Expert: Tomay - 8/12/2006

Question
i am curious to know if there is any truth in the statement that if i dont spay my kitten before it goes into its first heat that shell never dtop going in to heat even after shes spayed, and also when do females usually go into their first heat. my kittne is exactly 3 months old.

Answer
Hello Ashley,
No, there is no truth in that statement!  When cats (or dogs) are spayed, all reproductive organs are removed.  With that removal, there is no longer any hormone production, thus, heat cycles are non existant.  Cats can begin the heat cycle as young as 5 months, or as old as one year, it just depends on the individual. I usually encourage kitten owners to wait till around six months or so to spay, as spaying TOO young can delay maturity, and  create a virtually perpetual kitten with kitten like behaviours.  If your kitten goes into heat before she is spayed, your vet will most likely want to wait till after the cycle is done before proceeding with the spay.
Hope this has been helpful to you.  Thank you for your inquiry and your intrest in this site.
Tomay