Q: If my cat has been spayed, does it mean that she can never come into heat and have kitten?

Answer: Certainly the surgical removal of the uterus (womb) means that it is impossible for a spayed cat to have any kittens. The vest majority of spayed cat will not come into heat either. However, one rare occasions, it is possible for a spayed cat to come into heat and show all the usual assigns, i.e. calling etc. This can arise either because a remnant of tissue from the ovary has been inadvertently left behind after the operation, or because in that particular animal there is also small collection of sex hormone-secreting cells at some abnormal site within the abdomen. In such cases the reaming tissue cells produce sufficient sex hormone to affect the cat’s behaviour and to produce signs of heat, although such signs may not appear for up to four months after the operation. In this situation, the only solution is to perform a second operation to search for, and if identified, to remove the minute piece of tissue which is responsible.