How long do cats live? The longevity of a pet depends on many factors like cat years. One of them is the care that you receive throughout your life. On average animals that have a household reach 12 years of age (there are many exceptions of course). In the following article we answer the question of how long do cats live?
Knowing how long cats live is one of the questions that most make us on our website. To answer this question and to be clear on what depends the life expectancy of a kitten in catsfud we have made this article based on proven scientific data. Here we are going to share average lifespan of a cat.
We also explain what you can do to make your feline last as long as possible happy and healthy. We start? With the domestic cats and the stray because the average cat lifespan for both the cats may differ because of the food intake or care and many other reasons too. First you should know how old is my cat if you have a pet.
Contents
Life Span of Cats
In order to get our best friend to live better and longer we must comply with a series of care and controls. Domestic cats (as well as dogs) age faster than humans. Therefore it is said wrongly, that each year of man is equivalent to 7 years of a feline. Actually this is not the case but perhaps it can help us understand the cycle of your life. Experts agree that cat aging is faster in its first two years. So the changes that occur in the animal in its initial 24 months are higher than those experienced in the following years.
Generally the cat lives longer than the dog. But everything depends on care, food, race if he lived on the street and if he was vaccinated etc. A street feline has a life expectancy of up to 6 years and one that was always in a home can reach 12 years. There are even cases of cats that live 20 years. The longevity then depends on the care that the animal receives. Although their curious personality leads them to expose themselves to many dangers the truth is that with a little vigilance and some limits we can avoid accidents that reduce their life expectancy.
How old is a cat?
There are several theories that talk about what things influence to know how old a cat lasts. Here we will explain what is the life expectancy of a cat and what things you can do to keep your pet alive as long as possible.
To be able to calculate correctly how long a cat lasts and to know the longevity, a clear separation or differentiation between two groups of animals must be made:
- Domestic cats
- The street cats
The average life expectancy of a domestic or domestic cat is estimated at about 13 years. This age can even reach 20 years or more if the pet receives veterinary treatments, good care and a good diet (see why do cats sleep so much).
In contrast the average life expectancy of a stray cat or creole is estimated at about 7 years. It figures much lower than in domestic cats as they face many more risk factors worse nutrition and many more diseases. Let’s see it in detail about cat lifespan.
How much does a domestic cat live?
As we have said the average life span of home cats is quite high due to the good care that these beloved pets usually receive from their masters, apart from the cuddles and caresses (see why do cats knead ).
Therefor, it is easy for them to reach 13-15 years of age. But it is not strange that in optimal conditions you can reach 18 or 20. The oldest cat in the world is currently one called Corduroy and he is 26 years old!!!
A balanced and adequate nutrition makes our beloved felines can enjoy many more years of life. Another fundamental point is regular visits to the veterinarian to monitor their health, vaccinations, deworming and medical care. That without a doubt they do not only live more years but your pet has a better quality of life.
How much a stray cat lives
On the opposite side we have the cats that live on the street. These animals are constantly exposed to a multitude of dangers and risks that cause their life expectancy to be lower. We find factors such as falls of heights or abuses which undoubtedly have a negative influence on the age that a vagabond cat can reach. It is not strange to see cats limping in the street with wounds and even unfortunately, dead for these reasons.
On the other hand we have the climatic conditions that can suffer. When living and sleeping on the street they are exposed to extreme heat or cold, rain, humidity, dirt etc. If they get sick it is very difficult for them to receive the veterinary care and treatment they need.
It can also be a determining factor in cats when they have given birth or had puppies. This is so since it involves a wear on your body. The more times she has been pregnant, her life expectancy is reduced know about how long are cats pregnant. Here you can know if a cat is with zeal.
Last but not least, comes into play the diet that plays a key role in knowing how long a cat lives.
Obviously they drink and eat what they find on the street, including small rodents like mice or food from garbage. In most cases they suffer from malnutrition and can suffer multiple diseases and infections due to what they eat. Currently scientists are still conducting studies to better understand and know how much cats live, both males and females.
Factors Of How long do cats live?
Dangers are the order of the day whether the animal goes out or stays inside all day. Among the factors of How long do cats live you can influence the longevity of your cat are:
1. Accidents
A domestic cat is less exposed to cars or larger animals than a stray one. In the first “excursions” abroad you can suffer an incident that goes from being run over by a vehicle to running into a trap or being attacked by a dog.
2. Diseases
The possibility of contracting a disease increases as the cat is in contact with the outside. When it comes out in search of a cat in heat, the fights between males are common as well as the contagion of viruses and bacteria. The wounds can become infected.
3. Obesity
It is also something that reduces the life expectancy of your cat. The felines that do not go out much and do not exercise or play increase their weight considerably. And as with people obesity brings many disastrous consequences: heart attacks, blocked arteries, fluid retention etc.
4. Lack of veterinary attention
Many pet owners do not take them for consultation with the professional even once a year. With the excuse that “looks healthy”, the cat does not receive medical attention and that can reduce their quality of life. Some diseases have no visible symptoms and when they are detected it can be very late.
How to extend the life of my cat?
Although we want them to live forever cat life expectancy is that ranges between 12 and 15 years. To increase longevity (there are examples of felines that lived to 21 years old) we must pay close attention to their care. This is the lifespan of a cat.
As a first step comply with the hygiene and health of the animal. Food according to your needs clean water in the drinking fountain every day periodic deworming, complete vaccination plan and elimination of fleas by doing a best flea control for cats is part of the basic care.
Other Articles on cats
- Calico cat lifespan
- Maine coon lifespan
- Ragdoll cat lifespan
- Bombay cat lifespan
- Norwegian forest cat lifespan
On the other hand castration has many advantages in pets since it prevents the transmission of sexual diseases and also the spread of viruses when males fight. A castrated female is less likely to suffer uterine tumors. In males it avoids urethral problems. At such type of situations the growth stops and when do cats stop growing depends on its health. With this you can even expect how long do indoor cats live and we can more than stray cats.
