The most common cause of skin cancer in cats is overexposure to the sun, just as excess sunlight is a common reason for skin cancer in people. Sun exposure and sunburns damage the skin in both species, making it vulnerable to malignancies. It’s an important point, even in September. There are still plenty of very sunny days ahead this year, especially in the southern part of the country.
If your cat takes long snoozes on an uncovered patio or hangs out by a sunny window for much of the day, protect her with sunscreen formulated specifically for pets so she doesn’t end up licking and ingesting an ingredient that could prove toxic for her. Focus in particular on the following areas, where the hair coat is more sparse: your cat’s nose, ear tips, belly, and groin area. In fact, any spot on her body that has thin fur or no fur is an area to which you should apply sunscreen. Other strategies include avoiding outdoor activities like laying in the sun at peak hours and using physical barriers like T-shirts, provided your cat will tolerate them.
This advice is particularly important for white cats, cats with thin hair over all or most of their bodies, and hairless cats.
