How to Reduce Stud Tail in Male Cats
While most common in young male cats, stud tail is a greasy skin condition that can also occur in neutered cats and even in females. Neutering is the best solution to the problem, but it isn’t appropriate in all cases; what if this happens with a show quality purebred male you want to use for breeding? Here are some tips on how to manage the condition.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Challenging
Instructions
Things You'll Need
- Hair color application brush (you can find these at beauty supply stores)
- Soft-textured nail brush
- Waterless hand cleaner (see Warnings) or other degreasing product
- Dish detergent (grease-cutting formula)
- Hair dryer if your cat will tolerate it
- Cornstarch
- Cotton balls or small gauze pads
- A helper is recommended if you have no prior experience bathing cats
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1
Even if you don’t regularly bathe your cat or have him professionally groomed, you will have to do at least a partial bath if you want to get stud tail under control. So your first step may need to be consulting the Resources section for more on how to do that. However, you will need to pre-treat the trouble spot before bathing, and that’s where these instructions begin.
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2
If you are using waterless hand cleaner, warm it for no more than 10 seconds in the microwave. You want it to be almost liquid for better application, but check with a finger to make sure it isn't too hot for the cat. Then, using the handle of a hair color application brush, part the hair at the base of the tail so you can get right to the skin. Then dip the brush into the hand cleaner and apply it to the base of the tail. Continue applying at least halfway down the tail, even if the tail is not significantly affected. If you are using a different degreasing product, there’s no need to warm it but the rest of the procedure will be the same.
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3
Massage the hand cleaner (or degreaser) into the coat and skin with your hands. Then work it in even further with the nail brush. This will help remove some of the excess oil and grease more effectively than your hands can.
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4
Rinse the tail with warm water. Continue rinsing for at least a full minute. You must get all the degreaser out before you do any shampooing or the shampoo will not lather properly.
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5
Now squirt approximately a tsp. of dish liquid into one hand and rub your hands together. Then work up a lather at the base of the tail and up and down the tail. If you are going to give the cat a full bath, rinse completely and proceed with the rest of the bath now, then jump to Step 6. Otherwise, rinse the tail and repeat this procedure once more. It is not necessary to get every last molecule of dish soap out after the first lather, but you do need to rinse thoroughly after the second one.
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6
Towel dry the tail and tail base (along with the rest of the cat if you have given a full bath). If your cat will tolerate a hair dryer on a “cool” setting, try to blow some of the excess water out of the hair while lifting the hairs and separating them between your fingers. If this isn’t possible, you’ll have to let the tail air dry.
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7
Once the tail is dry, dust a gauze pad or cotton ball in the cornstarch. As you did in Step 2, use the end of the hair color brush to lift up the fur so you can get at the roots and skin. Use the pad or ball to apply cornstarch to the base of the tail and the upper back of the tail.
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8
Continue the cornstarch application every day. By combining it with a repeat bath (or partial bath) every week to 10 days, you should be able to significantly reduce the signs of stud tail in your cat.
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1
Tips & Warnings
If you don’t see an improvement after following these steps for a few days, consider calling your vet for help, especially if your cat is neutered or a female. If he’s a young unaltered male, your vet probably can’t help; however, your cat's hormones may subside a bit after he reaches the one-year mark and this may help with the stud tail.
Make sure you use a waterless hand cleaner that is labeled nontoxic and biodegradeable, and does not contain abrasives. One of the most popular brands is widely used by groomers, but not all such products are safe for cats, so be careful which one you choose.
