Time Frame

• Cat rescue groups such as Alley Cat Allies note that some kittens come into their first heat as young as four months old and advocate spaying a kitten at six weeks or when they weigh two pounds.
  
  

Considerations

• "Cat Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook" notes that it is better for the female cat to be bred during her second heat when she is more physically mature.
  
  

Significance

• If the owner of a female cat does not want her to get pregnant, the kitten should be spayed before her first heat at around three to six months of age, depending on how healthy that kitten is.
  
  

Warning

• Female cats of all ages can have false pregnancies, where they may produce milk and make a nest. She should return to normal about 40 days after she came into heat.
  
  

Fun Facts

• According to "Cat: The Complete Guide" (Claire Bessant; 1999) the age of the world's oldest cat to get pregnant was 30. Kitty lived in Croxton, Staffordshire, England and in 1987 gave birth to her last two kittens. Kitty had 218 in her life.