Light color represents gentleness, and many people who have cats also like light-colored cats. Do you feel comfortable looking at the cat lazily basking in the sun in the yard? While the owner is still admiring the cuteness of the cat under the sun, little does he know that the cat is getting sunburned.

Cats can also get sunburned

Pinna is a seven-year-old urban loner. The sunburn accumulated from years of wandering has made her snow-white ears full of black cancer spots, and the skin on the edge of the auricle has become necrotic. The pain makes her restless, and she extremely refuses to be touched. Is roaring in response to volunteers' concerns. After being admitted to a stray animal rescue center, doctors spent four hours amputating an inch and a half of both of her ears to remove all the diseased tissue caused by squamous cell carcinoma. Freed from the pain, she turned into a good-natured cat. Her round head made her look like a cute teddy bear.

Cats naturally love to bask in the sun, but they never thought that the sun also has a dark side, which has brought such a serious disaster to the cat. There are many cases showing that sunlight radiation causes varying degrees of damage to cats. A large amount of ultraviolet rays in the sun can cause cat skin inflammation, and in severe cases can even induce skin cancer. Among all cats, white cats are more susceptible to the effects of sunlight. harm.

Light-colored cats are more likely to get sunburned

People with very light skin and white cats (especially in areas with little hair) have much lower levels of melanin than people with dark skin and cats with other coat colors.

Melanin is a skin pigment that can protect the skin from ultraviolet radiation. The skin of white cats lacking melanin has the lowest resistance to ultraviolet radiation and therefore suffers the most damage. In addition, melanin can also darken hair, skin, and nose. Depending on the color of their pads, the risk areas for sunburn in white cats tend to be concentrated on the tips of the ears, eyelids, noses and lips, which are areas with almost no melanin, while black cats are the least susceptible to sunburn among all cats.

Sunburn not only occurs outdoors. Cats’ obsession with sunlight causes them to be exposed to harmful ultraviolet rays for a long time indoors. Of course, the geographical location also has a great influence. Cats in sunny areas will suffer from sunburn. receive more radiation.

Like humans, cats' sunburns are graded from mild to severe, but for cats, even minor sunburns cannot be ignored, because cats' scratching constantly irritates the injured area, and minor sunburns often develop into serious ones. health problems. In addition, shaved cats are also prone to sunburn because they have no hair protection, and hairless cats are also prone to sunburn.

How to tell if your cat is sunburned?

In first-degree sunburn, the surface of a cat's skin is damaged by overexposure to the sun, and the skin may appear pink or red.

Second-degree sunburn is a deeper sunburn that not only damages the surface of the skin, but also affects the underlying skin layers. The sunburned area may become red and may be accompanied by blisters.

Third-degree sunburn affects all layers of the skin. The skin on the ears and nose may look white or even like a patch of dry skin or a crust. Third-degree sunburn often results from repeated exposure to the same area. The injury worsens.

Third-grade sunburn can even lead to squamous cell carcinoma after getting worse, just like the cancer Pinna suffered from. Of course, sunburn will not automatically cause skin cancer, but it is the best breeding ground for cancer to break out, especially if the wound is exposed to repeated sun exposure. Injury and irritation from scratching. Cats with squamous cell carcinoma can only be treated by removing the cancerous part or chemotherapy. Either way, it is a very painful process for the cat.

How to avoid it?

Try to isolate the cat from the sun between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., because the radiation intensity of the sun is the strongest in this period. If the cat wants to go out, it must find a way to avoid the sun when it is most toxic. Of course, the length of the interval also depends on the latitude where you live. If you live in a low-latitude area with sufficient sunshine, you need to be more careful if you want your cat to avoid the sun.

When raising cats indoors, you must pay attention to drawing curtains or providing cats with suitable shady corners for them to choose.

If you must go out, you can buy special pet sunscreen for cats. The sun protection factor is usually above 30. Apply it to the hairless nose, ears and abdomen before being exposed to the sun for about 30 minutes. You can apply it twice a day. , it is recommended to purchase professional pet sunscreen from a pet hospital.

Some cat owners feel that summer is here, and they always like to use their own senses to determine the cat's senses. "The cat has so much hair, it will definitely be hot. If I shave it, it should be very comfortable and cool." Pets are different from people. , please don’t use your own feelings to speculate on your pet’s feelings. When raising pets, you must use scientific pet raising methods, so that your pets can be healthier and more energetic!