Average Age Of A Cat
Introduction
You have a cat, and you love your cat. She’s fun to play with and watch, fun to cuddle with on the couch (once she gets around to ending her nap), and of course, there’s nothing quite like watching them stare out the window for hours in confusion. You always wonder what they are looking at – that squirrel? another bird? a ghost? Hey, we don’t know. Cats certainly have a lot of interesting quirks and habits that keep us entertained, but one thing we do know is that they can live a really long time! It seems almost impossible that they can live as long as they do because their lifespan is longer than dogs and other animals! We know how much you love your cats here at Tom & Sawyer and want to help you understand more about them so we did some digging into the average life span of cats so we can all better understand our pets!
The life expectancy of a cat depends on many factors including the cat’s breed and whether she is spayed or neutered.
The life expectancy of a cat depends on many factors including the cat’s breed, whether she is spayed or neutered, and her lifestyle—whether she lives indoors or outdoors. For example, an indoor cat may have an average life expectancy of 15-18 years. An outdoor cat who roams freely will live approximately 4-7 years. However, when you take into account that some cats are able to live up to 20 years old or more in captivity (or even longer if they were born in the wild), it’s clear that there is no single answer to how long your kitty will live!
An indoor-only cat has an average life span of 15 years, and cats that are kept indoors and outdoors have an average lifespan of 11 years.
You might think that owning an outdoor cat will give you more time with your furry companion, but it seems that indoor cats have a longer lifespan. Studies show that indoor-only cats live an average of 15 years and outdoor/indoor cats live an average of 11 years.
It’s estimated that 1 out of 3 cats will die before their first birthday, so if you’re going to own one then it’s important to keep them safe and healthy as long as possible by feeding them properly, keeping them indoors and providing plenty of love!
Estimates put the domestic cat life expectancy between fifteen to eighteen years for indoor cats, and between four and seven years for outdoor cats.
Indoor cats have a longer lifespan than outdoor cats. Estimates put the domestic cat life expectancy between fifteen to eighteen years for indoor cats, and between four and seven years for outdoor cats.
There are several reasons why this is true:
- Indoor cats may be less at risk of injury or death from accidents or disease.
- They are also protected from wildlife predators, including dogs, foxes, racoons, birds of prey and other animals.
- If a cat is spayed or neutered before they reach sexual maturity they will not have unwanted litters that can overwhelm shelters and kill kittens who don’t get adopted quickly enough…
There are purebred cats that have been known to live as long as twenty-seven, but purebreds generally start showing signs of aging at an earlier age than mixed breed cats.
You may be surprised to learn that your cat’s age is not as old as you think it is. On average, a cat can live up to 15 years. Twenty-seven is the oldest age reported for a purebred cat, but this number is not typical because purebreds tend to have shorter life expectancy than mixed breed cats.
The reason for this has been debated for decades, but it appears that certain genetic factors are responsible for shortening the lifespans of purebreds and increasing longevity in mixed breeds. Although there are no true answers at this time, many experts believe that these traits come from common ancestors who lived in harsh climates such as deserts and mountains (where food was scarce). Through natural selection over time, these animals developed unique adaptations such as increased energy reserves or thicker fur coats — traits which allowed them to survive despite limited resources at hand.
The oldest cat on record is Crème Puff who was born on August 3rd, 1967 and lived to be 38 years old!
The oldest cat on record is Crème Puff, who was born on August 3rd, 1967 and lived to be 38 years old! She was born in Austin, Texas and had a mother named Freckles.
This sweet girl’s life wasn’t all about being the oldest cat though. In addition to being a Guinness World Record holder, Crème Puff also received some other awards: “World’s Oldest Cat” by the Guinness Book of World Records in 1986 (she took over this title from Jinx), “Most Recorded Cat” by Guinness Book of World Records again in 1987 (she beat out an Australian cat named Bluebell), “Longest Living Cat” by CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) in 1991 (the second longest living cat after Tiffany Two), “Cats Magazine” Cat of the Year for 1994-1995 and “Laurel Award for Lifetime Achievement” from CFA in 2004.
Cats can live longer if they are indoor only and if they are given veterinary care.
Cats can live longer if they are indoor only and if they are given veterinary care. Spaying or neutering your cat helps them live longer, because it reduces the risk of cancers and health problems that come with reproducing. Indoor cats also tend to live longer than outdoor ones, because their immune systems aren’t as taxed by exposure to diseases and parasites found outdoors. Indoor cats are more likely to get veterinary care, including regular vaccinations against common illnesses like feline leukemia virus (FeLV).
Conclusion
We hope you enjoyed our analysis of how the internet thinks about cats! We think we can all agree that kitties are here to stay and will continue to be a part of our lives. If you want to learn more about this topic, check out our other blogs on cat ages and mortality rates here.