Cat Life Expectancy

Hear our prayer Lord, for all animals,
May they be well-fed and well-trained and happy;
Protect them from hunger and fear and suffering;
And, we pray, protect specially, dear Lord,
The little cat who is the companion of our home,
Keep her safe as she goes abroad,
And bring her back to comfort us. ~ Anonymous

I am sure this old Russian prayer will be on the lips of every pet owner. They say a cat has nine lives. I don't know much about reincarnation, neither can I comment on it. Yet I am sure, in one of his lives, my dear Pepper must have been a pet in a king's palace. Judging by the attitude and demands he puts forth, I am sure he must have been the king himself. Putting aside my poor humor, I am here to talk about something more serious. Cat life expectancy is a question in the minds of many cat owners. Won't you like to know how many years more will your dear pet remain your companion? I am sure you do. There are many factors that influence cat life span. Let us have a look at these factors before going through average life expectancy of a cat.

Factors Influencing Cat Life Expectancy
When we have a look at the average life expectancy of cats, you will find that the indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats. This is because the indoor cats face fewer hardships and fight lesser battles of survival as compared to their outdoor counterparts. Indoor cats are less prone to infections and injuries. Male cats that are neutered tend to get into lesser tom-cat fights. This reduces the risk of contracting infectious diseases such as feline immunodeficiency virus, cat leukemia, etc. Female cats that are sprayed have lesser chances of getting infections from their infected male partners. Thus, cat health too influences cat life expectancy.

Domestic cats get to eat nutritious and a well-balanced cat food. This helps to keep them healthy and their immune system strong. Pet owners get their cats vaccinated against many diseases and seek prompt medical care in case the cat falls ill. This also helps in increasing the life expectancy of cats. A cat living indoors is less at risk of getting into an accident, getting bitten by dogs, eaten by coyotes, run over by cars, etc. An outdoor cat has to brave all these odds and fight extreme weather and survive on leftover foods spilling out of garbage cans. All these odds together influence the cat life expectancy.

Life Expectancy of Cats by Breed
As we discuss life expectancy of cats by breed, we will see each cat breed has more or less similar life span. Genes are said to play a role in having an influence on the life expectancy of cats by breed. A Burmese cat is said of have life expectancy of about 15 years and more. Life expectancy of a Siamese cat is about 20 years. Ragamuffins are said to have really long life and may live up to 16 to 18 years. Himalayan cats are more prone to kidney diseases and therefore, may have a shorter life span. The Manx cat too is said to have a cat life span of 20 years. So, the average life expectancy of a cat is about 15 to 20 years. However, this statement can be true only in case of strictly indoor cats. An outdoor cat life expectancy is about 4 to 5 years.

Average Life Expectancy of Cats with Diseases
Cats with illness have their life span cut short due to the medical complications. Life expectancy of cats with diabetes is over 4 years after detection of the disease. Therefore, it is important that you spot the cat diabetes symptoms early on. This will help in treating diabetes and keeping it under control. Many cats with diabetes live a normal, fuller life under medical care. Life expectancy of cats with kidney diseases is also the same as diabetic cats. Proper management of the kidney diseases in cats will help extend the cat's life for up to 4 years after detection of the condition.

The underlying factor for a good cat life expectancy is good cat care. Cats are agile creatures with delicate bodies. Any injury, disease or health complication will affect the cat adversely. This is why outdoor cat life expectancy is so short. These are royal creatures that need to be treated like a delicate darling. Visit the vet regularly to keep cat health problems in check. Guinness Book of Records have documented a cat that has lived up to 36 years. So, I am sure taking care of cat will help your pet live more than 20 years. Hope the above information has helped you calculate the average life expectancy of your pet cat.