Table Of Content
In the rest of this article, I’ll go through more info on factors that affect a cats lifespan and how to improve your cats chance of living a long healthy life. They are more at risk of disease from fleas and ticks, have more interactions with other cats causing bites and scratches, and have more accidents and traumas than indoor cats. What IS true is that our domestic cats today are living much longer and healthier lives, allowing the human-animal bond to strengthen and provide immense joy to families.
Check out this handy Cat Age Chart to see how cat years are divided into different life stages:
Creme Puff, a tabby mix out of Austin, Texas, lived to be 38 in a happy, long life! Today, the oldest cat is Flossie, whose 27th birthday was celebrated by the Guinness Book of World Records in 2022. You could have decades with your furry companion, depending on several lifestyle factors.
How Old Is My Cat in Human Years?
Cat Lifespan Demystified: How Long Do Cats Live? - DISCOVER Magazine
Cat Lifespan Demystified: How Long Do Cats Live?.
Posted: Fri, 16 Jun 2023 07:00:00 GMT [source]
And you can extend that time by ensuring your cat has regular vet care, good nutrition, and by making other lifestyle choices that protect your cat's health and wellbeing. Routine medical care won’t necessarily prevent illness or increase your cat’s lifespan, but it may help to keep your cat healthier over the course of their life. Outdoor cats also have to fight other cats to defend their territory and protect resources, exposing them to infectious diseases like feline immunodeficiency virus. Outdoor cats usually have short lives, with an average lifespan of 5 years. They are exposed to harsh environmental conditions, have to fend off wild animals, and are at risk of eating toxic plants or getting hit by cars. The chances are if you’ve adopted a cat, they are fixed or neutered.
Increasing longevity
Besides becoming less active, cats may experience other behavior changes as they near the end of their life. Increased vocalizations and changes in litter box habits are common aging cat behavior changes, which may be signs of age-related illnesses. You should contact your vet if you notice any changes in your cat’s behavior.
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©2024 This website is owned and operated by Cliverse Media DAO LTD. Compared with purebred cats, mixed breed cats tend to be hardier and less susceptible to hereditary diseases, helping to extend their lifespan. During that time, cats have ingrained themselves in our lives as well-loved and well-cared for pets and family members. The main ways to improve your cats lifespan is to keep them indoors and at a healthy weight. Indoor cats are less likely to die from road trauma or get parasites.
Help fight sedentary ways by teaching your cat some fun tricks. Their bodies are aging, and they may be starting to feel it a bit. Middle age for humans and cats alike; this is when cats typically begin to have an older look about them. This self-cleaning litter box separates waste from the clean litter after your cat exits.
From cancers, to infectious diseases, to genetic/inherited diseases, all health conditions can affect how long your cat can live for. Providing proper veterinary care, food, water, and safe environment can help some of these larger health issues when they do pop up. It's no surprise that pet parents want to know what the average lifespan of a house cat is so they can gauge how long their adored feline friend will be around. Knowing the lifespan of your feline can help you understand what stage of life your cat is in and give you some emotional readiness as they age.
Keep your cat on a regular veterinary routine as she matures. These annual exams include tests and bloodwork that will catch problems, such as diabetes, kidney disease, and hyperthyroidism, early on. Discuss good diet options to keep your cat in top form as the years progress. And like our classifications of child, teen, adult, and senior, cat ages fall into their own life stages, and they aren’t so different from our own. Cats that are spayed or neutered tend to have longer lives than those of intact cats.
End of Life
But we also know that the cat’s overall health and any pre-existing or chronic health conditions can play a significant role in limiting that cat’s quantity and quality of life. Mixed-breed cats, also known as domestic shorthair cats, tend to live longer than purebred cats by a year or two, on average. This is mostly likely due to a more diverse gene pool that reduces the chances of hereditary health conditions common to purebred cats. As cats grow and age, they go through five distinct life stages, according to the American Association of Feline Practitioners. While the timing and length of later stages can vary based on breed and other factors, here is what you can generally expect from the different stages throughout your cat’s life.
Lack of proper nutrition and being overfed can both lead to health problems. But feeding your cat a healthy diet that’s appropriate to its life stage, and being careful not to overfeed,, can go a long way toward promoting good health and a longer life. "As in humans, many of the changes that occur with ageing in cats are not considered pathological and do not negatively affect overall wellness or quality of life," the researchers explain. "However, ruling out disease is essential when attempting to determine whether an aged cat can be considered 'healthy'." A kitten’s job is to grow and to learn how to interact with his environment.
While we all wish there was a magic elixir to make our cats live forever, there’s no way to cheat death and some illnesses are unavoidable. But there are quite a few things pet parents can do to help their cat live longer. The Kitty Bungalow Charm School for Wayward Cats is California's only 100% feral cat rescue and socialization facility. As shelter interventionists, the Kitty Bungalow focuses on the most vulnerable of felines - the ferals.
Domesticated cats can live long lives but their life span depends on many different factors. Now that we understand the factors that can influence your cat’s lifespan, we can try and help your cat live their life to the fullest and longest. With advances in modern medicine, modern diets, modernized kitty products, modern indoor living, etc. cats, as well as other pets, are living healthier for longer. Some outdoor cats may live into their teens or twenties, while some indoor kitties my only live a few months or years. Not all commercial or homemade cat foods fit into this category.
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