Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

Should I spay my 6-month-old female kitten before her first heat?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | British Shorthair | Female | spayed | 5 months and 27 days old | 6.5 lbs

Hello!I want to ask a question. 1)My kitten is 6 months and it's a girl.And I want to sterilize my cat .So...what's the better sterilization or castration.And I wanna sterilize it in 10 or 12 months.Can we sterilize it before the first estrus? 2) We vaccinated Tiffany twice. It was Nobivac Tricat Trio .So at first we vaccinated it the 21 of February,and the second at 13 of March.And we will do rabies vaccine at 3 of April.And can we do chlamidia vaccine on September? Sorry for my English:)

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on March 17th, 2018

Great questions! I will answer the one by one for you :-) 1. Female cats are spayed, so that is the only option for you to do for Tiffany. I would have her spayed as soon as possible, as you do want it done before she goes into heat the first time. Cats can go into heat as early as six months of age, so it's best to get it done now. 2. Good on you for vaccinating her! I would get the chlamydia vaccine as soon as possible for her as it's highly contagious. You can do it as soon as two weeks after the rabies vaccine. It's best to space out two different vaccines at least two weeks apart for the best immune response. Your English was great, I hope this helps!

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is a 1 month new born. Should i vaccin her immediately? And is there a difference between male and female when it comes to vaccination or raising?
Hi, thanks for using Boop by Petco! Congrats on your new kitten! There is no difference in raising or vaccinating between male and female cats. The only difference is that male cats are neutered and female cats get spayed. The surgery is a belly surgery for female cats. Her first Vet visit should be around 6 weeks, that is when she will receive her first vaccine (FVRCP). If you want her to have an exam before 6 weeks that is fine! They may want to give her the first deworming medication or if you want to wait until 6 weeks she'll get it then. Your Vet will tell you when they feel most comfortable testing for Feline Leukemia and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus). Kittens get the FVRCP vaccine every 3-4 weeks until about 15-16 weeks of age. They receive the rabies vaccine based on your state laws. In PA that is around 12-16 weeks. Vets usually spay around 6 months of age. Good luck!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
My kitten is four months old and is an indoor kitten. What kind of vaccines would she need? How often should she get vaccinated? How many vaccines can she have in one day? I want her to have everything before she gets spayed. Any advice for a warrior
If she is a warrior kitten, then Artemis is great name for her! Feline core vaccines include FVRCP (feline distemper combo) and a rabies vaccine. At four months of age, she will need two rounds of each vaccine given four weeks apart. You should do the FVRCP vaccine first, then two weeks later the rabies vaccine. The second FVRCP vaccine should be done four weeks after the first one, and the same goes for the rabies vaccine. It's not recommended to give the FVRCP and rabies together at the same time. Have plenty of toys for her to play with, and get interactive toys so you can play with her. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
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?
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 :-)
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
My kitten will turn 4 months old in 3 days. She's not spayed yet. She has been really curious about the outside and has been running around outside. We have a lot of feral cats outside and her parents were feral. I was wondering if she could get preg
It's possible for her to have her first heat cycle anytime after four months of age, but it normally occurs around six months. She would have to be in heat in order to accept the male and get pregnant, but you should be aware that this can happen anytime now. It's important to have her spayed prior to her coming into heat, because the procedure is more risky when they are in heat. They also tend to fight with other cats when they are in heat, which can increase their chances of getting serious infections and contracting FIV and/or FeLV. These diseases are vaccine-preventable, so it's important to also ask your vet about this vaccine if she will continue to have contact with feral cats. I hope that helps and all is well with Bella.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
I just adopted a kitten, first time. I was notified that she hasn’t gotten any shots, hasn’t gotten fixed, and no microchip or deworming. But she came home with the sniffles and a bit of a runny nose and sneezing. What is the age when they are able t
