So, I've always known that if you don't spay your female, you have a higher risk of cancer. But thanks to this site and the boards, I now know that not only that, but the more heat cycles she goes through, the higher her chance.
This worries me. Cats that I've had in the past have been spayed either before they ever went into heat or right after the first one. Little Rosalita (below) was fixed two weeks ago, so we're covered now, but she's a year and a half old, and I know she had kittens when she was taken to the shelter in August 2009 (she would have only been about 7 months old with kittens
).
Realistically, how high are her chances? There's nothing I can do about it now, clearly, but it worries me nonetheless.
A little backstory:
Apparently, when she was taken into the shelter, she had kittens. They were adopted, as kittens normally are, but then after that, more kittens were brought in without a mother. She nursed them as well. From that point on, when kittens were brought in, they were placed in her cage, and she took care of them. I don't know if that means she fed them, or just cleaned and cared for them (if that matters to my above question). Anyhow, I'm so glad to have her, and to take care of HER. She gets to be the baby now, instead of the mommy.
This worries me. Cats that I've had in the past have been spayed either before they ever went into heat or right after the first one. Little Rosalita (below) was fixed two weeks ago, so we're covered now, but she's a year and a half old, and I know she had kittens when she was taken to the shelter in August 2009 (she would have only been about 7 months old with kittens
Realistically, how high are her chances? There's nothing I can do about it now, clearly, but it worries me nonetheless.
A little backstory:
Apparently, when she was taken into the shelter, she had kittens. They were adopted, as kittens normally are, but then after that, more kittens were brought in without a mother. She nursed them as well. From that point on, when kittens were brought in, they were placed in her cage, and she took care of them. I don't know if that means she fed them, or just cleaned and cared for them (if that matters to my above question). Anyhow, I'm so glad to have her, and to take care of HER. She gets to be the baby now, instead of the mommy.