Why do cats lose tail fur when pregnant?

Mind you, we're a cattery, and I've seen enough of other catteries to know that Momcat gets pretty scaggy looking when pregnant and, especially, nursing (and I also know about feeding the most nutritious food possible at those times). But Leila's once magnificent tail is now rather thin, and Currier, who once had a beautiful tail, and who has never been pregnant, has lost much of her fluffy rear-end appendage. Yes, diet can play a part, but I also suspect hormones. I am not currently in contact with my breeder (since I broke off our engagement), and haven't been to any cat shows recently to ask other breeder friends. Elise has a magnificent tail, but I'm afraid that she'll lose it if she has kittens (which she will eventually, but I'd like to make her a Grand Champion first, and the time margin is slim--the first birth should, ideally, come at about one and a half years, while Champions are usually shown up to only two years). Does anyone have ideas about fur loss in the tail?

Asked by Elise on Feb 8th 2010 in Other Grooming