Does anybody know the life expectancy of a cat?

miaheatlvr

Active Member
Little backround:
Female:
Half calico/siamese
Indoor cat
In Good Health but "chubby"
Shes about 12 years old.
Just wanted to know if there is a definative answer more or less. It seems that age ranges are all over the place.
TIA
 

scotts

Active Member
Charlie lived to be 16 and Benjamin lived to 18. When Benjamin was 16 I took him to the vet for something. He had not been in over a decade. At the end of the visit they said they just wanted to give him his vaccinations then they were done. I politely declined, but in my head I was thinking "Vaccinations for what?!! He is 16!!! If he has not got it by now chances are he will not get it."
 

earlybird

Active Member
You mean to tell me my wife's cat will live for 10 more years. I don't know if I can handle that.
 

rudedog40

Member
Life expectancy is based on many factors:
Breed
Overall Health (History of Feline HIV, urinary infections, overweight, etc.)
Where it lives (indoor, outdoor, both)
What you feed it
I had three cats that lived indoors, only going out periodically:
1 purebred Maine Coone
1 stray white and overwieight
1 stray mix breed calico/himalayan
The white cat died after 11 years (cancerous mouth ulcer)
The Maine Coone died after 15 years (stroke)
The calico 'disappeared' after 18 years (she went outside one day, never came back. She had a major thyroid problem. Most likely left to die on her own. Cats do this.)
So as you can see, there was no set life expectancy for these cats. My wife's mom had a stray that lived for 21 years. It was completely indoors, pampered to death, and ate very nutricious food.
I can tell you that siamese have a history of short life spans. They're also known to go blind as they get older. Yours being a mixed, may not be a factor. I'd say just enjoy your cat with the time it has left. Feed it food based on it's health and age. Get the Science Diet, IAMS, or other high-end brand that's geared towards older/adult cats. Don't let it drink milk. It's a myth that it's good for them. Take it to the vet at least once a year for a checkup. Doing this, your cat could easily be around for another 5 - 8 years.
 

miaheatlvr

Active Member
I think I will be a horrible mess when she passes for I have never had a pet this long term that I received as a kitten. I hope they have support groups for this kind of thing because I will most likely take advantage of it.
 

rudedog40

Member
Yea, it can be a heart breaker. My wife has the cremated remains of the white (Nyet) and Maine Coone (Picasso). When the calico (Cassie) disappeared, it took quite a while for her to get over it. The kids want another cat, but my wife just keeps saying "she's not ready". Cassie took off about 6 months ago.
 

tangman99

Active Member
If it gets on the hood of my car, about 10 seconds. j/k Well, not really. Good thing I have a garage and no cats.
 

skipperdz

Active Member
my cat max is 17...declawed, nuetered sp?, and is an out door cat. we live in gator central (10 min from everglades). he has one and a half ears, lays out in the sun all day, had his stomach pumped and still plays cat fight....you should have some time left.
our vet said if you neuter, declaw and make it and outside cat it will live only 6 years....F$%#ing liar
 

skipperdz

Active Member
Originally Posted by TangMan99
If it gets on the hood of my car, about 10 seconds. j/k Well, not really. Good thing I have a garage and no cats.
mine survived that one as well....i think max used about 8 of his 9 lives so his luck is running out
 

keri

Active Member
Being half calico gives her a pretty good chance of getting into her late teens/early 20's, more so than other cats. Most of the really oldies we see in at work are calico/tortie... (of course we see other colours as well, and I don't know that there is any scientific backing to it...just my experience) If you want her to live longer put her on a diet. Diabetes isn't much fun to deal with and there are many other complications with fattycatties. You could try just a lower calorie food if she can't be meal-fed.
 

ghola5

Member
They say if they are indoor they will live longer. It does make since though, anyhow my cat lived to be 17 and we had to put him to sleep. I have had people say their cats have lived to be 23 or so. My oldest cat turns 10 this year
 

beth

Administrator
Staff member
I think early twenties is about as long as it gets, but by that time the cat could well suffer various health problems.
 

scsinet

Active Member
Originally Posted by ghola5
They say if they are indoor they will live longer. It does make since though, anyhow my cat lived to be 17 and we had to put him to sleep. I have had people say their cats have lived to be 23 or so. My oldest cat turns 10 this year

This is true.
 
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