Can I spay my cat even if her 12-week-old kitten is still nursing?

If Naomi still is full of milk, there is potentially more risk of bleeding and/or infection. We generally recommend that kittens be kept away from mom and not allowed to nurse for at least 2 weeks before the mom is spayed. I would recommend contacting your vet today and let them know what is going on and have them help you decide if you should delay her surgery. Good luck! I hope that was helpful. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

Luci can be spayed anytime. The main concern with spaying a cat that has just had a litter of kittens is if the kittens are still nursing and have developed mammary tissue. This extra tissue can increase the risk of an infection at the incision site. If she is not nursing kittens, the mammary tissue decreases and is no longer an issue. I would go ahead and schedule her to get spayed asap!

Yes, this is normal. All momma cats are different in the amount that they will allow the kittens to nurse. Most kittens will nurse as long as mom will allow it. It is comforting to both parties. The behavior will not likely be changed by the operations for the kittens. If mom is getting spayed as well, she may not let them nurse anymore. There is no harm in the nursing behavior unless you start to notice an area starts to look red, swollen or chafed. If mom is also getting spayed, that does change things. The kittens should not be allowed to nurse or exhibit any type of that behavior as they could compromise the incision. They cannot lick at any of the incisions! I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she is no longer near where the kittens would be then you will have to assume she is done. I would give her a month or so to dry out. It does take time after kittens are weaned for the milk to stop coming, so finding milk still present isn't abnormal. There is not real way to tell otherwise. She will go back in to heat soon so keep her indoors. I wish you the best!

Yes she can still nurse the kittens, if she still has milk. Sometimes a queen can also restart making milk. This is great as she will take care of them emotionally, hygienically and teach them everything they need to know, especially if you do not take them away before they are 12 weeks old. If she does not have milk (the kittens will get grouchy and whine ) you will need to feed them with kitten formula. You can find out their age by weighing them. For each week of age they are 3.5 oz , so if they are three weeks old they would weigh about 10.5 oz. If you are not sure that mama has milk, take her to your vet who can check that for you. Thank you for taking in those kittens.

Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! If she hasn't been spayed yet she should be able to still have kittens. Her breed is only a problem if she or the male cat has large skulls that they may not pass in the birth canal. It is not too early to spay her, in fact I usually recommend spaying at 6months. The more heat cycles so goes through the more at risk she is for mammary and uterine cancers as she ages. My recommendation is to spay her soon. Good luck and kisses to Sussie!

You can get a large crate, and have Lilly stay in there while she is recovering. That will rest her, and keep her separate from the kittens. Make sure the crate is big enough to hold water, food, and a litter box. Best of luck.