How Long Do Cats Live? - Facts About Cat Lifetime

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How Long Do Cats Live Introduction

We as cat owners, we love and care for our cats and want them with us for a long time. However, we also want to have an idea of their life expectancy. This is mainly because we are somehow attached to our cats. Consequently, we do not want our cat to leave us when we are not well prepared. Because of this, it is important to know how long do cats live. We need to know the signs that will show us that our cats are almost on their final days. We also need to know the things we can do how to prolong the lives of our cats. But we need to start by knowing the factors that determine how long do cats live.

Factors That Determines How Long a Cat Lives

Environment

The surroundings of a cat play an instrumental role in determining the age of the cat. There are cats which live exclusively indoors and there are others which are exposed to the outdoor environment. The ones that live indoor usually live longer than the ones with outdoor exposure. This is attributed to the fact that those living outdoors are exposed to more dangers.

Some of these dangers include accidents where they are run over by cars, being attacked by other animals such as dogs and being infected with different infections which are commonly found in outdoor environments such as Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV). On the other hand the cats that live indoors are protected from most of these dangers and as a result their lives tend to be longer.

Diet

The kind of foods that a cat eats also plays an important role in determining how long a cat lives. There are some cat foods that are more nutritious than others. Such foods provide the cats with the necessary nutrients which help them be able to have enhanced immune system and as a result be able to fight infections. There are also foods which are meant for cats of different ages. This means that there are foods which are ideal for kittens, pregnant cats, and even for aging cats. This makes it paramount to make sure that you feed your cat with the right foods so that it can live longer.

Care

The cats which receive proper care usually live longer. This is because if such cats have problems especially with their health such problems are dealt with in the right time. This is important because most health problems that affect the cats can turn to cause major problems if they are not dealt with at the right time. To ensure your cat is properly taken care of you should keep on observing the cat. You should be on the look out for any change in behaviors. You should also ensure that you take your cat to a professional vet on a regular basis. The vet will identify any problem and be able to deal with it at the right time and in the right manner.

Keeping a Cat Healthy

While answering the question of how long do cats live it is also important to know how you can keep your cat healthy. Most of the ways to keep your cat healthy are simple and easy to implement.

Vaccination

It is always important to ensure that your cat is vaccinated at the right time. Vaccination always helps the cat be able to deal with different health conditions. The vaccination should be done only by a professional who has the right skills. The professional will even provide professional advice on the most ideal vaccinations that the cat should undergo.

A Healthy Weight Range

Some cats which are kept as pets usually develop weight problems because they are not physically active and the overeat. Just like humans, such cats are exposed to various health conditions and this might reduce their years. This makes it important to ensure that your cat has a healthy weight. To achieve this you should ensure that your cat is physically active including engaging the cat in moderate play time. You should also watch what you feed your cat so that it does not gain unnecessary weight.

Regular Check-Ups

Regardless of how keenly you observe your cat, there are some things which can only be noticed by a professional vet. This is attributed to the fact that professional veterinarians usually have the right skills and amenities to observe the cat effectively. The modern vets are using state of the art amenities which have the ability to detect even the slightest health conditions in cats. Consequently, you should take your cat to the vet regularly regardless of whether the cat is sick or not.

Providing a Stress-Free Environment

There are certain things that are well known to be ideal for cats. There are also things that are known to be disliked by cats. Because of this, you should ensure that your cat is in an environment where it will be able to enjoy itself optimally. The ideal environment should have enough food and things that the cat can play with. You should also ensure that there is no excessive noise in the place where the cat is staying. It is also paramount to ensure that the cat has the freedom to go where it wants. Furthermore, you should provide the cat with a comfortable place where it can sleep without stress. This is especially important because cats spend most of their time sleeping. You can consult your vet to know the kind of environment that will ensure that the cat is optimally comfortable.

Treating the Cat Politely

Cats can be stressed or even become aggressive if they are treated harshly. This can affect their health and make their lives shorter. Because of this, you should develop a habit of treating your cat in a humane and polite manner. You should not shout at the cat or kick it. Instead, you should even create time to play with the cat. When the cat wants to rub against your feet you should not react harshly. You should also feed to cat on time so that it does not become stressed. Furthermore, you should teach your cat the right toilet habits. When you treat your cat nicely it will be stress-free and it will become healthier, allowing it to live for longer.

Changes That Indicate a Cat Is Aging

There are certain things which start changing when cats are aging. This is an ideal way of knowing how long do cats live because by seeing these changes you will know that your cat is aging.

