"Tom tail"

I have 2 male neutered Ragdolls, Griffin and Bastian, that are 8 months old. I believe they have both developed what I've heard my vet refer to as "tom tail". The top of their tails, near the base, has become grossly oily. It is difficult to even comb through because the hair is all stuck together, and when I try I usually end up pulling out a huge chunk of hair. So, two questions:

#1. Is there anything I can do to prevent this problem?

#2. Clearly I'm going to have to give them a bath. Will regular kitty shampoo get this junk out, or do I need to use something different?

TIA!

My understanding is that it's similar to feline acne, and the area needs to be kept clean.

You might need to use a product called Groomers Goop, many owners of oily coated cats (like Maine Coons) use it. http://www.goophandcleaner.com/groomers_v2.htm

Thanks for your reply! I tried to google this topic, but most of what I found (besides this post) were references to the cat in "Tom and Jerry" getting picked on.

ETA: Aha! It seems using the term "stud tail" yields much better results. **off to read**

Its normally called "stud tail" and both entire and neutered cats can get it. Its just an accumulation of extra oils. You don't have to give an entire bath - but you may have to do a few "spot" washings during the week (2-3 times). Use a small amount of Dawn dish detergent (cuts grease) and gently clean the area. After its totally dry, sprinkle some cornstarch baby powder on the tail to absorb the extra oils.

They should grow out of it soon. My white rex (neutered) used to get it from time to time.

Thanks for your advice! I will try that today.