Wouldn’t it be great if our feline friends could live forever? All good things must come to an end, but don’t be discouraged. This article will cover how long a cat lives and how you can make the most of its lifespan.
How many years domestic cats live may differ, depending on their breed, diet, and environment around them. However, our research shows that the average lifespan of the most popular cat breeds is 14 years.
Because of all the different variables, it would be wrong to say anything definite about the lifespan of cats. However, the healthier and longer life of your cat depends on the care and attention of the owner. If you take enough care of your cat, you will see that the life expectancy of the cat increases.
Different Cat Breeds and Their Lifespan
We have researched the lifespan of the most popular cat breeds and then calculated an average of all cat breeds maximum lifespan.
If we put all the breed’s lifespans below together, the average lifespan of a cat is 14 human years. Remember that this data is not 100% accurate because of all the factors we must consider, but it is an indication.
Here is the different cat breed’s lifespan expectancy:
| Cat Breed | Years of Lifespan |
|---|---|
| American Bobtail | 14 to 16 |
| American Curl | 9 to 13 |
| American Shorthair | 15 to 20 |
| American Wirehair | 7 to 12 |
| Angora Cat | 12 to 18 |
| Australian Mist | 10 to 19 |
| Balinese | 18 to 22 |
| Birman | 12 to 16 |
| Blue Chartreux | 12 to 15 |
| Bombay | 12 to 20 |
| British Shorthair | 12 to 14 |
| Burmese | 15 to 18 |
| Burmilla | 10 to 16 |
| California Spangled | 10 to 16 |
| Chinchilla | 14 to 16 |
| Exotic Shorthair | 8 to 15 |
| German Rex | 10 to 14 |
| Havana Brown | 11 to 15 |
| Himalayan | 8 to 11 |
| Japanese Bobtail | 15 to 18 |
| Javanese | 10 to 15 |
| Maine Coon | 12 to 17 |
| Russian Blue | 15 to 20 |
| Sphinx Cat | 12 to 17 |
| Turkish Van | 12 to 17 |
Health Problems That Affect a Cat’s Lifespan
Health-related deaths are the most common factor in why cats die.
Trauma makes up 12%, kidney disease also 12%, cancer 10, and growths/lumps 10% of the common causes of death.
Diseases and Infections
A significant factor that can decrease a cat’s lifespan is if your cat has a hereditary condition to health problems like infectious diseases
Ear infections are quite common among felines, and the chance of your cat contracting it is very likely in its lifetime. If an ear infection goes untreated for a long time, the infection can spread to the inner ear and cause deafness and impaired balance. Unusually hot ears can be an indication of an ear infection.
Taking your cats to the veterinarian frequently is a good idea to keep everything in check. It provides not only early diagnosis of diseases but also ensures there is nothing wrong that the cat won’t tell you.
Unlucky Accidents
We all probably have seen cats on the internet doing stupid and funny stuff. This is because cats are constantly moving and restless by nature. Unfortunately, this trait dramatically increases the probability of an accident happening to them.
Keeping your cat away from dangerous environments where you think something might happen to it is among the significant factors that increase your cat’s lifespan. Unfortunately, most people live close to the road, and cars at high speed can be a considerable threat to our feline friends.
Obesity and Diabetes
Obesity drastically reduces the life span of cats, and the wrong diet is the leading factor that causes obesity. However, if you carefully control what your cat eats and how much it eats and feed it accordingly, you can easily avoid this problem.
If you suspect your cat is becoming obese, start by cutting down mainly on carbohydrates and also some fat to prevent diseases like diabetes.
Indoor vs Outdoor Cats. Who Lives the Longest?
Whether your cute friend lives inside or only lives outside, many factors affect their life expectancy. Considering the different health factors mentioned above – It’s evident that a cat who lives indoors in a safe environment has a greater lifespan than an outdoor cat.
- The cats’ living conditions on the street or outside are more complicated than those living inside. Hence, they have a shorter life.
- In addition, outdoor cats on the street are disadvantaged compared to house cats due to adverse conditions such as being hit by cars, epidemics, and fighting with other cats.
- If you have an indoor cat, it is easier to overfeed them because of their lover’s energy consumption. So, ensure you have determined the ideal amount for your cat’s activity level.
- Make sure your outdoor cat is microchipped.
Further down, you will get some helpful tips to increase your cat’s lifespan.
5 Ways To Increase Cat Longevity With A Healthy Life
Regular Veterinary Check-up
Your cat must be taken to veterinary checks regularly from the moment it is first born, and its vaccinations should not be delayed for longevity. The American Association of Feline Practitioners recommends four ‘core vaccines‘ for cats. These are vaccines against:
- Rabies
- Feline viral rhinotracheitis
- Feline caliciviral disease
- Feline panleukopenia
Exercise
Like humans, cats need exercise to maintain great shape and increase mental stimulation. Outdoor cats get more exercise than indoor cats, so make sure to get a hold of some interactive toys for your cat if you keep for cat inside most of the day.
Proper diet
Cats must be at the ideal weight to live a long, healthy life with fewer implications.
If the cat is underweight or overweight, it negatively affects your cat’s health. Because of this, keep your cat’s weight under control with the proper diet.
When feeding your pet, be sure to provide it with a variety of quality cat food suitable for criteria such as race and age. Never feed your cat home-cooked food, as it will not always suit your cat’s nutritional values and might contain something toxic that the cat can’t tolerate.
The nutrition of cats is also essential for them to live a healthy and long life. Therefore, you must choose cat food that will adequately meet your cat’s vitamin and mineral needs, suitable for its age, size, breed, and weight. Contact your veterinarian or local pet store to find out what diet fits your type of cat.
Neutering Your Cat
Neutering your cat will positively affect its lifespan and quality of life. After neutering, you will save your cat from the likelihood of transmission of sexual diseases, mammary tumors, pyometra (uterus inflammation), and estrus problems to a large degree. You can also reduce prostate problems significantly by spaying the male cats.
Show love and care to your feline friend.
In addition to the care necessary for cats to live a healthy life, the attention and love shown to them are very useful in prolonging their lives. If you provide your cat with an environment that will make it feel loved and happy, you will lay a solid foundation for its life and health.
Longest Living Cat in the World
Here is a little fun fact at the end about how accurate a life expectancy is.
A cat who beat all odds and became the oldest cat in the world is Creme Puff. Born in the state of Texas in 1967. Having lived precisely 38 years and three days, Creme Puff was recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records as the “longest living cat.” Creme Puff was a short-haired domestic cat that sometimes was fed on unusual things like asparagus, eggs, and cream. The cat passed away in 2005.
Cats Lifespan Summarized
There are many different breeds of cats worldwide, and each one has a different life expectancy from birth, as you saw in the table at the beginning. However, the factors affecting a cat’s lifespan must be considered if you are looking for a cat that will stay by your side for the longest time possible.
On average, you can expect at least 14 years with a lot of fun and cuddles. As I mentioned in the end, sometimes they do the impossible and break all odds!
