Not Spaying A Female = Higher Risk Of Cancer

staceyloobug

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Mar 15, 2010
Messages
124
Purraise
1
Location
Wheeling, WV
So, I've always known that if you don't spay your female, you have a higher risk of cancer. But thanks to this site and the boards, I now know that not only that, but the more heat cycles she goes through, the higher her chance.

This worries me. Cats that I've had in the past have been spayed either before they ever went into heat or right after the first one. Little Rosalita (below) was fixed two weeks ago, so we're covered now, but she's a year and a half old, and I know she had kittens when she was taken to the shelter in August 2009 (she would have only been about 7 months old with kittens
).

Realistically, how high are her chances? There's nothing I can do about it now, clearly, but it worries me nonetheless.

A little backstory:

Apparently, when she was taken into the shelter, she had kittens. They were adopted, as kittens normally are, but then after that, more kittens were brought in without a mother. She nursed them as well. From that point on, when kittens were brought in, they were placed in her cage, and she took care of them. I don't know if that means she fed them, or just cleaned and cared for them (if that matters to my above question). Anyhow, I'm so glad to have her, and to take care of HER. She gets to be the baby now, instead of the mommy.
 

strange_wings

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
Yes, an unspay cat is at a higher risk for cancer in the uterus and ovaries. When a cat is spay, those are removed - just like a full hysterectomy in women.

Your kitty is spay, she no longer has a uterus or ovaries. Don't worry about her getting cancer in something she doesn't have.
 

mews2much

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
13,424
Purraise
27
Location
Central Valley,California
My Coco could never be altered and she is 18 now.
Meeko was 8.5 when she was altered because of her heart murmur.
They do not remove the uterus when they alter a cat the lapo way most of the time.
Two of my cats were done that way.
I would not worry she is still young.


 

strange_wings

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
^ I had wondered about that a little. My vet just does it the old fashioned way, it all comes out.
I don't think Blasa is going to have a scar from her spay - or at least it won't be very visible. She's not that large of a kitten, either, so her incision was only around an inch long.
 

strange_wings

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 20, 2006
Messages
13,498
Purraise
39
Originally Posted by Bellaandme

A vet informed me that being unspayed can also increase the chance of breast cancer as well
Did you know that even male cats can get mammary tumors?
 

mews2much

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 19, 2007
Messages
13,424
Purraise
27
Location
Central Valley,California
My Stripe had a breast lump that had cancer in it when she was 4.
They had to remove her breast and she it came back a month later then never again.
I lost her to CRF at age 11.

 
Top