Missy’s case notes indicate she is a 2-year-old spayed domestic medium haired cat. What is her age and gender?

• A. 2-year-old spayed domestic medium haired cat
• B. 2-year-old intact domestic short haired cat
• C. 4-year-old spayed domestic long haired cat
• D. 6-year-old spayed domestic short haired cat

Answer: (A)

Interpreting Missy’s notes hinges on age and gender signals. “Spayed” means the cat is female and has had surgery to remove reproductive organs, so she is not intact. “2-year-old” gives the age in years. “Domestic medium haired” describes breed/coat length, which doesn’t affect age or gender but rounds out the description. So the described combination is a two-year-old female cat that has been spayed, with a domestic medium coat. That’s why this description is correct. The other descriptions would change one of those details—age, sex/status, or coat length—so they wouldn’t match the notes.