Q: My pet cat is now about three years old and has not been spayed. She is an indoor cat and seemingly has no issues when she comes into heat. Do you think she will need to be spayed sometime in the future if her cycles remain the same?
A: There are two main medical reasons for spaying your cat, even at age three. First, a significant percentage of unsprayed cats will develop a uterine infection termed pyometra necessitating surgery (ovariohysterectomy) on an emergency basis. The second reason for getting your cat spayed is because the longer a cat is allowed to go through heat cycles, the more risk there is of developing mammary (breast) cancer which is generally deadly in cats. In addition, since cats are seasonally polyestrus (meaning they continuously come into heat in certain seasons), they will vocalize continuously and attempt to get outside constantly which may be highly annoying to some people. The bottom line then is it’s a wise decision to have your cat spayed.