Lentigo is a pigment change in which small dark spots, like freckles, appear on a cat’s skin. Under the microscope it is an extra build-up of pigment cells in the top layer of the skin [1]. It shows up mostly in cats with orange, red, cream, calico or silver coats [1][2].
Researchers describe lentigo as benign, and it has not been reported to turn into melanoma [1].
Have your vet check a spot that is raised, growing or changing. Some skin tumors in cats are dark too, and only a vet can tell them apart [1][3].
Which cats get it
A 2018 study of melanocytic tumors in cats notes that cats with orange, red, calico or silver coats are more likely to develop lentigo [1]. An older case report adds cream and tri-colored cats to the list, and describes lentigo in a silver cat as well [2]. Orange cats are the classic example, which is why the condition is often linked with them.
What it looks like and where
Lentigo spots are flat dark patches. They are not raised and come with no itching, swelling or other changes to the skin. In a vet’s terms they are flat pigmented spots, or macules.
The spots usually appear on the lips, gums, eyelids and nose [1]. A cat can have one spot or several. In one reported case, a silver cat had spots spread over the head and body, which the authors called unusual; a biopsy confirmed it was lentigo [2].
Lentigo or something else?
Dark spots on a cat are not always lentigo. Melanoma, a tumor of the pigment cells, is uncommon in cats: a 2026 review puts melanocytic tumors at less than 1% of tumor diagnoses in cats, mostly in older cats, though tumors of the ear flap have been found in younger ones [3]. In cats, skin melanomas are often found on the head and ears [1]. In the 2018 study, skin tumors also turned up on the eyelids, face, body, legs and toes [1]. For more, see skin melanoma in dogs and cats.
The same study found that most of its cats with melanoma had orange, red, calico or silver coats, even though lentigo itself is benign [1]. So an orange cat with lentigo still deserves a vet visit for any spot that looks different from its usual freckles. Skin tumors vary a lot in how they look, and telling them apart takes a vet, often with a sample of cells or tissue [3].
Vitiligo is a different change, in which the skin loses its color. See vitiligo in dogs and cats.
When to see your vet
See your vet if your cat has a dark spot that:
- is raised, growing or changing;
- is open or ulcerated, or looks like a sore that does not heal;
- is on the ears, eyelids or face, where skin melanomas in cats are often found [1].
FAQ
Are black spots on my orange cat’s lips cancer?
Flat black spots on the lips, gums, eyelids or nose of an orange cat are often lentigo, which is benign and has not been reported to become melanoma [1]. Have your vet check any spot that is raised, growing or changing.
Will more spots appear?
They can. A cat may have several spots, and in rare cases they spread beyond the face [2]. Point out new spots at your cat’s next checkup.
The bottom line
Lentigo is a benign pigment change that gives orange and some other coat colors of cats flat black spots, mostly on the lips, gums, eyelids and nose. It has not been reported to turn into cancer. Because some skin tumors are dark too, have your vet check any spot that is raised, growing or changing.
This article is for general information only and does not replace advice from your veterinarian. If a spot on your cat is raised, growing or changing, see your vet.
Sources
- Sabattini S, Renzi A, Albanese F, et al. Evaluation of Ki-67 expression in feline non-ocular melanocytic tumours. BMC Veterinary Research. 2018;14(1):309. Open access (CC BY 4.0). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12917-018-1639-1
- Nash S, Paulsen D. Generalized lentigines in a silver cat. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. 1990;196(9):1500-1501. Abstract on PubMed. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2341325/
- Jeong H, Shin M, Kim Y, et al. Canine and Feline Melanoma: Diagnosis, Treatment, and Prognosis. Veterinary Sciences. 2026;13(10):1053. Open access (CC BY 4.0). https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci13101053