calling all sphynx parents! bathtime ?'s

My 4 month old kitten has been with us for a couple of weeks now. I have no trouble bathing him, he is quite calm in the sink, although I have to hold him wrapped up in a towel and rub him for awhile afterwards because the poor thing shivers like a leaf! My problem is cleaning the dirt off his tail. I bought a pair of those textured nylon bathing gloves and they do a good job cleaning the oily build up on him except for his tail. It is looking like a dirty rat tail! I don't know if its his oils or whether his tail is a tell 'tale' sign of my lack of dusting skills under the furniture!lol I gave it a good scrubbing but still the dirt won't come off. Is there anything that I can do that might help loosen it off? I don't want to rub it too much and irritate his skin. appreciate any tips/advice you can offer

Oil tends to build up on thin coated tails or bare tails a lot more. With my rexes I used a soft brush (like a toothbrush) to get the base of the tail clean.

You might also try a bit of cornstarch powder on that area after the bath when the tail is completely dry - it will help absorb the oils. You also might want to just wash the tail a few times a week and not the entire cat.

thanks for the tip I will try a brush first and see how it goes. I have the bath mittens at the moment that are quite coarse but maybe bristles will get at it better.

Make sure its a SOFT and not medium/hard toothbrush - the skin is delicate and you don't want to be too rough. Kinda do a circular motion to get the oil/dirt out.

tell me about it...those med/hard brushes are too hard for my teeth nevermind his tender skin! I tried washing it off again yesterday during bath time to no avail. Upon closer observation I noticed it is comprised of a bunch of tiny black dots. I don't know if it is clogging the pores or what. I contacted my breeder and she is trying to find a solution that I may be able to use to remove it without irritating the skin. I'm truly puzzled by this, the rest of him is sparkling clean.

Those black dots are blackheads from too much oil - like people get acne. I've had them on my rexes before. I would hold him still and squeeze them and then wash good. He was a white show cat so I had to get them out.

I am surprised that after one week between bathing they would appear! I don't know if I want to attempt squeezing them, there are tonnes and he doesn't particularily appreciate me fussing over his tail to begin with. I will try to post a picture of his tail tomorrow if I can sneak a good close up. There are so many that the tail looks dirty from a distance. If in fact they are blackheads it would probably be best to just wash the tail more often to reduce the amount of oil left behind and as you suggested, powder it with cornstarch. Poor little guy, he hasn't even reached adolescence yet!

Is he neutered yet? I know whole males will produce a lot more oil then neutered ones. If he's not neutered, you might want to mention to the vet when you take him in. They may suggest a medicated cream (like we'd use for acne on our faces) to help get rid of them.

yes, he is neutered, but I am taking him to the vet today for a check up, I am concerned about the amount of sleep he gets in his eyes. I will ask about his tail while I'm there. thanks so much for your help!

just a quick update on his visit to the vet this morning..
His tail has extra oil secretions and some blackheads in the mix. The vet said that this could be due to hormonal changes in him as he is growing towards adulthood. It may clear up on its own as he reaches adulthood. As for his eyes, they are fine. The vet said they may get watery when his baby teeth start to fall out and that time is right around the corner. All is well and he is happy to be back home and sleeping in mommies arms

Guess you'll just have to do several times a week washing and a little cornstarch powder for awhile. At least you have a cat that likes baths....lol