Why is my cat's tail drooping and constantly licking its rear?

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Raoul! I would worry about trauma: someone pulled his tail, his tail was ran over and fractured or other nerve damage. Ideally he should be seen by a Vet to potentially X-ray to the tail to look for fractures. I hope this helps and I wish Raoul the best!

I would be concerned if the area is painful or she cannot hold the tail in a normal position as it may be injured or broken. It would be best to bring your cat to a vet ASAP to have the area examined, X-rayed for any breaks, and checked for any nerve or other injuries causing it.

Poor Mini Marm! Given her hind end discomfort, wetness, and interest from your other cat, my main concern would be that Mini Marm is having problems with her anal glands. These are normal scent glands that typically empty with a bowel movement, but can become impacted, infected, or can rupture. Other possible causes include bite wounds, injury to her tail base or pelvis, among others. I strongly recommend taking her to the vet for evaluation, because it is quite likely that antibiotics and pain medication may be needed. Do not give her any over the counter human pain medicine, as none are safe for cats. Until you can get to the vet, put an e-collar (cone) on her to prevent further licking of the area, as this could make matters worse. You can also try using a warm compress on her hind end for 10 minutes 3-4 times per day if she will tolerate it. I hope this helps and that Mini Marm feels better soon!

The most common things that could cause this behavior are flea bites around the back or tail, anal sacs that are full and itchy or infected, or a tail injury. You can check for fleas by combing the fur with a fine tooth comb. If you see fleas on the comb then give a bath and apply a flea prevention product. If you see him scooting I recommend your veterinarian express the anal sacs to empty the fluid and see if there is an anal sac infection. You can feel his tail and if there is a tail injury there will be one area that is more sensitive. Usually tail injuries will heal without treatment over a few days. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Savage.

It sounds like Honey has likely hurt herself in this region. She may have got her tail trapped and hurt a nerve or muscle. Have a feel and see if there are any obvious lumps or pain. Another cause could be if her anal glands are impacted, your vet can check these. Hopefully if it is a pull injury it will get better with time.

Hi, poor Lary's tail sure looks uncomfortable! I'm seeing hair loss (likely due to excessive licking or a focal infection), and focal inflammation in that area under the tail near her anus. This is due to something causing irritation there, which could be related to a problem with the anal glands, chronic diarrhea, constipation, parasites, or any other GI-related trouble. In order to determine what the underlying source of the inflammation is, Lary needs to be seen by a vet who can palpate her abdomen and do a good rectal exam to find the source of the problem. This is unlikely to resolve without a visit to the vet. Hope she feels better soon!

Poor Willow! There is a chance that she could have full, impacted or infected anal glands, or intestinal worms if she is licking her hind end. If she is lethargic and not eating or drinking normally, she see a vet immediately. Otherwise, it may be okay to wait until tomorrow. I hope that she feels better soon!