Pet Parents: Your Kitten Can Experience Their Own Litter Before She’s Spayed United Spay Alliance Urges Families to “Fix by Five” and Close the One-Month Gap

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

National Media Contact:

Julie Bank, Interim Executive Director

United Spay Alliance

P.O. Box 612, Walkersville, MD 21793

760-908-8058

www.unitedspayalliance.org | Toll free 888-590-0444

Pet Parents: Your Kitten Can Experience Their Own Litter Before She’s Spayed

United Spay Alliance Urges Families to “Fix by Five” and Close the One-Month Gap

Growing nonprofit offers pet parents a free directory of affordable spay/neuter providers

Campaign: Feline Fix by Five • Find a provider: www.unitedspayalliance.org/directory

WALKERSVILLE, MD., October 27, 2026, For many families, a cat’s first litter arrives before her first spay appointment. A female kitten can experience their own kittens as early as five months old, yet many cats are not spayed until six months or later. United Spay Alliance says that one-month gap is where millions of unwanted litters begin, and pet parents can close it.

Through its Feline Fix by Five campaign, the Alliance urges pet parents to spay or neuter cats before five months of age, before a kitten’s first heat and first litter.

“We see shelters with unwanted litters all the time,” said Julie Bank, Interim Executive Director of United Spay Alliance. “Moving spay/neuter earlier is one of the simplest ways to prevent over-population.”

Why Pet Parents Should Act Now: What the Numbers Show

Lives saved: With shelters nationwide over capacity, an estimated 2 to 3 million cats and dogs are euthanized each year.
91% lower risk of mammary cancer for cats spayed before their first heat cycle; the disease kills an estimated 75,000 U.S. cats a year.
Longer lives: spayed females live 39% longer and neutered males 62% longer than intact cats.
Safer surgery: no increase in major complications and faster recovery for cats fixed before five months.
Cats stay home: over 80% of cats relinquished or abandoned are unspayed or unneutered.

What Pet Parents Can Do Today

Find affordable care: Search the free provider directory at www.unitedspayalliance.org/directory.
Book before five months: Ask your veterinarian to schedule spay or neuter surgery before your kitten turns five months old.

Gift the Gift This Holiday Season

Shopping for the animal lover who has everything? This holiday season, United Spay Alliance invites pet parents and animal lovers to Gift the Gift: a donation made in honor of a friend, family member or favorite pet. Every gift helps more families find affordable spay/neuter care and prevents unwanted litters before they begin. Give at www.unitedspayalliance.org/donate.

###

Interviews available: Julie Bank, Interim Executive Director, 760-908-8058 or www.unitedspayalliance.org.