Moon's Graden

He seems to be getting mean as the night goes on, he's now growling &
walking low to the ground. I've never been so scared. He's my pride &
joy, and can't imagine life without him. I can't sleep, and thinking
about him being in pain is making me ill. He is an indoor cat (someone
asked in another post if he was)  I just can't wait to get him to the
vet. Tomorrow can't come fast enough.  I just hope it's something dumb &
fixable.  I'll keep you all updated, and thanks for your responses!  
Ps, can someone explain what an absess is?

With that kind of pain, you'd be grouchy too.  See if you can't give Taz a
bit of warm water.

From http://www.moonsgarden.com/, this is what an abscess is:

A section of an organ that has been broken down, surrounded by an area of
inflammation and infection. It takes the form of a rounded capsule, and
walls itself off, keeping the rest of the body from sepsis, but slowly
getting the infected area worse. They are usually filled with pus.

You can have an abscess in any organ, including extremeties. Most common
cases are the lungs, I don't know how rare brain abscesses are.

Lung abscesses are usually caused by the inhalation of a foreign body like
a peanut or tooth that jams itself into the lung tissue and inflames it.
This happens in deeply unconscious patients or people who lack a***
reflex. It can also be caused by Tuberculosis as the body tries to contain
the infection, or other airborne septic material.

Sometimes surgery is needed to remove it, sometimes just antibiotics and
drainage (see postural drainage). In lung cases, a bronchoscope can be
used to remove whatever object exists, unless the abscess is closer to the
outside of the lung.

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http://www.moonsgarden.com/      | But I have more fun that way.
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Abcesses as you describe are uncommon.  Cats, especially intact toms,
get abcesses from infected cat bites.  Abcessed teeth are common, too.
You nearly always need to pull an abcessed tooth to get the abcess to
heal.  It is hard to tell exactly what is going on when there is a lot
of swelling.  Application of heat, in the form of a wash cloth soaked
with warm water and wrung out, to the affected part might be comforting.
Ask the vet about that.