The lifespan of house cats varies from outdoor breeds. Have you ever asked yourself, ‘How long do house cats live?’ Well, there are many answers to this question, so read on to learn how to find the correct one!
If you’ve ever owned a cat, you know how close they can get to you and how much of an importance they have in your life. Saying goodbye to your beloved pet cat can be very hard.
You may not know how long your cat can live, but you obviously want to keep it close to you as long as you can. With advancements in veterinary care and nutrition, cats can live longer than expected nowadays.
Life Expectancy Of House Cats
The life expectancy of a cat depends on many factors like their health, diet, living conditions, environment, and more. The average lifespan of a house cat is between 12 and 14 years.
That being said, some domestic cats can live up to 20 years or more. Different breeds have varying life expectancy ranges. Advances in medical care have also enabled vets to treat various diseases in cats and allowed them live longer.
How Long Do Outdoor Cats Live?
Outdoor cats tend to have much shorter lifespans of between 2 to 5 years. Their life expectancy is negatively affected by many things that indoor cats never have to face, which causes their life expectancies to differ wildly. Outdoor cats have much shorter lifespans due to various environmental risks.
Outdoor cats risk developing skin cancer due to increased sun exposure. Due to their outdoor lifestyle, they also have to work their way through fleas, ticks, and predators, usually without human intervention.
Common predators that cats have to face when living outdoors are raccoons, coyotes, cougars, and even specific types of birds. Minor injuries caused by these predators could be fatal for cats due to increased chances of infection.
Outdoor cats are also at a much higher risk of being struck by vehicles while crossing the road.
How Long Do Indoor-Outdoor Cats Live?
The lifespan of cats who spend time both outdoors and indoors have a varying life expectancy. If they spend more time indoors, they can live between 8 and 10 years. The ratio of time spent indoors to outdoors can increase or decrease this number.
If the cat spends more time outdoors, it’s life expectancy can quickly be affected by many environmental factors. If there is a large number of predators in the neighborhood or it’s a busy area with lots of vehicles moving about, then the risk is increased.
Factors That Affect The Lifespan Of House Cats
A house cat’s life expectancy depends on several factors, including (but not limited to) the following:
- Diet: Cats need to eat a balanced diet with the correct calories. Too much or too little eating can cause chronic ailments, which can shorten lifespan.
- Exercise: Cats need at least 30 minutes of daily exercise to maintain a healthy weight. Overweight cats can develop health issues.
- Medical Care: Not taking your cat for regular checkups to the vet can also shorten it’s lifespan due to health issues going overlooked.
- Water Supply: Like all living things, cats needs clean, fresh water. Lack of adequate hydration will negatively impact any cat’s health.
Signs That Indicate a Cat is Getting Older
Nothing can stop your fuzzy feline from aging alongside you. Here are some signs that indicate that your cat is getting up in the years:
- – Weight loss
- – Decreased mobility and slow pace
- – Changes in temperament levels
- – Bad breath
- – Increased vocalization
- – Increased disorientation
- – Vision loss
- – Cloudy eyes
- – Changes in appetite
- – Frequent urination
- – Increased thirst
What Happens As Your Cat Ages?
Many changes occur in cats as they age. These could appear as differences in behavior, functions, and appearance. Just like humans, cats tend to face more health problems the older they get. These may be things to watch out for if you’re wondering how long do house cats live for.
- – Loss of skin elasticity and skin thinning leading to a reduction in blood circulation, which makes cats more prone to infection.
- – Immune system becomes weaker over time.
- – Claws can more easily overgrow and become thick & brittle. Clipping will need to happen more frequently.
- – Skin odors and hair matting due to a lack of effective grooming.
- – Hearing loss over time.
- – Decrease in vision over time. Occasionally, issues like high blood pressure can cause irreversible vision impairment.
- – Teeth and gum issues are also common in older cats, which can disrupt eating patterns due to pain.
- – Decrease in smell and sense can cause a refusal to eat, causing health issues due to poor nutrition.
- – Joint diseases such as arthritis as age increases.
- – Kidney-related diseases are also common in older cats.
- – Hypertension.
- – Hyperthyroidism.
- – Diabetes mellitus.
- – Inflammatory bowel disease.
- – Brain damage and memory loss.
- – Excessive meowing, wandering, apparent disorientation, and reluctance to social interaction.
Tips To Keep Your Cat Healthy And Fit
There is nothing you can do to prevent your furry friends from growing older with you. What you can do is to help keep them healthy and fit by following these tips:
- – Give your cat complete cat food with all the nutrients it needs.
- – Take your cat to the vet at least once a year to identify any underlying health issues and to receive treatment.
- – Get your cat neutered to prevent them from getting diseases, primarily through mating, and to help control the pet population.
- – Encourage your cat to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Send them outdoors or play with them.
- – Ensure that your cat is fully vaccinated to prevent it from getting some potentially fatal diseases.