Infections

Just like humans and any other animals, the immune system of aging cat becomes weaker with age. Weakened immune system means that the cat is aging and it is almost at the end of its life. At this particular time the cat will start getting sick more often because the immune system is unable to effectively deal with infections. This is the time when the cat requires more care. You will need to take your cat for check-ups more regularly. You will also need to feed the cat with better foods especially those that can enhance the immune system. There are special foods that are meant for aging cats and your vet can advise you on the most ideal foods to feed your cat.

Hair Matting and Skin Odor

Older cats do not groom themselves the same way they used to do when they were younger. Aging cats usually groom themselves much less and this usually cause various skin conditions. The fur of the cat will start matting and the skin will start producing an odor. You might also start noticing inflammation on the cat because of the reduced grooming. You can assist your cat be helping in the grooming. There are specialized ways where you can groom your cat without causing negative effects. This will enhance the health of the cat’s skin and fur consequently resulting in a longer life.

Longer Claws

When a cat is aging the claws usually grow longer mainly because the cat is less active. If you are observant you will notice that the claws of your cat are growing longer than they were when your cat was younger. You can deal with this issue by clipping the nails of the cat more regularly.

Hearing Loss and Changes in the Eyes

If you notice that your cat is not hearing well then it is aging and it is almost at the end of its life. The eyes of the cat will also start changing in various ways. There will be a slight haziness on the lens of the eyes even though this does not necessarily affect the vision of the cat. But there are certain conditions that can significantly reduce the vision of the cat and this is one of the primary signs that the cat is aging.

Dental Diseases and Reduced Appetite

As the cat grows older its teeth and gum will start developing different kinds of conditions. You will notice that your cat does not like eating certain types of foods. This is usually accompanied by a loss of appetite where the cat eats much less than it used to do when it was younger. When this happens you need to start feeding your cat with special foods which are easier to chew and do not cause any upset in the stomach. You should also feed the cat with foods which are less acidic.

Memory Loss

Cats are also affected by memory loss when they are aging. This is a common problem in the entire animal kingdom where all animals and humans lose memory when they are aging. Signs that your cat has reduced memory include excessive meowing, wondering, avoidance of social interactions and apparent disorientation. The best way to deal with this is to take greater care of the cat so as to help whenever the cat is unable to remember something.

Ways to Prolong the Life of a Cat

To know how long do cats live it is important to also know how to prolong the life of the cat. Some cat owners use different methods to make sure that their cats live longer.

Supplements

There are certain supplements which are specially meant for the aging cats. These supplements are made using ingredients which have the ability to deal with various conditions that usually affect the cats as they age. They contain ingredients which can improve the vision of the cats and also help in fighting different infections. Your vet will advise you on the ideal supplements you need to start giving your cat when you see signs of aging. The vet will also advise you on the ideal ways of administering the supplements.

Love

Just like humans aging cats also need to be loved more. By the time your cat is aging, you must have created a bond with the cat. You must also have known what the cat loves. You need to be close to the cat more so that the cat can feel appreciated and loved. You also need to ensure that the cat is around the things that she loves. This helps a lot because the cat does not feel neglected and will, therefore, have a chance of living relatively longer.

Dental Care

The most common issue with aging cats is developing dental issues. These issues can significantly reduce the lifespan of the cat because the cat might even stop eating completely. This makes it paramount that you ensure that your aging cat has the right and regular dental care. When you do this you will have increased the lifespan of the cat because the cat will be able to eat normally.

Mental Stimulation

An aging cat will want to just rest and as a result, such cat will want to remain asleep for longer. But this can cause the cat to be lazy and therefore age faster. To avoid this you should stimulate your cat mentally. You can achieve this by changing some of the things that the cat is used to. Such things include changing where the cat sleeps and where the cat usually finds its food. This will stimulate the mind of the cat and it will also make the cat more active. You should also engage the cat in various physical activities such as walks so that the weight of the cat can remain in the healthy levels.

Reducing Risks

Your cat might like being in dangerous situations that can easily cause harm. These include playing outdoors or staying around toxic substance. To prolong the life of your cat you should ensure that the cat does not engage in anything dangerous. You need to ensure that your cat remains indoors unless when you are with the cat. You should also remove any toxic substance that might cause harm to the cat. Therefore, by following the outlined guideline you can know how long do cats live and also know how to prolong their lives.

How Long Do Cats Live Summary

Cats mature rather quickly during their younger years and reach the equivalent of 24 human years by the time they turn 2 years old. Then they age about eight to five times in human years for each cat years. So a 12-year-old kitty is the equivalent of a 65-year human.

On average, cats have a lifetime of 14 years.