Ever since Dim Sum and co. began to claim their territory here in Pacific Grove, I've worried about my little calico's delicate white ears. After hours out in the sun, she comes home with a pink glow beneath her sparse ear fur. I never thought about sun damage and pets, but after seeing Dimmer's roasted ears I started to wonder. Then I met two cats who each had surgery to remove skin cancers and knew it was time to do some research.

This is Posh Pets' store cat who had his/her ears amputated after skin cancer was discovered. Like my little dumpling, this kitty has white fur, which is one of the risk factors to look out for if you're worried about the big C and your beloved. Other risks include:

• short/thin hair
• white/pink skin
• hairless breeds
• breeds predisposed to skin tumors

So what can I do to help little Dim Sum protect her skin? Our new vet, Dr. Anette Richmond, advised against using human sunscreen, since some of the ingredients can be toxic if ingested while grooming. Dr. Richmond suggested limiting the cats' time outdoors to the early mornings and evenings, when the sun does the least amount of damage.

Back at the computer I started to research pet sunscreens, which there are few. One that caught my eye was, Epi-Pet, which makes, what they claim is the "only sunscreen in the pet industry that meets the FDA's ingredient testing standards." Unfortunately it can't be used on cats as it contains salicylates, which are toxic if ingested. For those of you with dogs, check it out: it's a waterproof spray that rates the equivalent in protection to 30-40 SPF in human lotions and includes vitamin E. It doesn't go on greasy either so you don't have to worry about your pup ruining fabrics.

As for us kitty owners. I've yet to find a feline friendly 'screen that seems to be legit. According to Drs. Foster & Smith,
titanium oxide can safely be used on ear tips and
noses, but you still need to double check with the vet about the secondary ingredients in whatever product you're thinking about trying out.

Any of you have any pet-friendly sunscreen suggestions?