3-5 years back, I went through a very rough patch patch with the two kitties I had at the time, Ember and Sweetie. My family found Ember and Sweetie when they were little kittens and took them in. I was still in school and my family was into saving money and avoiding vet bills at the time, so they were not spayed. They were indoor cats, so they never had kittens, and their heats, although loud and annoying, didn't involve any spraying or bleeding, so at the time and not knowing any better, it seemed reasonable.
When they turned about seven years old, I moved out , took them with me, and got them spayed. During the spay surgery, they discovered that Sweetie had mammary cancer. A few months later, I found a tumor on Ember as well. After two years of vet visits and chemotherapy and mastectomies and still losing them, you can bet that I learned my lesson; pregnancy is not the only risk you have by not spaying!
However, since then, cancer and not spaying is something I have been incredibly paranoid about, and although I know not spaying Ember and Sweetie until they were 7 was a large contributor to them getting cancer, I am curious if late spays always up the risk up mammary cancer, or if it is only cats who have not been spayed but have never had kittens that have the major risk.
I worry especially because two of the cats I have now I didn't get until they were at least a year old, so I couldn't get them spayed young -- Nenya was probably about a year old when she was spayed, and Meko was maybe 3. Is mammary cancer a reasonable concern, or am I'm just worrying too much?
When they turned about seven years old, I moved out , took them with me, and got them spayed. During the spay surgery, they discovered that Sweetie had mammary cancer. A few months later, I found a tumor on Ember as well. After two years of vet visits and chemotherapy and mastectomies and still losing them, you can bet that I learned my lesson; pregnancy is not the only risk you have by not spaying!
However, since then, cancer and not spaying is something I have been incredibly paranoid about, and although I know not spaying Ember and Sweetie until they were 7 was a large contributor to them getting cancer, I am curious if late spays always up the risk up mammary cancer, or if it is only cats who have not been spayed but have never had kittens that have the major risk.
I worry especially because two of the cats I have now I didn't get until they were at least a year old, so I couldn't get them spayed young -- Nenya was probably about a year old when she was spayed, and Meko was maybe 3. Is mammary cancer a reasonable concern, or am I'm just worrying too much?