Can I put sunscreen on the cat?

[EvianBaby]

He loves sunbathing but I'm worried about his delicate little ears. Is it ok for me to use my Nivea factor 20 on his ears?

[bednobs]

should be

[factor-fiction]

Factor 30 is better

[boxtops]

Let me know if he lets you - when Rover came back from his travels, the ends of his ears were frazzled with sunburn (it soon got better thankfully!)

[daffy654]

Yes, it is advisable to put sunscreen on cats ears (and dogs) especially if they have white fur. They are very susceptible to burning and I have seen cats who have had to have their ears amputated because of sun damage/skin cancer.

[bednobs]

lol

[excelsior-1]

yeuk! no.
he will know when to protect his ears

[tonyav]

Do you think he will let you, Have you got any chain mail gauntlets ?.

[bednobs]

that was at f30, not at amputated ears btw

[Tilly2]

If he'll let you.

[Kiki-frog]

Yes, it's recommended for white cats. But he might keep washing it off, so probably best to reapply it during the day.

[ummmm]

Wouldn't they just lick it off?

[ummmm]

I should have said...wouldn't they just clean it off.

[Greedyfly]

We always used to put sunscreen on the dogs nose and ears - although the nose generally ended up licked clean =(

Kitty has yet to experience this but he is being sensible and staying the shade

[EvianBaby]

Right, gona try now while he is sunning himself in the garden. I'll lull him into a false sense of security with treats then....bam!

[Goodsoulette]

Do it.... My aunts cat had his little ears removed. Ugliest cat in Wellington, kids used to point and ask what it was lol

[ladybirder]

He'll just lick it off so hope it doesn't make him ill.

Better to put a little cat sun hat on him although he might lose his street cred in the neighbourhood:-)

[maggie01]

Don't want to frighten you but both my cats had skin cancer of the ears. I didn't know you had to put sun cream on them . They both had white tips on their ears and they started to curl and crisp up. One cat had both ears amputated and the other had one amputated.

I would use factor 50

[Hopkirk]

Can't you get him to wear a floppy hat?

[pastafreak]

exel....you are so,so wrong!!...this applies to all cats...

"Sunburn

White cats, or cats with white ears and faces, are particularly susceptible to sunburn. Over a period of time, exposure to the sun can cause squamous cell carcinoma, a cancer found most often on the tips of the ears and nose. Early signs are a sore that does not heal, or that bleeds. My own introduction to squamous cell carcinoma was with our beloved little white cat, Arthur, who died of it at 18 years. Because of her age, we were reluctant to allow either surgery or chemotherapy, the two treatments of choice, and she passed on about three months after being diagnosed.

White cats should be kept out of direct sun as much as possible, and if they must be in the sun, you can help them prevent sunburn by using a sunscreen on their ears and noses. Your veterinarian can recommend one which will not be harmful if ingested."

http://cats.about.com...t101/a/heatstroke.htm

[tonyav]

Yep. '' The Cat In The Hat ''.