How many years have cats lived and what does it depend on?

Every pet owner wants him to live longer. If we look at cats, they now live almost 2 times more than a few decades ago. In this article we will consider in detail how many years cats live, what it depends on, how to increase the life span of a pet.

There are various situations, some owners have their pets live a long and happy life, while others, on the contrary, often get sick and die pretty quickly. It is worthwhile to dwell in greater detail on the factors that influence the life span of the animal. If we consider them in detail, it will be possible to prevent them. So, there are several main factors affecting the life of a cat.

• Predisposition by genes. A certain breed of cats is prone to certain diseases, so you should be attentive to those systems that suffer the most. For example, the weak point of Persian cats is the kidneys, they often suffer from renal failure. For this reason, the Persians live no more than 10 years.
• Accommodations. Kitties at home live better than their relatives on the street. Pets eat well, rarely suffer from bacterial and viral diseases, they are protected from various infections, which is not the case with street cats.
• Food. The diet in many respects affects the life span of the feline, while one should not forget about the balance of food. A lack of both vitamins and minerals can negatively affect a cat's state of health, and sometimes even leads to irreversible changes in the animal's body. It should be before choosing a feed consult with a specialist. It should be understood that some doctors prefer industrial feed (dry and wet), while others emphasize the importance of natural food.
• Sterilization. This factor can be viewed from two different sides. So, some doctors believe that sterilization has a beneficial effect on the life expectancy of the animal, because after it the pet becomes protected from diseases of the reproductive system. Usually, cats after sterilization live a little longer. On average, this figure is up to 20 years. But cats that regularly give birth, on the contrary, harm their bodies and live less than usual. Other doctors, on the contrary, are convinced that sterilization has a negative effect on cats, since it leads to inactivity and indifference. As a result, cats often suffer from obesity and diabetes, which leads to a short life.
• Tendency to chronic diseases. Usually, pets with chronic diseases or diseases that are inherited, live a little. For example, animals with diabetes can live for about 4 years, but the presence of urolithiasis predicts only 5 years of life.
• Stress. Only pets surrounded by love become long-lived. A positive psychological climate is excellent for the state of the animal, which adds a few more years of life. Stress adversely affect the condition of the cat.
• Closure of space and closeness. Of course, representatives of the cat at home live better than the street.But in this case it happens that they do not have enough space for an active life - for running, playing and jumping. A cat is first of all a predator, which has rather developed instincts. It is not necessary to buy a kitten if you live in a small apartment or there is not enough space in your home for active work.

So, it was noted above that cats at home live longer than domestic ones. Now you need to consider how long the cat lives for the most part. Animals from the street on average live from 5 to 6 years. While a domestic cat can live several times more. On average, its life expectancy is from 12 to 17 years. Some felines that reach 20 years become long-lived.

As some experts emphasize that Sterilization of cats has a positive effect on the number of years, it is worth more to consider their normal age.

Quite often in nature, females give birth more than once a year. Every pregnancy is a hormonal change in the cat's body. If these jumps occur quite often, then the animal is amenable to great stress.

It should be noted that pets that are not sterilized, and are not allowed to breed, have a high rate of cancer. Usually, animals after sterilization live longer. Their average lifespan is 15 to 20 years. If a cat does not come in contact with a cat, then its risk of becoming infected with a rather dangerous disease is zero.

Quite often there is an exception to the rule. This rule applies to cats. Sometimes there are exceptions - the cat, who live longer than expected. Usually such representatives are entered into the Guinness Book of Records.

• The long-liver among cats is Puff, a kitty who has managed to live for 38 years. This is the maximum, so not a single cat has lived for a long time. She lived in Texas.
• And in the south-west of England, the cat managed to live for 36 years. He was born in 1903. An interesting fact is that he died the day after his birthday.
• Today in the Australian Melbourne lives a representative of the cat. Now the feline age is 35 years.

Some experts point out the effect of cat breed on age, while others completely disagree with this judgment. They note that the life expectancy of cats depends initially on the diseases, what it is sick, as well as care. To understand this question in more detail, we will initially consider what influence the breed has on the feline's age. Initially, consider the differences between simple and pedigree cats.

If cats appeared as a result of breeding, their health is rather weak, because their body was created by an unnatural method using genetics. If we consider the indigenous breeds that were created in a natural way, they gradually adapt to the conditions of the surrounding world. Breeding breeds live less, but “natural” can live a long and happy life.

Breeds bred by breeding methods are prone to diseases of a genetic nature, so they require special care from the host. So, you should take a closer look at the life expectancy of some popular feline breeds.