- – Avoid giving your cat too many treats. They tend to be high in calories and could cause your kitty to become overweight.
- – Keep your cat indoors during the night. It will prevent road accidents and keep your cat safe from nighttime predators.
- – Identify changes in appetite, water intake, breathing patterns, coughing, lumps and bumps, coat qualities, physical abilities, toilet habits, and grooming habits. Take your cat to a vet if you identify a difference in any of these or notice a change in normal behaviors.
Life Stages Of A House Cat
Many people don’t know, but there are actually six stages in a cat’s life cycle. If you’re trying to find out how long do house cats live, these tend to come up. The stages are as follows:
- Kitten – The kitten stage is up to one year. It is the life stage where cats learn the quickest, especially about the safety of their environment.
- Junior – The junior stage is from one to two years. A cat can grow to its fullest size at this age. They also continue to learn and improve their skills, especially hunting skills.
- Prime – The prime stage is from three to six years. It is when cats are at the peak of their physical abilities.
- Mature – The mature stage is from seven to ten years. It is the age at which cats begin to be considered old. It is when they start to slow down in pace and also gain weight.
- Senior – The senior stage is from eleven to fourteen years. Your cat will not be as agile as they once were during this stage. You also need to monitor their health at this age closely.
- Super Senior / Geriatric – The senior stage is from fifteen years upwards. It is when cats are at their slowest pace and prefer to have more naps during the day and sleep at night. Cats can face many health issues during this stage.
How Old Is Your Cat In Human Years?
How long do house cats live..but in human years? Animal years are not the same as human years. For example, one dog year is equal to seven human years. Cat years are different from human years as well. Here is a quick guideline on cat years to human years:
- 1 cat year: 15 human years
- 2 cat years: 24 human years
- 3 cat years: 28 human years
- 4 cat years: 32 human years
- 5 cat years: 36 human years
- 6 cat years: 40 human years
- 7 cat years: 44 human years
- 8 cat years: 48 human years
- 9 cat years: 52 human years
- 10 cat years: 56 human years
- 11 cat years: 60 human years
- 12 cat years: 64 human years
- 13 cat years: 68 human years
- 14 cat years: 72 human years
- 15 cat years: 76 human years
- 16 cat years: 80 human years
- 17 cat years: 84 human years
- 18 cat years: 88 human years
- 19 cat years: 92 human years
- 20 cat years: 96 human years
- 21 cat years: 100 human years
How To Tell The Age Of A Cat
This can be another common kitty question if you want to find out how long do house cats live. If you’re unaware of your cat’s date of birth, it will be hard to determine its age on your own. You’ll need to take your cat to a vet in such a situation.
The vet will examine its coat, eyes, teeth, and other health factors to give a rough age to it. It won’t be exact, but they will be able to make a decent estimation.
Cognitive Dysfunction Syndrome in Cats
Cognitive Dysfunctions Syndrome (CDS), also known as dementia, is commonly seen in adult cats. As cats grow old, they can suffer from brain damage and memory loss, which could lead to various conditions like CDS.
You’ll want to watch out for these signs that indicate your cat has CDS:
- – Disorientation
- – Interaction changes
- – Sleep/wake pattern changes
- – House Soiling
- – Activity level changes
Take your cat to the vet as soon as you can if you identify the above symptoms.
Lifespan Of Popular Cat Breeds
Here is a quick lifespan guide for some of the more popular house cat breeds:
- Bengal: 14 to 16 years
- Burmese: 16 to 18 years
- Calico: 12 to 15 years
- Savannah: 12 to 20 years
- Siamese: 12 to 20 years
- Sphynx: 10 to 15 years
- Ragdoll: 15 to 18 years
- Russian Blue: 15 to 20 years
- American Shorthair: 15 to 20 years
- Main Coon: 10 to 13 years
- Manx: 8 to 14 years
- Munchkin: 12 to 15 years
- Persian: 10 to 17 years
To Sum It Up: How Long Do House Cats Live?
The simple answer is: It varies.
Indoor cats live a lot longer than outdoor breeds due to the low-risk factors and the possibility of getting a nutritionally-balanced diet.
How long a house cat lives depends on other basic things like medical care, exercise, diet, and hydration as well.
Taking good care of your cat and taking it to the vet for annual checkups can keep health problems at bay. Seek vet assistance if you identify anything unusual in your cat.
Quick Cat FAQ
Do male or female cats live longer?
Female cats live longer than their male counterparts.
What type of cat has the longest lifespan?
Siamese cats can live up to 20 years.
At what age do cats slow down?
Cats slow down when they are 7 to 10 years of age.
What is the oldest house cat ever recorded?
The oldest house cat ever recorded is Creme Puff, who lived for 38 years and 3 days.
Do cat sleeping positions mean anything?
Yes! Read about cat sleeping positions and what they mean in our blog post full of sleepy kitties!
Do you have a kitty you’d like to immortalize in paint?
Look no further, Splendid Beast has you covered. Just make your selections or contact us for more information!