How long do cats live at home? What determines the lifespan of a cat

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

Many pet lovers wonder how long cats live. Of course, people get used to the fluffy family member quickly. Some time later, after a cat appeared in the house, the owners think about this issue. Losing pets is always hard, so it's worth knowing how to prolong the life of a fluffy, how to care for and what to feed.

What determines the lifespan of a cat?

This question is extremely important for all hosts. As the famous saying goes, we are responsible for those we have tamed. When adopting a cat, people should be aware that now they are responsible for her life and the conditions in which the animal will develop.

Statistics says that cats live an average of twelve to fifteen years. But you should pay attention: how many years cats live depends on other individual characteristics of the animal.

There are several main factors that affect the life expectancy of a cat:

1. Sterilization.
2. Vaccination.
3. The ability to tolerate certain diseases.
4. Genetics.
5. Conditionsresidence.
6. Individual features (more about purebred cats).

How many years outbred cats live depends only on the owners. With regular proper care, a balanced diet, and timely necessary vaccinations, the average outbred cat at home will live for about twenty years.

Cat and human age

Many owners are interested in the age of the pet and how many years the cat lives by human standards.

Feline age	Age human	Feline age	Age human
1 month	7 months	2 years	24 years old
3 months	2 years	4 years	32 years old
6 months	8 years	6 years	40 years
8 months	15 years	8 years	48 years old
1 year	18 years old	10 years	56 years old

Proper care for any animal is extremely important, as it directly affects how many years cats live at home.

Food

A balanced diet filled with all the necessary vitamins and minerals is the main factor affecting the duration and quality of life of a pet. It doesn’t matter if it’s natural food or feed, the main thing is wiselyapproach this topic, and even better, consult with a veterinarian before choosing a nutrition system. Do not overfeed your cat, as obesity will only negatively affect the general condition of the pet.

For the normal life of an adult cat, the number of meals per day should be two times (morning and evening). The daily norm of food is calculated individually: depending on the weight and energy value of the food product. An adult cat should receive 50-60 kilocalories per 1 kilogram of weight.

Also, the animal must have round-the-clock access to water. If the cat suffers from excessive thirst, this means that the food did not fit and it needs to be changed. When choosing dishes, experienced veterinarians recommend choosing a smaller plate for food and a larger one for water. It is recommended to put food for twenty minutes. After the time has passed, the food should be removed, regardless of whether the cat has finished eating or not. A hungry animal will eat the amount of food it needs during this time. Reluctant eating is not about satisfying hunger, but about overeating.

If the animal is constantly hungry, this is a sure sign that it's time to poison the parasites.

Natural food

When choosing natural food, special attention should be paid to the following products:

• lean meat and fish;
• cartilage;
• liver, heart;
• steamed or raw vegetables (optional);
• vitamin supplements (after 1 year).

Dry food

Dry food has its pros and cons. The advantage is that it is convenient forowner, longer stored, filled with all the necessary vitamins and minerals. When choosing dry food, there is no need to purchase additional vitamin complexes. In addition, tartar is being prevented, due to the fact that the food has a dense structure.

However, this type of food has its drawbacks. Quality food costs a lot of money. Cheap dry food is a sure way to reward your pet with various diseases that will negatively affect the life and life expectancy of a cat. Also dry food contains a lot of s alt. In addition, it will be extremely difficult to switch the animal from food to natural food, since the food is highly addictive.

Vaccination

Regular vaccination has a strong impact on how long cats live. Every year it is necessary to vaccinate even those animals that do not go outside. A person coming home can bring an infection that can be fatal. Timely vaccination strengthens the immune system and protects against many diseases.

Parasite Prevention

Once every six months, regardless of whether signs of infection are detected or not, it is recommended to poison helminths. The owner chooses a convenient way: it can be tablets, suspension or drops.

Outer Care

Ear, coat and eye care should be done regularly. This will not affect how many years a cat lives, but it can protect against infectious diseases.

Sterilization

Pet owners who do not plan to breed offspring are thinking about sterilization. But the most basic question is how many years domestic sterilized cats live. All owners are afraid that this procedure will shorten the life of their pet. It is worth dispelling this myth. Sterilization has a positive effect on the life of the animal. After giving birth, cats often develop diseases of the reproductive system. In addition, after sterilization, the cat stops "estrus", which irritate the animal. The character of the cat becomes calm. On average, such an operation prolongs the life of a cat by five years.

After this procedure, the cat may gain a little more weight, but diet food or balanced dry food will help to cope with this.

What else should hosts know before surgery? The postoperative period averages eight to ten days. During the rehabilitation period, the cat needs round-the-clock care. In the early days, the pet should not get up, walk, it is best to move less in general. Food and water should be brought directly to the place where the animal lies. You should not change food, feed it with what she is used to. Be sure to make sure that the cat does not lick the seam until it heals a little. It is recommended to wear a special veterinary collar, this will not allow the cat to reach the seam. The first seven days, the seam must be treated with an antiseptic (peroxide, chlorhexidine bigluconate, and others). Sterilization can be done at the age ofeight months to one and a half years. Adult cats are not allowed to have this operation.

An equally important question that worries owners: "How many years do nulliparous cats live?" Nulliparous and not sterilized cats most often suffer from oncological diseases. Representatives of the cat family are arranged in such a way that they need to reproduce. And a domestic cat that regularly goes into heat and is not allowed to kitten experiences physical discomfort, which subsequently causes a lot of diseases.

Average life expectancy of different breeds of cats

Of course, how many years a cat will live depends on its breed. Some representatives are weak and difficult to tolerate even mild illnesses. Genetics also play a big role: if the kitten's mother was sick, there is a chance that the cub will be exposed to diseases.

Persian cats

This breed is one of the most popular among European and American residents. It is believed that these cats originated from Iran. It was there that the first "noseless" cats appeared, which became exotic. On average, Persians live fifteen years. This breed requires careful grooming and eye care. Nutrition should also be given special attention, as the gastrointestinal tract of these cats is weak.

Scottish Fold cats

These cats are popular for their baby faces and funny ears. The character of the Scottish Fold is calm andnon-aggressive. They get along easily with children. The average lifespan of this breed is seventeen years.

Siamese cats

Representatives of this breed of cats live an average of fourteen years, but there are cases when Siamese cats lived to be twenty years old. They can be called rare centenarians. When choosing this breed, you need to pay attention to the fact that they are prone to diseases of the food system. When choosing food for this animal, you should be careful, but it is better to consult a veterinarian.

British cats

This breed lives up to twenty years, but under the condition of a balanced diet. The British are prone to overeating and further obesity. Therefore, you need to carefully monitor how much your pet eats.

In conclusion, I would like to say that how many years cats live at home depends only on the person. With proper nutrition filled with vitamins, careful care and timely vaccination, your cat can easily become a long-liver and delight the owners with their love and tenderness.