My cat is four years old now. Someone told me that cats do not have a long life span. This made me so sad and worried. I want to know what is the approximate age of cats if they are fit and healthy.
asked Dec 3, 2018 at 10:28
-
4I've had many cats over the years, and the ones that die of old age lived to be around 16 or so. I had one that lived to be 21.– Phil N DeBlancCommented Dec 3, 2018 at 14:00
-
1the normal lifespan for cats is 16-18 years,all of my cats have lived to 18 years old but this is outdoor cats here in norway,– trond hansenCommented Dec 3, 2018 at 14:15
-
1We had a cat live to the ripe old age of 22. He ate raw cow's liver for over 15 years, (he'd eat nothing else after his first taste of it,) and we think this had something to do with his longevity.– IconDaemonCommented Dec 3, 2018 at 16:52
-
4@IconDaemon I have this mental image of an elderly housecat sneaking out in the evenings to hunt cattle and harvest their livers, simultaneously adorable and terrifying. (Please don't spoil this image for me.)– Ti StrgaCommented Dec 3, 2018 at 18:41
-
1@TiStrga - Slight correction: It was just one cow, and they named it Prometheus.– T.E.D.Commented Dec 3, 2018 at 21:18
|
Show 2 more comments
3 Answers
The current Guinness World Record for longest-lived domestic cat belonged to Creme Puff, who lived to be 38 (1967 - 2005). The typical lifespan for indoor domestic cats is estimated at ~15 years.
-
Creme Puff is the cat's name, belonged to Jake Perry, according to Wikipedia: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creme_Puff_(cat)– PaulCommented May 28, 2020 at 19:59
Life expectancy depends on many things, including one important factor - whether your cat is an indoor-only cat or an outdoor cat. Indoor cats generally live from 12-18 years of age. Many may live to be in their early 20s. The oldest reported cat lived to be an amazing 28 years old.
-
11The other answer claims the oldest reported cat lived 38 years and has a source to back it up. You could also improve this answer by telling us not just the life expectancy of indoor cats but also that of outdoor cat and why it is usually different (you didn't even tell us if outdoor cats live longer or shorter, just that it's "an important factor").– PhilippCommented Dec 3, 2018 at 17:02
-
@Philipp I would guess that a reason for focusing on indoor cats is that they generally die of "old age" type issues, which has a more consistent time on onset, while outdoor cats have a higher rate of accidental and other causes of death that can happen at any age. But I agree, the answer would be improved by more discussion of outdoor life expectancy. Commented Dec 3, 2018 at 19:49
I've had cats all my life, they are family pets lived to the age of 16 to 18 years old. We have never had a cat live past 20 years, although it is definitely not rare. I recently got a full-blooded Egyptian Mau. I was told his lifespan is over 20 years. I've also got just a little more information on a possible difference in mixed or full blooded. It mostly lived inside.
Good luck.
