My cat appears to have about 2 inches of the end of his tail not covered with fur. It looks like it was pulled out of

Thank you for your question.

Are you seeing any changes to the skin?
(ie reddness, inflammation, sores, trauma)

Have you seen him grooming it more?

Does he appear to have any pain associated with the tail?

Any changes in his ability to sit comfortably?

Thank you for the additional information.
I am relieved that the skin is intact, as we can sometimes see 'degloving' injuries where the skin is stripped from the tail as well.

I suspect that Kacy has gotten his tail caught somewhere and this has lead to the hair being stripped from it. While it would be nice to know what caught his tail (predator, a tight spot, etc.), I am doubtful Kacy will reveal that information to us.

That said, his funny behavior and tucking the tail under him, are telling us that he is probably a bit stressed/on edge from this 'adventure' and the tail is uncomfortable. I suspect that this abrupt removal of hair was accompanied by some discomfort and pain. In this case, I would advise keeping him inside for the next week while to allow him to settle.

If there is no wounds, then we can breathe a sign of relief that there will be little infection risk (though it you do see any wee ulcers develop as this settles, then you can salt water bathe the areas to prevent infection). Pain-wise, I would advise monitoring him but if you do feel he is really sore or uncomfortable, then he will need to see his vet so they can dispense feline safe anti-inflammatories (ie. metacam)

Overall, I am very suspicious that Kacy has been very lucky and had a near miss today. This acute hair loss suggests an acute tail pull or the tail being caught. Luckily for Kacy, he is still moving it well (so neurological damage is unlikely) and he hasn't suffered any breech of the skin (either with degloving or wounds). So, I would advise monitoring him for discomfort (and have him see his vet if you are concerned) but otherwise the hair should regrow in time without any problem.

I hope this information is helpful.

Please let me know if you have any further questions.
If you have no further questions, I would be grateful if you would press the wee green accept.

Thank you,

Dr. B.

Ok, I thought you had said the skin was intact in this bald area.
Here are a few examples of degloving injuries, which is where the skin is actually pulled off with the skin.

Do let me know if this is what you are seeing with Kacy (or if you can post a photo of his tail, I am happy to have a look at it --this can be posted with the wee paper clip icon on the tool bar).






Degloving injuries lead the tissue/bone intact while the skin is removed. They often aren't very bloody (like other wounds do) but can look quite horrific

If this is what you are seeing, then Kacy does have a degloving injury, and he needs to be seen by his vet now. We want the vet to examine this tail, confirm if there is degloving and get some pain relief on board.

Unfortunately, if he has had a degloving injury, then this portion of tail will need to be removed before infection can set in and spread up the tail to the spine. The sooner these type of injuries are addressed, the better the overall prognosis for your wee man.

So, I do hope these photos help you determine if he does have this type of injury. But if you can, do post a photo and I will be here for a wee bit longer (it is nearly midnight here) and am happy to have a look.

Dr. B.

That's fine if you can't post it.
If Kacy's tail is like that second photo, then I am relieved that you are headed to the vet.
Since you have caught this quickly, before infection and such could set in, they will be able to address this injury and get him sorted.

All the best for you both,
Dr. B.