Spaying a nursing cat: Will she still care for kittens and her milk?

Question

A stray cat had her kittens in my garage two months ago. She is in heat again and I would like to get her spayed. The problem is that kittens are still suckling and she still cares for them. I talked to a vet and he said it is best to do it before she gets pregnant again, but that would mean she has to be away from them for at least five days. My question is, is she still going to care for them when she gets back after five days of not seeing them and what will happen to her milk in that time?

Linda G, MS, DVM · Accepted Answer

Hello. The kittens should be fully weaned by now. If they are eating solid food they will do fine being away from her. Any milk that she may still be producing will be very low quality, anyway. Once she returns from her surgery, she may still be affectionate to her kittens, but may not allow them to nurse. At some point, she would have stopped this on her own & her milk will dry up altogether. This is a good time to spay her. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Spaying a nursing cat: Will she still care for kittens and her milk?

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