• British. These cats have quite developed muscles, are characterized by strong immunity and are quite active. On average, they live from 12 to 15 years, although some individuals live to even 20 years, if you create the right care. This breed has virtually no genetic diseases, while cancer problems occur very rarely.

• Scottish Fold. They can be called real long-livers because they usually live up to 20 years, as they have strong immunity. But it should be extremely attentive to the weak points of lop-eared cats - this is the spine and ears.

• Siamese. On average, the life expectancy of Siamese cats is from 14 to 18 years. Sometimes you can find these long-livers who can live up to 30 years. An interesting fact is that longevity is passed from generation to generation, so before buying a kitten it is worth wondering how many years cats have lived from his pedigree.

• Abyssinian cats With proper care, this breed can live up to 15 years, although there are cases when a cat lives to 20 years. It is worth being attentive to Abyssinian cats, as they are prone to kidney diseases, as well as diseases of the teeth, blood and retina.

• Persians. This breed is represented by several species, each of which has a different indicator of life expectancy. For example, long-livers should include cats with a short nose, since they live to be 20 years old, while classic and extreme breeds are only 15 years old. Persians after 10 years need special care, because at this age their immunity is already getting weaker, and also increases the likelihood of diseases that are associated with the kidneys, spine or locomotor system.

• Russian blue. Their average duration is 15 years. There are cases when representatives of the Russian blue lived to be 18–19 years old. In order for the cat to live longer, after 8 years it’s worth regularly showing the vet so as not to miss the onset of possible diseases.

• Bengals. Representatives of this breed are long-livers, since they are not prone to diseases of the cardiovascular system. Usually they live 15–16 years. Bengals are among the hardiest and strongest breeds.

• Sphinxes. Representatives of this breed can live up to 10 years. But bald representatives, on the contrary, can live for 20 years. There was a case when the sphinx lived 31 years. These cats are distinguished by excellent immunity.

Egyptian Mau and Asian Tabby live on average just one year less. Only such breeds as tiffany, Japanese bobtail and Devon Rex can survive to “adulthood”. While the Maine-Coon, Neva Masquerade and Australian Smoky breeds usually live to be 17 years old. The maximum age of 15–16 years refers to the Selkirk Rex, Asian Shorthair and Arabian Mau cats. American Bobtails, York chocolate cats and exotics live no more than 13 years. Snow-shu and Bombay cats are capable of living to 12 years old.

Every creature should receive water and food, because without this life is impossible. If there is a lack of water or food, it will adversely affect the body. It is impossible to determine how many days a cat can live without food.

You should know the daily dose of your pet's food to avoid experiments. If we consider life without food, but provide free access to water, the cat will not be able to live more than 10 days. If the cat is without water and food, it will live for about 5-6 days. In this case, its age, breed and gender also matters.

After this hunger strike can lead to irreversible consequences. The life of a cat depends on several factors.

• If it is cold outside, then the chances of survival in an animal without access to water are significantly increased, he can wait for moisture to appear. But in the summer, it is difficult to live without water, in just 24 hours, the cat's body in the heat will be quite exhausted.
• Food has a big effect on the urge to drink. If a cat eats dry food, her desire to drink increases significantly. If the cat does not get water, it will soon get sick. It happens that the owner should leave for a few days, then it should be understood that the cat should be fed at least once a day. Therefore you should ask your friends to look after your pet at the time of departure.
• It is believed that the British lop-eared cats simply do not use water because of their breed, but their owners note the opposite, so even this breed should be provided with free access to water.
• The amount of water depends on the age of the cat. So, the older she is, the more she needs water. On average, a cat needs 250 ml of water per day. If cats do not receive water at home for more than 2 days, violations in the organs of the animal and dehydration begin. It is believed that the cat can live without water for 5 days, but it happens, she dies before.

Of course, cats live much less than humans, but it is interesting to compare the age of the animal and man. It is believed that one year of a feline's life is equal to 7 years of a person. So, a two-year-old cat is a teenager, by human standards he is 14 years old. A cat in 2.5 years is already an "adult". In principle, such a calculation is possible, but not throughout the life of cats. If we consider the year of the animal closer to old age, then one year is equal to 5 human. Today, many adhere to the following cat years counting scheme:

• the first year of the animal is 15 years of man;
• second year - 9 years;
• each following year - 4 years.

So, you should pay attention to the table comparing the age of the cat and man.

There is another scheme for calculating the age of a cat when compared with human life. It is taken from an international veterinary passport for dogs and cats.

