Cats charge down sunbeams like little heat-seeking missiles - they are the quintessential sun worshippers. But where does this intense craving come from?
Cats have a higher body temperature than humans do (around 101-102°F to be precise) and so, they tolerate the heat better than we do. More importantly, though, cats are highly efficient creatures - they seek out warmth so they don’t have to waste valuable energy generating it themselves. Since cats spend a lot of hours sleeping each day, the sunlight helps to counteract the slight drop in body temperature that happens while they sleep.
Cats will spend all day in the sun if you let them, but it's essential to monitor and regulate their exposure to sunshine because, just like humans, cats can get burned and develop heatstroke and even skin cancer. Hairless pet parents are especially aware that their babies can get sunburned while outside, but have you thought of the fact that our pets can actually get sunburned inside the house while lying in front of windows or doors?
Generally speaking, any window in your home will naturally provide some UV protection and as long as your cat isn’t spending more than an hour per day in direct sunlight, they should be OK. If they’re spending more than an hour in the sun then it would be prudent to take some extra precautions.
The number 1 thing that I recommend is to add a UV-protecting film to the glass doors and windows in your home. You can purchase this reasonably inexpensively online or in any home repair store. This will do a fantastic job of blocking most of the UV rays coming in through the window to help protect your kitty (or your dog) from sunburn.
Generally speaking, adding in this UV protection is enough to prevent any sun damage to your pet, however, if you notice they are developing any sun spots or sunburn then you might want to consider dressing them in UV-blocking sun clothing and even adding a pet-safe sunscreen to the exposed areas not covered by the clothes (with particular attention to cute little noses!)
Here are Stubbin and Charlie’s favorite sun safety products:
