ASK the VET.

Our new resident vet, Brian Faulkner, from Petplan, has 16 years of experience and is a freelance vet working all over the country. Send your questions to Brian at: Petplan, Great West House, Great West Road, Brentford, Middlesex, TW8 9DX or via Petplan's Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PetplanUK QIS there any way that you can tell or find out if a female cat has been spayed if you don't know her history? Brian replies: Spaying involves a cat's ovaries and womb being removed and it prevents unwanted kittens and heat cycles. It also helps prevent cancers and infections and is a basic part of cat health care.

The operation is carried out under general anaesthetic and animals usually recover quickly. Unfortunately, there is no absolute conclusive test to tell if your cat has already been spayed.

Sometimes you can see a scar by clipping the hair on the midline or the left flank, where most incisions are made.

Generally speaking, almost all female cats aged over a year have been spayed.