How long does a cat live?

Author: Laura McKinney
Date Of Creation: 1 August 2021
Update Date: 1 December 2024
Anonim
How long do cats live, exactly?
Video: How long do cats live, exactly?

Content

To welcome an animal means to become responsible for your life, for this reason we must know well his life span and even when he will accompany our family. If we can't meet your needs, we should look for another pet.

Cats are animals that live many years and who can accompany us for a long time. Currently, thanks to vaccination, high quality feed and proximity to the veterinarian, this time increases considerably.

Want to know how long a cat lives? In this Animal Expert article, you will discover the average lifespan as well as some tips and tricks to improve and try. increase your longevity.


How long does an average cat live?

As we mentioned earlier, there are factors that can increase or reduce lifespan of a cat. Among them, we find food, the absence or presence of illnesses and the care they receive during their lifetime.

How long does a house cat live?

We can generally estimate that a house cat lives between15 to 30 years. We cannot say exactly how long a cat's life will last, since with an illness it may not last for 15 years and, in certain cases, it may exceed 30 years of life. Domestic cats have a longer life expectancy compared to stray cats, who come to live approximately between 3 to 8 years of life. However, each cat is unique and so is its life expectancy.


If they are well cared for and healthy, can keep your tutor company for decades. Guardians nowadays are much more attentive to the health of the kittens. As access to information has increased significantly in recent years, it has become easier to have the knowledge of what cats need to live longer. Then we explain how to make your cat live longer and better.

How to increase your cat's lifespan

  1. Among the care of a cat, we fundamentally emphasize the food that must be of quality and achieve meet your nutritional needs. If you don't know what food to feed your cat, consult your veterinarian. Sometimes, when cats get older they usually need a specific food, not just one. light, but a special one for heart problems or allergies, for example.

  2. The tutor also needs to know what the ideal amount of food for your cat, as too much food can lead to obesity, which is very harmful and reduces life expectancy (especially in older cats). In this article by PeritoAnimal, you can find the Complete Care Guide for Elderly Cats.

  3. In addition, it will be important that, from time to time, the cat feeds on rations of wet food, because due to the fact that they drink little water, the cat is an animal that needs a way to extra hydration. This hydration prevents urinary problems, so offer this type of food, he will love it!

  4. By restricting the pet's access to the outside, you can prevent the appearance of serious diseases. If the guardian wants his cat to be able to leave and enter the house freely, it is recommended to implement a location chip in him.

  5. Keep vaccination and deworming up to date It is critical to increasing the longevity of cats. The veterinarian is the most indicated specialist to guide the tutor on what is the best vaccination schedule for your feline, since the vaccination protocol varies according to the peculiarities of each pet.

  6. It is essential to provide a constant hygiene to the cat's objects, including the bed, feeders, litter box, toys and, very important: you must change the water very regularly.

  7. In addition, the cat is an animal that requires attention and affection from its guardians to be well socialized. Especially if he is overweight, you should encourage the cat to play and exercise.

  8. castration it is essential to increase the lifespan of both male and female cats. Castration prevents problems in the urethra, decreases the chances of developing breast and uterine tumors, in addition to other infections.

  9. It is also recommended to take special cares for those who live in apartments. Cats can be very active and love to jump, so it's important to put screens on the porch, the safety nets to prevent any accident.

What factors can reduce the life of cats?

cats with street access

Cats that spend more time on the street are subject to Contamination and many cat deaths are related to sexually transmitted diseases, as they can mate with other infected stray cats. Contagion can also occur through the contact with blood. On the streets, it is common to see male cats fighting with others to be able to mate with a female. In these fights, there are scratches and, consequently, contact with the blood of both.


The exposure of cats on the streets is so harmful that the life expectancy of those living on the street reaches, on average, only 3 years. On the street, they are subject to mistreatment of malicious people, in addition to roadkill and other problems.

The feline is more likely to develop kidney diseases that can lead to death, for not ingesting enough water and water for your body. These little animals too suffer from rough environments or unknown. they can get very stressed out and sad more easily. Therefore, your quality of life may decrease, thus reducing your longevity. The lifestyle that the cat leads will determine how long it will have.

the sandbox

THE dirty sandbox too long can also bring various problems for cats. They can suffer from serious infections and illnesses that can lead to death.

Health problems

Another essential requirement to increase the pet's lifespan will be to pay attention to your cat's health and go to the veterinarian in case of any symptoms of illness. Some of most common diseases in cats are:

  • Allergy

  • bronchopneumonia

  • The flu

  • Otitis

  • Conjunctivitis

  • falls

  • Indigestion

How to know your cat's age

It is natural that guardians are curious to know the age of their kittens, compared to our human age. Much is said about the subject, but little information is actually true. To reach next of human age, we need to take into account that kittens are able to mature quickly in their first two years of life.

On the face of it, we can count 15 years of human age, such as the cat's first year of life and 10 years of human age, to the second year of the feline's life. From the kitten's third year onwards, it is recommended to count 4 years of human age for each subsequent year of the animal.

These calculations can give you an approximate number of how old your kitten is, so you can relate that age to the maturing process and analyze the behaviors that may arise due to this. When aging comes on, the tutor must be aware to start taking special cares. Just as older people need more care and medical visits more often, older cats need it too.

If you want to know the real age of your cat according to the animal world, check out this article from PeritoAnimal: How to know the age of a cat