The life expectancy of a house cat

[Michael Varn]

I have a theory about why the life expectancy of a house cat may actually be longer than what we have been told. I believe it 's somewhere between 10 to 12 years.

Now when a cat passes away, it is generally the result of a specific health issue not just old age in general. But the key to this theory is that a cat cannot communicate the early symptômes of this health issue, and the owners are only aware of the issue when it is to late. Onviously this iswhen they appear to be loseing a substantial amount of weight in a relatively short période of time.

But if the owners were aware of these symptoms ahead of time, it's seems intuitive that a veterenarian could treat these symptoms earlier, thus increasing a cat or even a dog's lifespan.

 

[Katie M]

I think the average life expectancy is 15-18 years. A cat's lifespan can be increased by getting them fixed. They're not nearly as willing to roam, a male won't get into hormone-driven fights, and a female will never experience the stress of giving birth. Certain cancers, like testicular and uterine, just can't happen.

 

[denice]

I have a cat who is now 17 and for that age is still going strong. She is in the early stages of CKD but it has been controlled for 2 1/2 years now with prescription food. We can add to longevity and quality of life with regular checkups and quality food but a lot has to do with genetics. The same is true for humans.

 

[MoonstoneWolf]

I had Pepper for over 23 years.

 

[Ichthysaur]

My Bonnie is eighteen years old. She's in the early stages of kidney failure, which the vet said could be fast or slow. I'm not going to stress her out by giving her meds or food she doesn't like, because she also is arthritic and can't really see or hear. She's just reaching the end. I love her but to have an animal is to know sadness when they have to go.

 

[MissClouseau]

Life expectancy of most cats is given to be about 16-17. Definitely not 10-12. There are cats who live up to 20. It's rare but some even passes that.

Annual check-ups to check the situation, and learning about cats' health definitely helps to care for them. But there are things that give no symptom at all. My cat's vet's own cat died of a sudden heart attack for example.

 

[Michael Varn]

I have a cat who is now 17 and for that age is still going strong. She is in the early stages of CKD but it has been controlled for 2 1/2 years now with prescription food. We can add to longevity and quality of life with regular checkups and quality food but a lot has to do with genetics. The same is true for humans.

Interesting! I also have a cat that is 15 years old. Now, there is nothing unusual or rare about a cat living this long, but this cat seems to be growing younger, not older.

This cat is still acting like a kitten. You know, the night crazies, running from room to room for no rhyme or reason in the middle of the night, jumping and knocking things over. No issues with eating or with the liter box either.

The only reason I can see that accounts for this is he is much more slender than his liter mates who have already passed away. And in the last two years or so, he has actually gained a little Wright. No weight loss for this kitty.

So if we are having this same conversation five years from now about Sunny, it will be much more intetesting.

 

[fionasmom]

My oldest personal indoor only house cat lived to be 17. The resident cat who lived at my cat vet's clinic lived to be 23. My shortest lived cat was probably about 3 when I rescued him. He lived with me for 11 months before passing from illness.

 

[CatLover49]

My cat Snowball lived to be almost 12yrs liking a week...He probably would have lived longer but he passed of lung problems

He had lost alot of weight..and all this happen so fast....he was a total indoor cat also

 

[Michael Varn]

I think the average life expectancy is 15-18 years. A cat's lifespan can be increased by getting them fixed. They're not nearly as willing to roam, a male won't get into hormone-driven fights, and a female will never experience the stress of giving birth. Certain cancers, like testicular and uterine, just can't happen.

Yes! You are correct! I was looking at lifespans for outdoor cats and stray cats.

 

[LTS3]

Winchester had a cat live to be 23 years old. A few other TCS members have had cats live that long.

There are things one can do to increase the chances of a healthy life and maybe extend life expectancy. Routine vet care, proper diet, home dental care, keeping a cat indoors, spay /neuter, etc. Even if one did follow all those and more, a cat may still develop health issues as a senior because of genetics and despite vet care and treatment, the cat may not live past the mid teens or so.

 

[cataholic07]

My first cat lived until 15 years old, she had to be euthanized due to her gi lymphoma spreading to her lungs (even with treatment). I think with yearly check ups, proper vet care, proper food (yes diet really does matter for cats!!) having them fixed and inside only. Yah they can live long healthy happy lives. The average tends to be 12 years but given outdoor cats have a life expectancy of 2 to 6 years I still think its pretty high. I do always question the whole "my cat died of old age" thing as most times.. the cat did die from something, usually kidney disease or cancer but just wasn't treated in time. That's why its important to do 2 check ups a year for geriatric cats. They do age 3 years every single human year. Alot of people don't do yearly check ups and cats never see the vet until they are sick, most times its too late. Cats are great at hiding illnesses. Heck my first cat who had cancer her only symptoms were 3 hairballs a month and being picky with food. Most people would have just ignored it or thought the odd vomiting was cause of the hairballs and pancreatitis. Not cancer.

 

[Willowy]

This cat is still acting like a kitten. You know, the night crazies, running from room to room for no rhyme or reason in the middle of the night, jumping and knocking things over. No issues with eating or with the liter box either.

Might be best to have your kitty checked. Increased activity can be caused by hyperthyroid.

 

[neely]

Actually TCS has an Article that discusses many of the different signs to look for that indicate your cat may be having pain:
35 Signs That Your Cat May Be In Pain – TheCatSite Articles

When a cat approaches his/her senior years it's important to have regular check-ups but also bloodwork. This Article talks about health concerns in cats as they age: Health Concerns In Aging Cats – TheCatSite Articles