Neutering of female cats

Neutering a female cat is a procedure in which the vet removes the cat's ovaries, and sometimes uterus. It is common to neuter your female cat when it is 6-7 months old. This is because a female cat can become pregnant at a few months of age.

There are many advantages to neutering your cat. The main advantage is that you avoid unwanted and unplanned kittens. For a female cat, the sometimes annoying heat behaviour that would otherwise occur every three weeks during spring, summer and autumn disappears.

A negative aspect of neutering is the increased risk of obesity, which in turn can increase the risk of contracting several diseases common among cats.

After neutering, your cat may be tired and it is important to keep the cat indoors for the first few days and to allow the female cat to rest for a few days after the operation. To avoid your cat licking the wound, you should use a collar when you do not have her under supervision and to check the wound daily to reduce the risk of infection.

There is no law that says you as an owner have to neuter your cat, but in accordance with the new rules of the Swedish Board of Agriculture, outdoor cats should be neutered to avoid unplanned or unwanted mating. If you have a female cat that runs loose outside, you should neuter the cat.