Do cats and dogs need sunscreen?

"Some do," says Caroline Reay, head vet at the Blue Cross in the London borough of Merton. Figures released this week show that sales of pet accessories such as nail varnish, highlights and sunscreen are booming. But is this just vanity?

Nail varnish and hair highlights are never going to be necessary, but sunscreen can be quite important. "Sunburn is more of a problem for cats," says Reay. If a cat is burnt often it can eventually get skin cancer. Dogs are less likely to sit and soak up the sun, but some are vulnerable. "White dogs need to have their hairless areas protected and breeds with short hair, like bull terriers, are susceptible," she says.

But why not just use your own sunscreen? "Cats and dogs will lick their coats so the sunscreen has to be safe to ingest," says Reay. Human sunscreen can contain nasties such as zinc, salicylate and PABAs, all of which are pretty unpleasant to eat.