Cats tail is dirty under the fur??

Question

This question kind of goes along with another that i am going to ask,but

I just found 2 fleas on my indoor cat. She just moved into our house where we already have 5 other cats (one is outdoor). Every once in awhile we will find a flea on one of them, but all are treated with Frontline and the fleas are under control. The question is...as i was running though her hair with the flea comb, i noticed that the hair in the last 3 inches if her tail (right before it hits her body) is a bit thicker (almost oily) and is darker at the "roots" than the hair on her body. AND...the hair that is coming off on the "flea comb" is white, but with OBVIOUS dirt-like substance on it. What is this? Is this normal? Does it have to do with fleas? I did find the 2 fleas on her lower back, above this dirty area on her tail.

I keep brishing it and the dirt keeps coming up...what can i do to clean this if at all possible? It seems that she is really sensitive in this area if i comb the hair back.

Please read my entire question before answering. THank You.

Answer 1

It could be flea dirt. After you comb her take the dirty fur and put a few drops of hydrogen peroxide on it if it fizzes (as it does on blood) then it most likely is flea dirt.

Answer 2

Cats have scent glands on their tails - about 3 inches or so from the base of the tail (where the tail meets cat's butt). The scent glands periodicaly secrete some oily substance whicj makes that part of their tail sometimes very oily to the touch. As for the black dirt particles that you are picking uo from the cat comb, those can very well be flea droppings. Beleive me, 1 or 2 fleas can produce a lot of them! Normally, you'll find a great concentration fo these flea droppings at the base of the cat's tail becuase a cat's normal movoments drive these particles all the way down the cat's body until they "collect" at the base of the tail. Give kitty a bath and re-apply Fontline of the stuff trully bothers you. Other than being unsightly, the oily tail and the flea debris does not really threaten the cat at all since as you say, she's been treated with frontline.

Answer 3

When a cat has fleas and a certain area is infested with them, for some reason they have what looks like Dirt in that area.
Does it look like small black-brownish balls of dirt that falls out of her Fur? Does the Dirt have a Red tint to it, If so it could be Flea Poo, cause it has the red tint since they're eating blood from your kitty. Get the dirt wet and see if it's red at all, it's flea dirt

i've had that happen to several animals with Fleas. Sometimes that is how I discovered they had Fleas, because If I see what looks like dirt in their fur (usually close to the skin imbeded into the fur) I know they have fleas.

You can call a Vet and Ask what would be the best thing for that area Especially If she is Sensative in that area. (probably due to the Flea bites in that area) but cats usually don't like the tail to be messed with due to Nerves in that area.

I would hold her down and Comb it real Good, Pick off any Fleas you Find, Give her a Flea bath, Treat her again and Treat the other cats as well Since they probably have them now since they're so contageous and Jump around so much.

If you can't Seem to get the Flea Dirt off her in ther Tail area, Don't Worry because it won't hurt her to leave it there for a while.
If she is too sensative to comb it out, you might leave it for a while, and once all the fleas are gone and her tail is a little better, then try to comb it again.
If you really can't Do anything with it, then my Vet has actually Shaved an Area that was Too sensative to Comb the Dirt out. It might look funny, but the hair grows back like normal and they're fine. Just get some Clippers at the Store and shave it, but make sure the cat is held down first in a position that is won't be hurt or constricts air flow to the cat.


You can get fleas in your house even if you don't have pets or if your pets don't go outside.
If you have fleas in your yard (from surrounding animals either wild or neighbors pets) then they can get into your house through an open door or on your pant legs if your walking in the grass. When you come in the house, you're bringing them in with you on your pants or shoes sometimes.

I would get a Flea spray at a store that is a multi-surface spray. They have them for fabric and multi-surface and check to see if they have one for your yard area. You can then spray it on whatever you need treated in the house (they love to hide in the carpet) And you can also spray it at your front Door to prevent them from Hoping in.

I would Address the problem as soon as possible that way you don't have more Fleas laying Eggs and Hatching out all over your house
Good Luck

Answer 4

The black parts are probably flea feces or dirt. An easy way to see if it's flea feces is to get a wet rag and rub the area. If it has a reddish look, it's definitely flea feces because since they suck blood, blood is what they defecate. The white stuff is probably dry skin. It's common for outdoor cats to get dry skin spots, especially in the winter time. With the fleas, that is a common area for it to happen to since it's a very common area for fleas to "colonize" so to say as well as the base of the neck. You can bathe the cat if you're brave enough but your best bet is to wipe the cat down with a warm wash cloth and a soapy one in that area but rinse the soap out really good to prevent the dry skin from getting worse. The frontline should work for keeping the fleas off. I've found that Advantage works best for cats.

Oh and also, almost every cat will seem sensitive if their fur is rubbed in the opposite direction than it lays, especially on the tail because it's very sensitive.

Answer 5

Flea dirt is usually found on the lower back, over the hips. Could extend into the base of the tail. With other cats in the house, it's always possible she got bit-it's usually really hard to tell a bite happened unless it gets infected and really swollen. Could be just plain irritated skin too.

Put some of the dirt on a wet paper towel, if color runs, then it's dried blood or flea poop (since they eat blood). If it doesn't run, probably environmental dirt.

Answer 6

That "dirt" sounds like flea eggs & waste to me. It also sounds like those two fleas are biting/feeding on your kitty and it's causing the cat to bleed a little. This dried blood can add to the "dirt" look. I would give the cat a very thorough flea bath with a quality store-bought flea shampoo and then when kitty is dry, put Frontline on her again. You may want to do this with all the cats - just to make sure they don't reinfect one another. Be faithful with the Frontline treatments on all your cats (including the outdoor one) because he's just going to keep bringing in fleas otherwise. Good Luck.

Answer 7

First things first - get the cat to a vet. If he's that overweight, you need veterinary help to slim him down to an acceptable level. It will probably include a low-cal diet and lots and lots of exercise. Next, have a groomer bathe and trim him. Once he's all clean, it will be easier to manage what comes next. From there, use baby wipes on his rear end. Everytime you hear him go to the bathroom, wait 10 minutes (so he doesn't associate potty with bath) find him and wipe him. It VERY important that you work harder on slimming him down, but with the help of a vet. This way you'll be sure that your cat is getting enough nutrients but less calories. Overweight cats are more likely to have arthritis, diabetes, and a whole host of issues. Just like in humans, it can lead to early death. Good luck to you and I'm glad to see that you obviously care about this cat so much. : )

Answer 8

She's probably picking up dirt and dust insode your home on her tail...cat's love to find those little places to curl up in and get stuff all over them. Also, she could be getting it messy in the litter box...that'll keep that portion of her tail dirty and attract more dirt. A lot of times fleas can come in the house without coming in on pets. The next time you go to the vet I might bring it up, but it doesn't sound like a big problem as long as the cats are being treated.

Answer 9

That dark small stuff is most likely flea poop,,really fleas do poop on the cat under his her fur,,,it looks like little black things,,

Answer 10

You can go to the groomer. Yes, they give cats baths. And since there outdoor how can you not expect them to get fleas or dirty? Dont leave em outside then...