How to Tell If a Cat Is Spayed at Home

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Plus, what it looks like when an unspayed female cat is in heat

Co-authored by Elaine Heredia, BA Reviewed by Natalie Punt, DVM

Last Updated: December 3, 2025 Fact Checked

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Signs of Spaying

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Other Ways to Tell

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Signs of Heat

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Spaying, or fixing, your female cat is important for their health and well-being. Not only does this surgery prevent them from reproducing with male cats who haven't been neutered, but it also makes them more comfortable by preventing them from going into heat. If you just adopted a female cat, you might be wondering if it's spayed already. Keep reading to learn the most common physical signs that a female cat is spayed, how to tell when she's in heat, and other ways to tell if she's fixed if you still aren't sure.

How to Tell If a Female Cat Is Fixed

Signs a female cat has been spayed are a clipped ear tip, a shaved belly, a faint scar on her lower abdomen, or a thin, green tattoo near where a surgery scar would be. If she goes into heat, she has not been spayed. Signs of heat include extra affection, back paw treading, yowling, and marking objects with urine.

Section 1 of 3:

Signs That a Female Cat Is Spayed

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Some veterinarians and animal agencies use a practice called "ear clipping" or "ear tipping" as the universal sign of an altered feral cat—meaning it shows, in an easily recognizable way, that the feline has been spayed or neutered. This practice is utilized by many trap and release programs to limit the reproduction of feral cats to control colony populations. In this case, one of the cat's ears (usually the left) has about a quarter of an inch of the tip removed—just enough to give the ear a "flat" tip. This is done while the cat is asleep from the anesthetic and heals quickly.^{[1]
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Get a clue from ear tips. "The tip about checking for an ear tip as a sign the cat was spayed was super insightful. I never knew that a clipped ear meant the cat had been fixed! Now I can quickly ID altered ferals." - Crystal L.

Confirm spay status through research. "With three rescue cats at home, I was worried about surprise litter. When I noticed one had a clipped ear, I Googled it and was relieved to learn ear tipping shows a cat was spayed. Some kind person prevented kittens from happening." - Will C.

Learn when discharge indicates infection. "My kitten had some vaginal discharge, so I read up on reasons. The article said a little is normal during heat cycles, but profuse discharge means infection. I'm still taking her to the vet, but I feel better knowing what to watch for." - Jasmine M.

Make informed decisions about breeding. "As a breeder, descriptions of heat cycles here taught me discharge happens, but blood indicates issues. My female left bloody discharge in heat, so I know spaying will improve her health and life before breeding again. Right information brings empowerment." - Bethany L.

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Look for shaved hair on the cat’s abdomen. Try rolling the cat onto her back so you have a clear view of her stomach. If the cat has been recently spayed, the fur on her lower abdomen will be shorter than the fur on the rest of her body. This is because vets have to shave this fur off before performing the operation.^{[2]
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- Many vets spay younger cats using the flank approach. If your cat is young, also check for a square section of clipped or shaved fur over the left side of the cat's body between its ribs and hip.
- Note: Other veterinary procedures can also require patches of the cat's hair to be shaved, so this isn't a foolproof way to check if the cat has been spayed.
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Check for a spaying scar. Hold the cat so that she's lying on her back with her stomach facing up. Part the fur on her lower abdomen as best you can. Once you can see the cat's skin, check for a scar from the operation. This physical sign may not be visible on every female cat, however. That's because the tools used for spaying today typically leave a very thin scar, which can fade and may be hard to see after it heals.^{[3]
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- Look for a straight, thin line running lengthwise in the center of the abdomen where they made the incision.
- You can also look for a scar on the left side of the cat's body between the rib and hip area. If the vet used a flank approach, the scar will be in this area.
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Look for tattoo markings by the incision scar or on the cat’s ear. Once a cat is spayed, a vet may give her a small tattoo as an external sign she's been spayed. Usually, this tattoo is green, drawn in the shape of a thin line, and located on or near the incision scar.^{[4]
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Animal Humane Society
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Go to source} The tattoo should be visible when parting the hair of the abdomen, though you may need to look carefully.
- Check the cat's inner ear for tattoos, as this is a common site for important information to be marked on pets. In the US, the letter "M" means the cat has been microchipped. Almost all other tattoos mean the cat has been spayed.
- Note: The signs that a male cat is neutered are different than the signs that a female cat is spayed. If your cat is a male, refer to How to Tell if a Cat is Neutered.
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Check for signs that she's in heat. Cats who aren't spayed will periodically go into a period of heightened sexual activity called "heat", referred to scientifically as "estrus." This period of heat can last up to 3 weeks, though visible symptoms usually don't last this long.^{[5]
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- Skip ahead to Signs That a Female Cat Is in Heat to determine if your cat is in estrus.

Section 2 of 3:

Other Ways to Tell If a Cat Is Spayed

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If you're buying the cat from a breeder or a pet store or adopting her from a shelter, the staff at those places should be able to tell you if the cat has been spayed. If the staff worker you talk to doesn't know, take the cat to the vet to confirm if you're still not sure.
Sometimes, a cat may not have any clear physical markings from her spaying surgery. Bring the cat to your veterinarian—a trained professional in the field of animal medicine will almost always be able to tell if your cat is spayed or not, and, if she can't, she'll be able to order medical tests to find out for sure.

Section 3 of 3:

Signs That a Female Cat Is in Heat

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A cat in heat will often act more affectionate than usual. You might notice her rubbing herself against people and inanimate objects and rolling around in a playful frenzy.^{[6]
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She gets into the “presenting” stance or treads with her back legs. A cat in heat will often show sexual affection by getting into a "presenting" stance, or a crouching body position. Her rear will be elevated, her tail will be raised or placed at one side, and her head will be held low to the ground. This is especially common in the presence of male cats.^{[7]
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- When a female cat goes into the crouching position, she will likely also tread or paddle with her back feet. She will lift each back foot quickly, like she is walking in place.
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She yowls or meows loudly. A cat in heat will let out loud, yowling meows and other chirping noises. These vocalizations typically start just after the onset of heat and grow in intensity over time. At their worst, these calls may be very frequent and may even sound pained or distressed, though the cat isn't in any real danger.^{[8]
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- Other, less common calls may range from quieter, inquiring mews to agitated screeches.
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She wants to spend more time outdoors. Cats in heat will often want to get outside so they can find a mate. They may resort to behaviors like pawing and scratching at the door, making noises at the door, or even trying to dart outside as soon as the door is open.^{[9]
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- Prevent your female cat from darting out whenever you enter or leave the house. If your cat escapes from the house while she's in heat, she may come home pregnant since she's not spayed yet.
A cat who isn't spayed will use her urine to let potential mates know when she's in heat. The cat may mark while indoors or outdoors, especially in the presence of male cats. Urine marking is a common reproductive trait in female cats and can be prevented by getting the cat spayed.^{[10]
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She may produce vaginal discharge. Female cats who aren't spayed may also have a small amount of vaginal discharge that is clear and watery or tinged with blood during heat. You may notice this discharge after the cat has been in heat for a while. She will likely get into the “presenting” stance and tread before she starts releasing the discharge.^{[11]
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- Take the cat to the vet if you notice a lot of discharge, as this indicates a womb infection.