It is no secret that over the years the appearance of the cat changes. An experienced veterinarian can, after examining a cat, approximately determine its age. There are certain signs by which the pet's age can be determined, but it is worth understanding that they can also indicate certain diseases. So, on what grounds can you tell how old a cat is?

The condition of the teeth best helps to correctly determine the age of the cat. It is worth paying attention to their color. Young cats have snow-white teeth, and already in 3-5 years they appear yellow patina. Strong yellowing usually occurs at 5–10 years of life, but after 12 years they have a rather intense yellow color.

And also pay attention to the canines and chisels. Already in 3-5 years, they begin to wear out a little. And in 5–10 years the lower and upper jaws may fall out. Usually at this time already appears tartar and cracks. With age, diseases of the gums appear, and already existing problems are exacerbated. And after 10 years incisors can fall out. At the age of 15, incisors, canines often fell out and molars were worn out. In this case, the cat needs a semi-liquid or soft food, otherwise it will not be able to live long.

Wool cover fades over time, and its design loses its clarity. Wool begins to lose softness and thickness. All these changes become noticeable from 6 years. And already from 10 years you can see gray hair on separate hairs. Quite old cats may have hair patches on their fur, although this should not be attributed to the definition of old age, since cats lose hair in various diseases.

Gray hair is manifested not only on the wool, but also on the whiskers. Initially, several colorless hairs appear. Gradually their number increases until all vibrissae become white. This usually occurs at the age of 10 years, and sometimes earlier.

The eyes of the young representatives of the feline are transparent, the iris is characterized by brightness, evenness and purity. Over time, it acquires heterogeneity, wrinkles, specks and lines become noticeable on it. After 10 years, the eyes become dull, sometimes cataract development is possible, with frequent tearing.

The spine begins to suffer from about 8-10 years, which is manifested in its sagging. It should be noted that the bones of the shoulder blades and shoulder girdle bulge, but the fat layer disappears. The skin, as well as the back muscles, become flabby, and dangling folds may appear on the abdomen. In old age, lice are usually thin, but obesity is also possible.

It is worth paying attention to the gait of the cat. In old age, it becomes “wooden” - the paws are badly bent, jumping is characterized by clumsiness, possibly a violation of the coordination of movements. The owner should equip a quiet shelter near the ground so that the cat does not bother to get there. It is worth noting that feline claws also change with age, lose flexibility.

Cats in old age are not as active as in youth. In this they are no different from people. Animals already rarely play, anxiety or fearfulness may appear. Usually at the age of 10-15 years, the cat has many chronic diseases that are characterized by fatigue, impaired urination, heart failure and inflammation of the joints. Better a cat after 10 years regularly show the vet. He can give her certain treatments or change her diet.

With age, problems may occur when using the tray. Because urination control is reduced, the cat may not have time to tray. It should be understood that the animal is innocent. You do not need to scold him, because you can still create an additional psychological trauma and so weakened cat. This problem can be dealt with using disposable wipes or you can move the tray closer.

In order for the cat to live as long as possible, you should take into account a few tips from the experts.

• It is necessary to feed the cat properly, as well as to organize access to clean and fresh water.. If necessary, follow a special diet. You should not overfeed the animal, you must adhere to uniform portions. It is necessary to refrain from overfeeding, if the pet has been neutered or sterilized.It is necessary to completely abandon pork (it is very fat), bones (they can damage the gastrointestinal tract), legumes (promote bloating) and dog food.
• You must regularly take your pet for check-ups to the vet. Do not skip them, so as not to harm your pet. It is recommended to follow all necessary recommendations on time. It is necessary to surround your pet with love and care. Remember that cats can very skillfully hide their pain, so with minor changes in the behavior of their pet, you should immediately go to the vet.
• If you are not breeding cats, get a pet for yourself, then it is better to neutered or sterilized. In this case, your pet will live longer. It is necessary to organize an active lifestyle for your pet, since regular exercise is the first rule of longevity.
• You must adhere to the conditions of care for the cat. Various hygiene procedures should be performed. It is very important to regularly clean the teeth of the animal, and also not to forget to carry out de-worming in time, and also to apply means from fleas.

It is necessary to elaborate on products that should be excluded from the diet of your pet, if you want him to live longer. These include the following:

• pork is quite fatty;
• liver can cause intestinal peristalsis;
• fish leads to the risk of urolithiasis, as well as vitamin deficiencies;
• boiled potatoes should be banned, because it contains a large amount of starch, which is simply not absorbed by the cat's body;
• milk should be excluded if the cat has lactose intolerance, which is quite common;
• bones expose the cat to the risk of damage to the walls of the alimentary tract;
• legumes provoke bloating;
• Dog food is strictly forbidden for cats.