From kittenhood to adulthood, cats are adorable, and they add love to our lives.

Cats are amazing creatures. They have their daily routine, their unique ways of showing affection, and other amusing things that they do.

But, they aren’t in our lives forever.

One of the biggest things that cat parents want to know is how long will they have their favorite furry friend in their lives for. In this blog post, I will answer the question, “How long do cats live?” in as much detail as I can.

So, without further ado, let’s begin.

Average Life Expectancy: How Long Do Cats Live?

The general life of cats is between 10 to 15 years.

While cats who live unsupervised outdoors for long periods of time on their own generally live for seven years, indoor cats live till the ripe age of 14.

Life expectancy depends on a lot of factors.

This includes the breed of the cat, genetic or parental history, diseases, and general lifestyle. Kitties that are obese tend to develop additional health problems which can significantly reduce the cat’s lifespan.

Outdoor cats live a lifestyle that’s dangerous.

Indoor Versus Outdoor Cats

As you may have observed, indoor cats generally live longer than outdoor cats.

Why is that so?

The thing is, the outdoor lifestyle is much more dangerous than the indoor one. Cats can get injured, and the risk of getting an infectious disease such as feline leukemia virus (FeLV) and feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) increase.

Not just that, cats can easily get wounded during fights with other animals, get hit by cars, or killed when they ingest poisons such as antifreeze.

For indoor-only cats, most of these problems are non-existent. They get vaccinated regularly, live in a safe and comfortable environment, get food that’s good for them, and are better cared for.

With indoor cats, health problems can also be identified early.

Human Years and Kitty Years: Conversion Table

Ever wonder how old your cat is in human years?

That’s one thing that everyone wonders at some point. In this section of the blog post, I have included a conversion table that’ll help you determine your furry friend’s age in human years.

Take a look.  

Age of Cat

Human

Age Equivalent

0-1 month

0-1 year

Six months

10 years

12 months

15 years

18 months

21 years

2 years

24 years

3 years

28 years

4 years

32 years

5 years

36 years

6 years

40 years

7 years

44 years

8 years

48 years

9 years

52 years

10 years

56 years

11 years

60 years

12 years

64 years

13 years

68 years

14 years

72 years

15 years

76 years

16 years

80 years

17 years

84 years

18 years

88 years

19 years

92 years

20 years

96 years

That’s a lot, right!?

Keep Your Kitty Healthy: A Few Tips

Keeping your cat happy and healthy will increase her lifespan.

In this section of the blog post, I will share a few tips on how you should take care of your feline friend.

Take a look:

Seems simple enough, right?

Physical Changes: What Happens as Cats Age?

There are various physical and behavioral change that takes place in aging cats. In this section of the blog, I’ll share a few with you.

Here’s the deal:

Older cats need a lot of love and affection. Make sure you take good care of your older kitty and give her all the love.

Final Words: How Long Do Cats Live?

The average lifespan of cats is between 10 to 15 years. This depends on a lot of factors such as genetic history, diseases, lifestyle, exercise, quality of food, etc.

It is important to keep a check on your kitty’s health and make sure she’s living a happy and healthy life. Give her good-quality food, include playtime in the daily schedule, go to the vet regularly, etc.

Do you have a senior cat? Tell us how you take care of your feline friends and share some tips for other cat owners!

4 Responses

  1. My Murphy just passed away from health issues two weeks ago, he had just turned 17, I miss him every day.

  2. Our boy Adonis was 19 when we sadly lost him in September 2017. He suffered from CKD for the last couple of years of his life. He had a good life indoors and outdoors and was thoroughly pampered and kept us company since he was 8 weeks old.

  3. My female cat Princess was 18 when we, sadly, had to say Au Revoir due to health issues and my beloved boy Smudge was 14 and sadly passed due to cancer, it was very sudden and I am still heartbroken. They were both indoor cats. I have Magic still a black rescue girl, 8, who is Magic and I took in a stray boy, I have named Nutmeg and has settled into being a pampered, indoor cat

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