spaying age

Question
Dear Mr. Auspitz:
I have a 14 year old female cat who still looks like and acts very young. She has been an  exclusively indoors cat since 3 months old. We never had her spayed. Twice she had a bad UTI which she was taken to an emergency animal clinic. The last few years she has gone into heat that mostly began in early to mid December and lasted until the first wee of February. She would have a break and would happen again in March for another week.  I'm wondering if it is in her best interest to have her spayed at 14.

Thank you for your time,
Amy

Answer
Amy,

I am not a vet, but any good vet will insist on doing blood work before giving any geriatric cat full anaesthetic, which is needed for spaying.  Full anaesthetic can be tough on liver and kidneys.

Usually, geriatric cats seem to "spay themselves", kind of like menopause.  So, I am a little surprised that your 14 year old is still coming into season. I would suspect that the UTI situation is not related to being in season. We give all our cats distilled water to drink, and that seems to help prevent UTI's.

I would consult with your veterinarian and see what your vet says. Given her age, I am not sure it is a good idea to spay as the recovery time could be very long, and her advanced age may make her more prone to complications.

Best regards... Norm.