5 month kitten to spade or not to spade

Question
I've never had a cat before - so this is all new to me and am trying to
look after little Molly the best I can. I understand that she is now at the
age where she can come in to season soon. She is a house cat as we live
in an apartment on a busy street, and we are debating whether to get
her neutered or not, as she doesnt leave the house, so dont see that she
could get pregnant very easily. Would it be misery for her to go through
season everytime?

Thanks

Answer
It will be misery for all involved. When I had my first Maine Coon girl, I was SO not prepared for what makes dogs in heat look tame in comparison. If your Molly is pretty typical, she may do all or some of the following:

Yowl continuously at the top of her lungs.
Mark (pee) on top of sofa seats, chairs, anything to leave her 'I'm ready!' pheromones where they can be scattered to the four winds.
Yowl continuously at the top of her lungs.
Try to escape from any opened door or window (definitely not a good thing when you live in an apartment)
Yowl continuously at the top of her lungs.

The yowling, if you haven't guessed it, can be pretty intense, and she will actually sound like she's in pain. A lot of people who might think I'm exaggerating since their female cats never did any of the above may have also had indoor/outdoor cats where they did not witness alot of the behavior.

She is at the perfect age to be spayed, as some cats can enter heat as early as 4-5 months. Despite what some on this site might think, she will not have adverse effects to being spayed prior to any one litter of kittens, she will not 'miss out' on anything, she will not get fat (unless you stop playing with her and she eats because she's bored.)

My last cat I bred I had neutered at 5 months since I was planning on getting out of breeding, and he has been the healthiest of my cats (well, except he's my husband's favorite, so he gets treats all the time). My girls are all spayed, and while the household is a bit calmer, they are still active, playful, and loving.

A spay in a cat or dog is analogous to a total hysterectomy in a woman, and the vet can explain to you what will be involved. Molly will be sedated, a portion of her belly will be shaved, and she will end up with a small scar which will become all but invisible as the hair grows back.

Double check with Molly's vet to see what else may be involved, but the spay will be a cakewalk compared to keeping an intact female inside an apartment.