Expert: Ali - 8/28/2008

Question
My cat has been licking her vagina constantly for about a few days, and i was wondering if she is pregnant. She just stop being active, and she is real talkative.

Answer
Risa,

Your cat should see a vet because pregnancy isn't the only possibility in this case. Your cat may have a uterine infection called pyometra which is potentially life threatening. In the case of pyometra your cat may have a pus filled uterus and she should be spayed as soon as possible in order to save her life. It's also important that you realize that there is a serious pet overpopulation worldwide. Millions of cats and kittens that are healthy and adoptable are euthanised annually simply because shelters and rescue organizations run out of space or a "stray" period has run out. The decision to breed a pet shouldn't be made lightly as there are plenty of unwanted/abandoned cats and kittens that need homes and are living on borrowed time in animal shelters. It's a good idea to spay/neuter most pets. There are numerous health and behavioral benefits to spay/neuter surgeries beyond the obvious benefit of population control. Spayed/neutered cats are far less likely to develop serious behavioral issues like using urine/feces to mark their territory, fighting, or excessive vocalization like caterwauling/howling to advertise their availability to mate. Medical benefits that spayed/neutered cats enjoy include a significantly decreased risk of needing medical treatment for injuries sustained in fights, a substantially decreased risk of prostate or mammary tumors and prevention of uterine, ovarian, testicular cancers or infections of the reproductive organs. An unspayed female cat and her descendants can produce in excess of 30,000 offspring in the space of 5 years. Essentially there are very few good reasons not to spay/neuter cats and kittens for the average pet owner.Spaying and neutering prevents nuisance behaviors, some serious medical problems and saves countless lives worldwide every year. Please, spay your cat to avoid contributing to the sad cycle of pregnancy and unwanted litters resulting pet overpopulation. All too many animal loving employees in humane societies and shelters are forced to euthanise young, healthy, adoptable animals just because there isn't enough space/time/resources to wait until they are adopted. Low cost spay/neuter surgeries are provided in many communities and these clinics are sponsored by local animal shelters. Spay/neuter surgeries are fairly low risk and very routine. As with people there is always a slight risk of a bad reaction to the anesthetic or surgical complications but the rates of these complications have been substantially cut by veterinarians using human anesthetic agents. Most cats have their spay/neuter done on an outpatient basis meaning that the cats can often come home the same day. The cats are given adequate pain relief and they often don't realize that anything is missing. At worst your cat may have to wear an Elizabethan collar to prevent her from picking at the stitches because they can sometimes be itchy. Every pet owner has the power to stop this tragic cycle from happening just by making the decision to spay/neuter their pets. Make the decision to save lives and spay/neuter your pets.