Aging in cats

To date, reliable information on the lifespans of domestic cats is varied and relatively scant.[1] Nevertheless, a number of studies have investigated the matter and have come up with noteworthy estimates. Estimates of mean lifespan in these studies range between 13 and 20 years, with a single value in the neighborhood of 15 years.[2][3][4] At least one study found a median lifespan value of 14 years and a corresponding interquartile range of 9 to 17 years.[5] Maximum lifespan has been estimated at values ranging from 22 to 30 years although there have been claims of cats dying at ages greater than 30 years.[1][2][5][6][7][8] According to the 2010 edition of the Guinness World Records, the oldest cat ever recorded was Creme Puff, who died in 2005, aged 38 years, 3 days.[9] Female cats have been evidenced to outlive male cats, while neutered cats and crossbred cats have been evidenced to outlive entire and purebred cats, respectively.[2][5] It has also been found that the greater a cat's weight, the lower its life expectancy on average.[5]

A common misconception in cat aging (and dog aging) is that a cat ages the equivalent of what a human would age in seven years each year. This is inaccurate due to the inconsistencies in aging as well as there being far more accurate equations to predict a cat's age in "cat years". A more accurate equation often used by veterinarians to predict cat years is 4x + 16, (x being the chronological age of the cat) which works for cats who are two years of age or older.

The life expectancy of a cat that is living indoors is typically about 16.9 years, while the life expectancy of one living outdoors is 5.6 years.[10] In one study of cat mortality, the most frequent causes were trauma (12.2%), renal disorder (12.1%), non-specific illness (11.2%), neoplasia (10.8%) and mass lesion disorders (10.2%).[5]

See also

References
  1. "AnAge entry for Felis catus". AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database. 2017-10-14. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  2. Cozzi, B.; Ballarin, C.; Mantovani, R.; Rota, A. (2017). "Aging and veterinary care of cats, dogs, and horses through the records of three university veterinary hospitals". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 4: 14. doi:10.3389/fvets.2017.00014. ISSN 2297-1769. PMC 5306394. PMID 28261586.
  3. Grimm, D. (2015). "Why we outlive our pets". Science. 350 (6265): 1182–1185. Bibcode:2015Sci...350.1182G. doi:10.1126/science.350.6265.1182. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 26785473.
  4. Pena, M. (2018-07-03). "How long do cats live? Facts about the average cat lifespan". Catster. Belvoir Media Group. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
  5. O’Neill, D.G.; Church, D.B.; McGreevy, P.D.; Thomson, P.C.; Brodbelt, D.C. (2014). "Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England" (PDF). Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 17 (2): 125–133. doi:10.1177/1098612X14536176. ISSN 1098-612X. PMID 24925771.
  6. Arking, R. (2006). The Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles (3 ed.). New York, NY: Oxford University Press. p. 127.
  7. Comfort, A. (1956). "Maximum ages reached by domestic cats". Journal of Mammalogy. 37 (1): 118–119. doi:10.2307/1375545. ISSN 0022-2372. JSTOR 1375545.
  8. Hayashidani, H.; Omi, Y.; Ogawa, M.; Fukutomi, K. (1989). "Epidemiological studies on the expectation of life for cats computed from animal cemetery records". Nihon Juigaku Zasshi. 51 (5): 905–8. doi:10.1292/jvms1939.51.905. PMID 2607740.
  9. "Oldest cat ever". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
  10. Pena, Melvin (2018-07-03). "How Long Do Cats Live? Facts About the Average Cat Lifespan". Catster. Retrieved 2018-07-12.


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