Animal charity PETA renews calls to ban Katie Price from pet ownership after her bald cat Kevin suffers sunburn

Katie Price has once again come under fire from animal rights activists — this time for letting her £2,000 sphynx cat Kevin suffer visible sunburn during Britain’s recent scorching heatwave.

In a video shared to social media, the former glamour model and reality star is seen stroking the red-skinned head and back of one of her five sphynx cats. “Oh Kevin, you have been in the sun today, you have got sunburn despite us putting sun cream on you… Look at his little face,” she says.

The clip, captioned “Trying to keep the cats out of the sun is hard work,” quickly ignited a wave of criticism — and prompted a fierce rebuke from PETA UK.

Elisa Allen, the charity’s vice president, didn’t hold back. “Anyone who warns Katie not to hurt the animals she takes in might as well be screaming into the wind,” Allen said. “And here we go again: her cat is sunburnt – something she was likely warned about when acquiring a gimmick cat, bred to look odd and be hairless.”

PETA, which has long criticised Price for what it views as a reckless attitude towards animal care, reiterated its warnings that hairless or light-furred cats are especially vulnerable to sunburn and should remain indoors. “If they do go into a secure garden,” the charity states, “apply vet-approved sunscreen and ensure they have plenty of shade.”

The organisation also cited the many animal deaths linked to Price over the years — and demanded action. In the past, PETA has called for an injunction to bar her from keeping animals and even offered her £5,000 to never acquire another pet again.

Their frustration isn’t new. Over the years, Price has lost a string of animals in shocking incidents. Four dogs – Blade, Queenie, Sharon and Sparkle – died after being struck by cars near her home. In 2017, her horse escaped and was also killed in a collision. In 2020, her dog Rolo suffocated after becoming trapped in an electric armchair. Price admitted giving Rolo cannabis oil — unaware, she claimed, that it was illegal without a vet’s prescription.

Critics say these tragedies show a pattern of neglect and irresponsibility. In her memoir, Price revealed that another designer cat, Frog, had to be put down due to a neurological disease. She also announced the unexplained death of a chameleon.

While she insists she is an animal lover, telling fans, “It’s circumstances that were out of my hands. It’s no lack of me not looking after them” — Animal welfare campaigners are calling for accountability, not explanations.

PETA argues the problem is systemic: “This is what happens when animals are treated as accessories, not sentient beings.”

The latest incident has once again thrust Price into the centre of a public backlash, with many calling for a permanent ban on her owning pets. “How many more must suffer?” one commenter wrote online. “If this were anyone else, they’d be banned already.”

Price has not responded directly to Peta’s latest statement, but she remains defiant about her track record. Whether that will satisfy the growing calls for formal action remains to be seen.

As temperatures continue to rise across the UK, campaigners hope the visibility of this case will spark awareness — not just outrage — about the responsibilities that come with caring for vulnerable animals.

But for Katie Price, this is just the latest in a long and deeply troubling saga of pets, press, and public anger.