Tail Question

Until she adopted me , Marmalade was a "neighborhood cat." She was about seven months old when I took her. Her tail is definitely shorter than normal. I'm trying to figure out what happened. The vet thought maybe her tail was slammed in a door or got caught in an engine, but she has no other signs of injury. My neighbors have said that one family cuts the tails of all the strays. The hair on her on the tip of her tail is different than the rest. Also her tail (about 2 inches long) seems to be permanently curved. There are many "neighborhood cats" with similar tails. How can I tell if this is natural or injury? Do I need to worry about anything in the future--ie arthritis in the area?

Angie

Marmalade's tail is shorter. It's thinner at the end. I wouldn't *quite* call it tapered. It *almost* looks like she doesn't have a tail, especially from a distance. Otherwise, it doesn't really feel different. At first, she didn't like me to touch her tail. Now, she doesn't mind.

Angie

pepe has a shorter tail than tiger by a lot! and also his tail goes from thick to thinner so i duno either