Spaying Question

I have a 6 nearly 7 year old female cat who has never had kittens. I am bringing her to the vet next week for Spaying but I am concerned because of her age. The Verternarian says it is very safe and should be fine but she means the world to me and I would be devestated to lose her.

So the question is is it safe to have her spayed at this age?

Yes it is very safe!

On all of our patients, we include a pre-screen [pre-anesthetic blood screen] in our price, if they don't include that, add it on. It's just a safety measure to ensure your kitty's kidneys can handle the anesthetic the vet will be using. [See the topic].

As long as your cat is healthy, has no heart murr-murrs or anything, she'll do fine. Spays take like 15-20 minutes, and if there's nothing wrong inside, it won't be a big deal.

Being 7 she is considered a "senior" but her risk of death generally speaking, and kidneys aside isn't as high as a 16 year old cat going under anesthesia.

She's a little on the older side and hopefully she won't have any problems - like cancer starting, etc. from not being spayed earlier and coming into heat all the time.

But its much better to get her in now. Your vet is aware of her age - they will take extra precautions. She may take a little longer to heal and to come out of the anestethia, but should be ok.

It's safe to do now, just be sure to ask for the bloodwork Plebayo mentioned, and ask your vet to show you how to do kitty breast exams. It sounds wierd, but older cats that have not been altered have a higher risk of developing mammary cancer. Its an easy exam, just make sure they show you how, and do it once a month.

I am glad you are getting her spayed, you really are doing the best thing for her health. Mammary cancer isn't a nice thing to deal with, so please do check your cats breasts once a month, and if there is the slightest change, ring the vet - it really could make a big difference

It is absolutely safe. She is not old at all - a 6-7 year old cat is comparable to a 40 year old person. She's not a baby but really is very much in her prime.

You are doing the right thing for her health. The risk of not having her spayed is much higher than the risk of the surgery. Since she has never had kittens she would be at serious risk for pyometra, which is a horrible infection of the uterus and would require emergency surgery to save her life. You are a good cat parent to have scheduled her for the surgery now so you can have it done as safely as possible and give her the longest, healthiest, happiest life possible.

Thanks everyone. I feel alot better about it now. A friend mentioned he thought she was too old and it was dangerous and since I have always had my cats spayed when they were very young I was worried. I appreciate all the input. This is a very special cat and I want her to be safe and happy