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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

Original poster

Do you suncream your cats?

29 replies

PlayingHouse · 09/05/2015 13:17

We have 2 kittens. They are white and black.

The vet said we need to suncream their ears and noses (these parts are white if that makes a difference) because of sunburn

Is this actually an issue or the vet being over cautious?

OP posts:
AlpacaMyBags · 09/05/2015 13:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Kerberos · 09/05/2015 13:42

We do for one of our cats on one white ear.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/05/2015 13:51

I used to for the white ones.

RubbishMantra · 09/05/2015 14:39

I would suncream their ears. Use a sun-blocker for babies.

RubbishMantra · 09/05/2015 14:40

*and noses.

Coyoacan · 09/05/2015 16:40

Sorry, I've never heard the like. Always had cats but not a vet. Surely skin cancer takes a longer time to develop that the short life that cats have and, as someone above said, they would lick it off and suncreams aren't designed to eat.

However this is certainly not a professional opinion. I love animals but do not believe in molly-coddling them.

IfYouWereARiverIdLearnToFloat · 09/05/2015 16:49

I don't use it on my cats as they only get out for short periods & as they're black & thick coated they don't lie out for long before coming back in to cool down.

But I do put sun cream on one of my dogs - she's a lurcher with almost bare skin on her stomach, neck & insides of her legs than I have on my arms. She is a sun worshipper & would get badly burnt if I didn't. I don't believe trying to prevent her being in agony from sunburn is molly-coddling her.

Lonecatwithkitten · 09/05/2015 17:17

Squamous cell carcinoma is really common on the White ear tips of cats who have never been protected with sun block. I have removed many ear tips in my career for this reason. Untreated this very aggressive form of cancer will kill the cat.

Hopelass · 09/05/2015 17:32

I always used to do it with my white eared kitties. They hated the smell/taste so didn't lick it off.

Loveleopardprint · 09/05/2015 17:36

Can I ask if you all use normal human sun cream?? Do you use a spray one?? I have a white and black dog and always wondered if she needed suncream. Worried that she will lick it off and poison herself.

SnozzberryPie · 09/05/2015 17:40

We do our white cat's ears. We used to have a special spray for cats, but have run out and now I can't find it anywhere in the shops so I haven't been doing them. I'd be interested to know if normal human sunscreen is OK.

SnozzberryPie · 09/05/2015 17:41

We adopted her from the RSPCA and they told us that it needed doing.

IfYouWereARiverIdLearnToFloat · 09/05/2015 17:58

I use a sensitive kids sun cream on my dog - no preference whether it's a spray or cream but ideally fast drying as she'll only tolerate the faffing for so long. Vet was happy with that when we mentioned it. Zinc oxide is toxic to dogs but it's not that common in sunscreen anymore.

LifeOfBriony · 09/05/2015 18:11

We have a ginger cats who likes lying in the sun and I have wondered whether we should apply sunscreen. I have just googled 'sunscreen for cats' and found that Pets at Home do one at £7.39 for a tube. I will order this and see how we get on.

GratefulHead · 09/05/2015 18:15

I have a little cat who is black and white with very pink ears which are sparsely covered with fur. I usually put sun cream on her ears, she hates me for it but I know the dangers of sun and she doesn't. If she wants to go out in the summer then sun cream it is,

tribpot · 09/05/2015 18:16

I've never even heard of sunblock for cats. Mine is all black, though, so I assume she's okay? (Plus we're in Yorkshire, we get sun about 4 times a year).

thecatneuterer · 09/05/2015 18:17

Surely skin cancer takes a longer time to develop that the short life that cats have

You are so, so wrong Coyoacan. As Lone said above (who is a vet) it is quite common. We see it in our clinic all the time.

Here is one I fostered after having lost both ears to skin cancer and an eye to something else (terrible pic though sorry).

thecatneuterer · 09/05/2015 18:18

tribpot yes it's the ones with white/light coloured ears that are in danger.

Fluffycloudland77 · 09/05/2015 19:14

Age is all relative though, their lifespans under 20.

We've had them go with eye cancer and I think a nasal cavity cancer.

tribpot · 09/05/2015 21:37

Phew. I shall remind her when she's panting in the shade in midsummer that maybe being a black cat has its perks after all.

Stinkersmum · 09/05/2015 21:42

I did with my cats with white ears. I use children's coloured factor 50 so I could see where it's applied.

Coyoacan · 10/05/2015 04:44

I stand thoroughly corrected and have learnt something new for which I am grateful

tomatodizzymum · 11/05/2015 21:20

I don't, I can't see that going well tbh! We live in rural Brazil. It's currently "cold" because there's a storm brewing, so it's only 26 degrees, but can reach 40. My animals don't go out after 11 am and before 5Pm, they are in and usually sleeping, but like the people here their skin is probably used to the sun, as people don't burn unless they are particularly careless, which most are not. I don't even burn when I walk the dog (one of my cats comes too) and I have translucent white skin. Walks are morning and evening obviously.

fenneltea · 12/05/2015 09:02

A couple of my cats have pink noses, and one of themwith a white face is always outdoors, I'm a bit worried now, but are you supposed to put the cream on their actual nose? I'm worried it would go up their nostrils (and be licked straight off!)

SnozzberryPie · 12/05/2015 17:37

I don't do my cat's nose as she would lick it straight off but I do her ears.