Congratulations on your new kitten! Vaccines are given between 7-8 weeks and continue every 4 weeks until about 16 weeks of age. Since she may have a bit of a respiratory infection, you will want to hold off on vaccination until she recovers. Have her examined by your veterinarian and treated if indicated. She can be tested for FeLV (feline leukemia) and FIV (feline immunodeficiency virus) as well as for intestinal parasites. She can be dewormed now and again in 2-3 weeks. This should all be done if it wasn't prior to adoption. Once she recovers, she can receive a rabies vaccine and begin her series of FVRCP (feline distemper) vaccines. If she is to be an outdoor cat, an FeLV vaccine is also recommended. You can discuss an appropriate vaccine protocol with your veterinarian. She can be spayed when she is 6 months old.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I’m fostering a female tabby cat, its not spayed or microchipped. No luck yet finding the owners. Approx 1 yr old. I currently have an 8mo DSH male cat, neutered 6 Mo ago. I’d like to keep the female but she went into heat for about 8 days one week a
Thank you for using Boop by Petco! In most cases, rabies and feline RCP (rhinotracheitis, calicivirus, and panleukopenia virus) vaccines are required for cats. Most vets do not recommend doing the vaccines for the first time and surgery in the same visit, but a few days in between is usually sufficient. Spaying will prevent your female cat from going into heat, so it will likely deter your male cat from trying to breed.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Do I really have to spay my cat ? Don't I havr another option . I had another male cat that only lived few months after spaying , he became so weak !
It is best for health reasons to have then fixed unless you planned on breeding. Generally you can wait until she is about 5-6 months old so she will not be so small for the procedure. I would recommend having a feline leukemia and aids test along with blood work to check the liver and kidneys prior to anesthesia to nake sure there are no underlying problems that can complicate the procedure or recovery. If you elect to not have surgery, you run the risk of kittens, cancer or an infected uterus. An infected uterus will require emergency surgery and cause extreme illness
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hi. I wanted to know do female cats menstruate after being spayed? What is the best age to get Olive (female) spayed? Also I want me male cat, Theo neutered. What would be the best age for him for neutering?
Thank you for submitting your question regarding your cats. A female cat will no longer experience heat cycles or be able to become pregnant after being spayed. A typical spay and neuter kittens between 4-6 months of age. However, the procedure can be performed later if necessary. I hope this information helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Hello, how many vaccinations are there for kittens usually? My kitten has had 3 vaccinations done so far and her next one is for rabies, what are the possible side effects of the rabies vaccinations? Are there any special precautions I should take wi
She needs a round of vaccines (usually feline distemper, possible feline leukemia and FIV as well) every 3-4 weeks started at 6-8 weeks of age and continuing until she's had 2 rounds AFTER 12 weeks old. So the number can vary depending on how you space them and when you start. For rabies, side effects are very rare (less than other vaccines, where side effects are already low). For any vaccine, side effects to watch out for are vomiting, extreme lethargy, and significant facial swelling. Finally, she should be spayed around 5-6 months of age.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Can I get an unregistered (non vaccinated) cat fixed? A few months ago I came across an abandoned cat on the street & my family & I were iffy whether we wanted to keep it or not, well it’s been a few months & she recently gave birth about a month ag
Hello, Rules on vaccination for spaying cats will vary from every independent hospital. I would recommend calling low cost spay and neuter programs in your area to discuss getting her spayed and at minimal, a rabies vaccination. Many hospitals spay trapped feral cats who have never been vaccinated, so I don't think you will have any problem finding someone to help you out. :) I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Cat Supplies Cat Food Vaccines and Shots for Cats Wet Cat Food Flea & Tick Solutions for Cats Cat Health & Wellness Cat Medicine Cat First Aid Heartworm Prevention for Cats Cat Antibiotics Vet's Best Flea & Tick Solutions for Cats Vetality Cat Health & Wellness Vetality Flea & Tick Solutions for Cats CAT by Dr Lisa Cat Health & Wellness Ulticare Vaccines and Shots for Cats Firstect PLUS Flea & Tick Solutions for Cats Cheristin Flea & Tick Solutions for Cats Vet's Best Flea Sprays for Cats Vet Worthy Cat Health & Wellness Doxycycline Cat Antibiotics
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored