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Is my 4-month-old indoor kitten too young to spay, and should I?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | spayed | 4 months and 5 days old | 4.5 lbs

My kitten is 4 months old, is she too young to get spayed? She is also an indoor cat so is it worth spaying her?

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on July 16th, 2017

Great questions! At four months old, Oreo is old enough to be spayed, and I highly recommend getting it done. Even though she doesn't go outdoors, having her spayed will have significant health benefit for her. It prevents her from developing mammary tumors, 90% of which are malignant in cats. It also prevents her from developing a pyometra, which is a life threatening infection of the uterus that requires spaying her to treat along with antibiotics. It also helps you avoid the very annoying behaviors that accompany a cat when they are heat. They are VERY vocal, demanding of attention, and cry all hours of the night. Trust me when I say you don't want to deal with this behavior, as cats cycle frequently certain times of the year, and it's a problem you will have to deal with on a regular basis. I would call the vet on Monday to set up an appointment to get her spayed. Good on you for wanting to do it :-)

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    Answered By Laura Johnson VMD

    Veterinarian

    Published on

    Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Here in the US a lot of puppies and kittens are spayed that young at the shelter before adopting them out to families. Otherwise we usually spay and neuter at 6 months of age. I think she would be fine if you wanted to do it at 4 months. I do recommend spaying them. Cats can be very vocal and try to go outside when they are in heat. And sometimes they can start marking or inappropriately urinating. Also she would be at risk for a uterine infection later in life if left unspayed. Hope this helps!

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