Anyone Use Sunscreen On Their Cats?

[di and bob]

My white Casper goes out in a fenced back yard frequently during the summer. He sunburned the edges of his ears so badly last year the hair no longer grows there. I had the vet look at it during a checkup and he suggested sunscreen when he goes out. Is there anything out there that lasts a long time and is safe for cats? I noticed when I was putting ointment on the burn last year he can't really get to it, but he tries by washing his face and does wipe at his ears when he is doing that. Any ideas?
Another good reason to get them to stay inside!

 

[epona]

Did the vet not recommend a suncream?

Yes cats that have little pigment on places that burn easily, ie white ears or nose, you should put sunscreen on those areas if they are allowed outside - white/pale cats or cats with white/pale noses and ears can get sunburn and skin cancer.

Mine are all indoor only, so I can't recommend anything myself - whatever you use needs to be safe for cats though, if your vet didn't give you a recommendation, you could phone the surgery and speak to a vet nurse who will be able to give some advice or recommend something - even if they recommend something that they sell at a huge markup, there is a good chance you can buy it cheaper elsewhere.

Just don't use products for humans unless the vet says it is ok to do so, cats lick themselves all the time and wash their face with their paws and lick their paws, and some chemicals that are harmless for humans (or at least in tiny doses) are toxic to cats - so make sure to get a product that is known to be safe to put on your cat and safe for them to ingest while grooming themselves!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I couldn't find ONE SINGLE SUNSCREEN which doesn't contain zinc, which is toxic to cats. Perhaps you will have better luck than I, but so far, no good!

I take that back...you might look at this:
Eye Envy On the Nose Therapy Balm for Dogs & Cats

 

[di and bob]

Thank you both for your suggestions and help. That balm says it has natural sunscreens, worth a try! I will call my vet and see what they say too. I did a little research and they said to use infant sunscreen it has the least chance of being toxic. I just have to look at the ingredients first. Thanks again!

 

[Blakeney Green]

I would ask your vet for a specific recommendation. I wouldn't feel comfortable trying anything like that without direct vet approval because of how likely the cat is to lick it off.

 

[Antonio65]

I used to put an infant sun cream to the ears on nose of my cat Pallina, I started doing it when my vet made me notice that the edges of her ears were starting getting sore and hairless.
The first cream I used was specific for cats but it was as runny as water, so it wouldn't stay on her ears.
So I went to a pharmacy and asked for a sun cream with the highest protection, suitable for infants, hence reasonably safe in case of licking.

Anyway, if I could go back in time I wouldn't do that again. I'm quite positive that the sun cream that Pallina licked off her ears and nose ended up into her stomach, her system, and in my opinion this gave her hyperthyroidism and, who knows, maybe IBD...

 

[PushPurrCatPaws]

I honestly don't think there is a safe sunscreen for cats as yet. (Someone can correct me, of course!) I would avoid using sunscreens and just do your best to keep the cat out of the sun as much as you can. You can't have anything with zinc or salicylates in them. Even something like aloe is toxic. Don't use that either! The balm noted above is more of a moisturizing balm than a sunscreen, in my opinion; I wouldn't use it on my cat specifically for a sunscreen/sunblock. My cat has thinner hair on the backs of her ears, and I just do my best to keep her from being in sunbeams for too long, esp. when the sun is blazing down mid-day.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Actually, only the hard, outer leaf of the aloe is toxic to cats. The inner gel (sap) portion is not. These products have had the latexes filtered out.
Is aloe vera safe for dogs and cats? | Animal Wellness Magazine

 

[di and bob]

Good to know about aloe, thanks!

 

[Mamanyt1953]

You are most welcome. It took a little digging to find the exact information I wanted. I KNEW I had read about it a while back, but couldn't come up with the exact information for a bit!

 

[di and bob]

I use aloe vera often in my house, I am always getting burned on the oven. In fact so often I bought a plant so I always have it handy, I really think it heals burns quicker and with less scarring. (one time I burned to the bone putting a log in the woodstove and became caught, ER for tetanus and aloe vera at home, NO SCAR!)

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Just don't let the cats nibble the hard leaves...that is where most of the latex lives.

 

[Lindzee2018]

Epi-Pet Sun Protector Skin Treatment Spray, 4-oz bottle

That looks okay, but then again Im no vet!