Cats and skin cancer.

17 years ago

Just read about Missy and I have to put out this warning:

We had to put down our Dolly, due to skin cancer. I mean, who would think to get a cat some sunblocker before they go outside.....Plus I was mislead, thought she's been in a fight (our Dolly was a killer). According to our vet, esp. white (or mostly white) cats are in danger. Check the ears: If you can see the skin shining through you have to watch it carefully. White cats often have very thin hair on their ears.

Thought I let you know....

Rose

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Comments (8)

sylviatexas1
17 years ago
I'm sorry.

Years ago, I had an orange & white male cat whose ears often looked a little crusty.

Even though his outdoor experience was limited to an aviary-type affair (wire sides & top to keep kitties safe), he was so vulnerable that even that much sunshine affected his skin.

The vet said that the only way to protect him would be to keep him completely indoors.
calliope
17 years ago
I'm glad you mentioned this. Places like eyelids and noses and around the mucus membranes don't have protection from the fur, and also are much more thin and sensitive.

Also some types of malignant melanoma in animals isn't even sun related, like it is in humans. It even tends to hit some breeds worse than others. I just read about that a couple weeks ago.
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Pidge
17 years ago
I would never have thought of this issue in a million years. Makes sense as soon as I read it, however. Another reason to keep my new kits indoors.
mjmercer
17 years ago
I spent some time on the North Island in New Zealand about a decade ago. My hostess had two gray & white cats with what HAD BEEN two very pink noses. Her vet advised her to tatoo the cats' noses a dark gray. He said this would be a deterrent to them contracting skin cancer.

I'd never heard of that but it apparently worked. Kitties were healthy and hearty.

Karen
acorn
17 years ago
Many cow dogs have their white noses tatooed to prevent skin cancer. Melonoma is common in grey horses so I put sunblock on Mira and Ralph's noses before I rode them. I also kept them in the barn from 11AM to 4PM in summer. Ralph is 29 and has no growths, Mira died at 30 with none. The vet says they are the only old greys with no Melonoma
User
17 years ago
Sorry about your Dolly. We had two sister kitties, Green Eyes and Blue Eyes. Blue Eyes liked to be up in the trees in the yard and her ears had problems. We finally had to have her put down at 17 years as it was too much for her and us. Green Eyes lived till 20 and did not have the problem. I think the blue eyes were a factor to some degree just as light complexioned Northern Europeans need more sun block.
rose__rosesforever
Original Author
17 years ago
So maybe we all should be tattooed......
I'd go for black & red stripes.

Anyways - all creatures on this planet are in danger. And it's not getting any better!

I truly miss this old fight-cat. We buried her at her favorite place in the rosegarden.

We still have one of her sons and I will watch him carefully!
His name is Oscar.
Janis_G
17 years ago
Rose, i'm sorry about Dolly.
I had no idea that critters got skin cancer.

Our little Chelsea stays in all the time of course
except to go to the necessary.

It makes sense if you think about it.
The sun damages human skin so why not animals also.

Cats and skin cancer.

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Cats and skin cancer.

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