so that's a worry. She's almost 17 so an older lady lol x