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My female cat is about 3 years old. I have been advised to desex it for the sake of its own health (cancer and infections of the urinal tract).

How significant would be the health benefits to it?

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  • Is this a house cat or do they go outside? My cat had kittens when she was only a year old due to not being spayed. So this can be an unwanted side effect of not spaying.
    – Aravona
    Commented Oct 24, 2015 at 16:32
  • @Aravona, thanks for the welcoming me to the site. it's a house cat and I never take it outside when in heat. That's why I am asking solely about its health. It has never had kittens.
    – user5996
    Commented Oct 24, 2015 at 16:48
  • I seriously doubt there's any high risk problems.
    – Just Do It
    Commented Oct 24, 2015 at 16:51

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There are many health benefits of spaying your kitty. The chances of ovarian or uterine cancer are eliminated, as well as Pyometra (a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus). The younger you spay, the greater the chances are reduced of your cat getting mammary cancer.

acvs.org Cats spayed before 6 months of age have a 7-times reduced risk of developing mammary cancer and spaying at any age reduces the risk of mammary tumors by 40% to 60% in cats.

Here are some health concerns eliminated be spaying your kitty.

catrescuenetwork.org Spaying eliminates the chances of developing: Pyometra. Pyometra is a serious and potentially fatal infection of the uterus experienced by many unspayed cats and dogs. If it is left untreated, your pet will most likely die. Ovarian cancer, cysts and infections. Ovarian cancer is a common occurrence in unaltered females. Uterine cancer and uterine infections. These are common occurrences in unaltered female dogs and cats, especially older pets. Acute metritis (infected uterus). This can be potentially fatal if not treated in time. Difficult pregnancy and delivery. This is common in older and ill cats. Pseudopregnancies. Some females go through a false pregnancy every time they come into heat.

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  • Thanks. Any numbers on how often "experienced by many unspayed cats and dogs" is? So there are some benefits, but similar health risks are probably common also in human females, who do not intend to give birth, and I doubt many women undergo the operation.
    – user5996
    Commented Oct 25, 2015 at 6:29
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    The aspca says "Pyometra usually occurs in older females, with about 25 percent of them suffering from pyometra before the age of 10." To answer your other comment, patient.info says "Pyometra is a rare disorder in humans, with a reported incidence of 0.01-0.5% of gynaecological patients."
    – KittyConsultant
    Commented Oct 25, 2015 at 13:11

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