Too much sun is bad for your cats - and it could cost them their ears

ANIMAL lovers are being warned about the dangers of letting their cats sunbathe after this poor pet had to have ears amputated. 

By Stuart Winter

PUBLISHED: Fri, Aug 7, 2015

NC

Cat with its ears amputated

 

Jenny the snow-white cat was stricken with potential feline skin cancer – one of the risks of spending too much time in the sun. White cats are particularly prone to the sun’s harmful rays with their exposed ears and noses often needing urgent surgery to stop the cancer spreading.

Jenny need to have both ears amputated when she was handed into Cat Protection’s Caterham, Redhill and East Surrey Branch. The 11-year-old cat had developed pre-cancerous cells and underwent surgery in June. She has now been adopted by Tracy Musgrove, of Redhill.

A stray white-and-tabby called Martin also needed surgery after years of exposure left him with feline skin cancer on his ear tips. He was handed to Cat Protection’s Derby adoption centre and now needs an owner who will be vigilant about protecting him from the sun. 

 

NC

Cat suffering from skin cancer

We regularly see cats in our care with badly sunburned ears which need to be amputated to prevent the development or spread of cancer

Beth Skillings

Cat Protection is recommending cats with white fur being kept indoors during the hottest part of the day. The charity’s clinical veterinary officer, Beth Skillings, said: “We regularly see cats in our care with badly sunburned ears which need to be amputated to prevent the development or spread of cancer. “Cats are notorious for their love of lounging around in the sun but, just as with humans, this can be a very dangerous activity when the sun is at its hottest. White cats, or those with unpigmented white noses or ears, are at the greatest risk. It may take a few years before the damage is visible but, once the early stages of cancer set in, it is important cats are given urgent veterinary treatment to prevent it spreading. As with humans, sunburn is very dangerous. Our recommendation is that cats with unpigmented white ears or noses are kept indoors on really hot days.” 

 

source