I was talking to a friend today and she told me something interesting about cats needing sunshine for vitamin D like we do. I looked this up online and found out that it is false.
People make vitamin D from being in the sunshine but cats are one type of animals that does not. In fact, cats require very little vitamin D, unlike other animals.
In the wild, cats get vitamin D through eating their prey - felines normally hunt at night, then sleep during the day. Domestic cats get their vitamin D from cat food, which is why it's important to feed your cat high quality cat food. If cats were kept indoors with no sunlight at all and they would not be ill from being without it.
Cats love the sun and spend all their time soaking it up. If you have a white cat, be very careful because they can get skin cancer from too much sun exposure especially their ears and noses.
Cats always seem to want to sit in the window or lay out on the floor where the sunlight is coming in. So while cats don't need sunlight to be healthy, you should try to have a sunny window available for them to sit in.
Cats love the sun and spend all their time soaking it up. If you have a white cat, be very careful because they can get skin cancer from too much sun exposure especially their ears and noses.
Cats always seem to want to sit in the window or lay out on the floor where the sunlight is coming in. So while cats don't need sunlight to be healthy, you should try to have a sunny window available for them to sit in.
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19 comments:
I love seeing any cat at all loving their sun puddles. It is so peaceful and warm and dear. ♥
Look at your precious self all sunny and gleamy. I know I was already ere but i came back!
We love to stretch out in a sunny window in cold weather. Thanks for becoming a follower of our blog. Nose kisses Chancy and Company
You know, this makes me feel better, knowing other than for pleasure, cats do not need sunlight to make Vitamin D...my stud cat has a room with no windows so we took the door off and replaced it with a glass storm door so he could see out and we can see him rather than him shut behind a 'closed' door. I am happy he will get to be neutered this year and retire and hopefully acclimate into being a housecat for the rest of his life...
I love it when Peanut and Marshmellow find sunny spots to lay in. They just look so happy and relaxed.
I didn't know white cats were more susceptible to skin cancers. I will have to watch Marshmellow.
Thanks for an interesting post.
Thank you so much for the comment you left on my page. I am having a bit of a problem with some hyper aggression from this kitty. All though it is intended as friendly aggression, at my age it's a little difficult to cope with. Upon my past research I read that Valerian root will help to calm an animal done. So for the last 2 days, I have been opening a capsule and mixing it with her food. I just posted it today.
Paw Huggies to you all!
Thanks for that bit of information. All the years we have raised and been cared for by our little 'children' we learn something new and/or different every day. I guess you have to retire from the working world to really get into what is important in life. Thanks for letting me visit. I'll be back.
We don't have cats, but this is good to know!
I approve of this advice. There's nothing like a good sun puddle to make my day!
Sun puddles and cats go together - no doubt about it.
Thanks for your kind words. Au ate last night AND this morning!!! We're hoping this means he's decided to live. He's a tough kitty so if he has the will, he should recover. Thanks for the purrs. We really appreciate it.
Oh my, I am a CHAMPION sunpuddle follower!
My cats love laying in the sun and do so for hours. It would be like laying in the sun with a fur coat on but they seem to enjoy it.
Thanks so much for these information, my mommy really appreciates it, and so do I!
Here we don't have much sunny days, unfortunately. My mommy is getting upset, she has daily headaches, and she is thinking it's all about this depressive weather.
You know , we are from Brazil, a country with "lots of sunny days", so that we really are anxious waiting for Spring time.
hugs from mommy Léia,
purrs and love
Luna - WE LOVE LUNA
I hope I am at the right blog?
Very interesting! I would have guessed that they do need vitamin D from the sun!
Thanks so much for the useful info about cats and the sun. Last year my family and I (plus cats) moved to Greece from the northern hemisphere. We'd never heard of cat skin cancer before, but here we hear and see stories of it regularly. The cats (particularly the ferals) are way too exposed to the strong sun here - it gets boiling hot in summer time. So for sure, one needs to be careful about cats in the direct sunlight.
Thanks very much for your sweet words about Benji's resuce.
Our favorite place in the house is the Sunroom. We just love that room.
Thank you for all the information that you put on your blog. Thank goodness I talked my daughter out of getting her 18yr.old cat's teeth cleaned. Shes still going strong.
A friend of mine did told me about cats that might need some vit D. I am pretty skeptical of putting my cats too much on sunshine as most of here fur is white, with a little black dots. It was nice to know that too much sun exposure could harm them as well. Now I know what to avoid. I love my cat, darla so much I bought her a cute pillowcase which you might want to check.
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