Cat Stuff

I'm a bit concerned by whatever is going on with Estel's tail.  It's been looking rough.

If you look closely at this crappy picture you can see a little bit of the brown gunk that seems to be secreting from his skin and then clumping in his tail as his fur grows out.  Unfortunately he won't stay still long enough for a close up of the skin in good lighting.

My best guess so far is that he has "stud tail", which doesn't make a whole lot of sense considering that he's been neutered for a bajillion years and this is only something I've noticed for maybe the past year or so.  Another thought it possibly food allergies... though I don't think that would get him to secrete gunk on only the base of his tail.  And as for flea allergies... well, he doesn't have fleas.  Though he did catch them when we first moved to this apartment, but he shouldn't still be having an allergic reaction this long after they were eradicated.

Going back to stud tail though... honestly, stud tail sounds like seborrheic dermatitis for cats and that's what his condition looks like to me - except it's brown instead of the usual yellow/orange in humans.  His fur back there also tends to feel oily and unwashed.  As soon as the weather breaks, he's getting a bath.  And it looks like he's going to be learning to love the cat leash because I think he needs some sunshine (which can really help with seborrheic dermatitis and stud tail).