Too Much Sunbathing - Q&A...

Why does my cat has sore areas on the tips of her ears where her fur is white?

The condition is likely to be due to sunburn of the white non-pigmented areas which lack melanin. The tips of the ears and nose are common sites to see the condition in white cats or cats with white patches in these areas. It starts as a reddened area which can become scaly (solar dermatitis), if this is left without treatment cancerous changes may occur over a prolonged time (squamous cell carcinoma). Susceptible cats should be treated with waterproof sunblock daily if they go outside to prevent the condition progressing. Severely affected cases may need ear or nasal surgery.