How long do cats live?

By Charlotte Francesca Stiles, DVM

Considering how long your pet may live for is a sad thing to think about for many pet parents. However, having an understanding of how long your cat may live, can help you give them the best care at every stage of their life.

In this article, we’ll explain:

• Factors that can affect how long your cat lives, such as their breed, lifestyle, and health condition.
• Tips for helping them to live as long and comfortably as possible.

Factors

Let’s take a look at a few factors which can affect your cat’s lifespan. When considering how long your cat may live, please refer to them as a guide only. If you’re interested in how these factors relate to your cat specifically, don’t hesitate to discuss them with your veterinarian.

Breed

A study by the Royal Veterinary College identified some average lifespans of some specific cat breeds, which we’ve listed below (source):

• Birman 16.1 years
• Burmese 14.3 years
• Siamese 14.2 years
• Persian 14.1 years
• British shorthair 11.8 years
• Mainecoon Coon 11 years
• Ragdoll 10.1 years
• Abyssinian 10 years
• Bengal 7.3 years

Their study also found that mixed-breed cats tend to live longer than pure-breed cats. This is widely agreed upon and is likely due to decreased risks in cats having genetically inherited diseases.

It’s also good to know that some cat breeds are predisposed to genetic conditions, for example, related to their blood, bones, muscles, and heart. It’s best to talk to your veterinarian if you think that your cat may be at risk. You can read more about this topic in this article.

Lifestyle

Something that has a big influence on your cat’s lifespan is whether they live inside or outside. Cats who live solely inside are often expected to live longer. This makes sense, as they are less likely to come into contact with diseases or be affected by traumatic events such as catfights and car accidents.

It’s good to know though, that indoor cats, due to their restrictions in terms of exercise, may be at higher risk of becoming overweight, an important factor which can influence how long they live.

Cats who live outside, or who can go outside of their own free will, can live less because they are potentially more at risk of becoming unwell or injured. That’s not to say that you shouldn’t let your cat go outside though! There are a few things you can do to help your cat who does go outside, live as long as possible (we’ll talk about those later).

Health Conditions

As your cat progresses through their life, sadly health conditions can arise, no matter how well you care for them. Below we’ve listed some potential risk areas according to age (source):

• Young cats - can be more likely to become injured from fights (if they go outside) and infectious diseases.
• Adult cats - can be more susceptible to dental problems and organ conditions.
• Senior cats - are more at risk of conditions such as cognitive decline, arthritis, and tumours.

Some of the risks we mention above can be decreased following regular veterinary preventative care which we’ll talk about in the next section.

If you’re worried about your cat’s health or behaviour, it’s best to contact your veterinarian as soon as possible for proper diagnosis and treatment. Our Lifetime Protection Membership includes access to veterinary professionals anytime by phone, email, or live chat. This means that whatever the time of day, you can get help or advice about your cat’s health or behaviour.

General cat health tips

Now we know the factors that can affect a cat’s lifespan, let’s take a look at some of the things we can do to help them live as long and as healthily as possible below:

• Vaccinations - vaccinating your cat is one of the best ways to reduce the chances of them becoming seriously ill from some infectious diseases and is always recommended by veterinarians.
• Parasite Treatment - treating your cat for ectoparasites (such as fleas and ticks) and endoparasites (such as worms) can reduce the chances of them becoming unwell from associated diseases.
• Regular checkups - taking your cat for a yearly checkup is a good way to get any underlying issues diagnosed early on and get your cat’s general health condition checked.
• The perfect living environment - providing your cat with the perfect place to rest, sleep, and play helps them stay relaxed and can lessen their chances of becoming unwell.
• Proper nutrition - feeding your cat the perfect diet, in the correct amount helps them maintain a good body condition and lessens their chances of conditions such as obesity and diabetes.
• Microchip and pet tag - if your cat does go outside unsupervised, they should have a microchip and physical pet tag with all your up-to-date contact information, so if something does happen to your cat, you can be easily contacted.
• Exercise - whatever your cat’s lifestyle, helping them to get properly exercised, through play, walking, or allowing them to go outside is a good way to help them have an appropriate weight. If you’re very busy and struggling to find the time to play with your cat, our Lifetime Protection Membership comes with a $30 Rover discount, to help you get started with pet-sitting services.

Conclusion

We hope you’ve enjoyed reading this article about the factors that can affect your cat’s lifespan, and how to help them live as long, happily, and healthily as possible.

Writer Bio:

Charlotte graduated as a veterinarian from the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, at the University of Zagreb. She is a dog mum to a 15-year-old mixed breed called Chiki who she adopted from a shelter 2 years ago and enjoys traveling with.