Sunscreen your cat to save it from burning, says charity

CATS should be kept indoors between 10am and 3pm on hot, sunny days to prevent skin cancer, while owners of pale-coloured pets should consider keeping their animals inside even in cooler weather, experts have advised.

The charity Cats Protection said the warming climate meant they were increasingly seeing animals with sunburnt ear tips that needed to be removed after turning cancerous.

Following forecasts of a hot summer, the charity urged owners to keep pet cats indoors when the sun is at its hottest, typically between late morning and mid-afternoon, and speak to a vet about feline sunscreen.

They also advised owners of lightercoloured cats to consider keeping up the practice throughout the year because the animals lack a protective pigment in their skin, making them more susceptible to sun damage.

Sarah Elliott, central veterinary officer for Cats Protection, said: “White and pale-coloured cats don’t have a pigment called melanin in their skin, which is what protects humans from sunlight. This can leave them vulnerable to sun damage – usually around the ears. Over time, the damage caused by the sun’s ultraviolet rays can increase the risk of skin damage and cancer.”

The charity highlighted the case of four-year-old Gorgonzola who suffered such severe sunburn it had to have the outer skin of its ears removed.

Its owner Helen Gibbons, 33, from York, said: “He’s mostly white, so is more susceptible to sun damage.”