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Cat Forum / Health and Behavior / August 2006Cat Life Expectancy and a death...
My son's girlfriend lost a cat today. She moved here from California, and her mom kept one kitty. That cat was 15, and just stopped eating. All blood tests and physicals turned up nothing, and poor old Max just died at the Vet's. She's broken up, and I can't find the words to reassure her. I've lost almost a dozen cats in my lifetime, and there really is nothing you can say - they're such delicate creatures - "the candle that burns the brightest burns the briefest". Tiger is 12 now, a mutt with Maine-Coon-ish genes. We've had him for the longest I've had any cat. He is extremely healthy, and routinely boxes our 4-year old bengal and comes out on top. Tiger's an indoor cat - what's a realistic expectation for his life expectancy? My son picked him out of a farm-cat litter when he was a toddler. Though I've dealt with a lot of cat deaths, when Tiger goes it'll be a big blow to him - prolly when he's away at college. Hell, it'll be a big blow to me, too. BLink -------------------------- "The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]" For an indoor cat, the average is about 15 or 16. Some live even longer. Gail > My son's girlfriend lost a cat today. She moved here from California, > and her mom kept one kitty. That cat was 15, and just stopped eating. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > -------------------------- > "The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]" >For an indoor cat, the average is about 15 or 16. Some live even longer. >Gail I don't think that's true. My vet once told me that the average is more like 12 or 13. One of my cats lived to be 17 or so, but two others were dead at something like 8 and 10. One was a heart condition and the other died of, essentially, diabetes. I didn't know about that until he was very sick. >>For an indoor cat, the average is about 15 or 16. Some live even longer. >>Gail [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >and the other died of, essentially, diabetes. I didn't know about that >until he was very sick. I lost Moses at about 17 and the oldest I have now is Kitty who I look in as stray at 6 years and is now about 15 / 16 years. My furbabies http://members.aol.com/larrystark/ > For an indoor cat, the average is about 15 or 16. Some live even longer. I think it depends on who you ask. My 17 year old indoor cat Randy would have to disagree on your limit. Our vet says it's not uncommon for house cats to live up to 20-22 years. > I think it depends on who you ask. My 17 year old indoor cat Randy would > have to disagree on your limit. Our vet says it's not uncommon for house > cats to live up to 20-22 years. Yes, that may be true, but "not uncommon" is very different from "average life expectancy." Most things I've read say 12-14 is an average life expectancy. Some die younger, some older! Rhonda >> I think it depends on who you ask. My 17 year old indoor cat Randy would >> have to disagree on your limit. Our vet says it's not uncommon for house [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Rhonda Very small sample here, but: -2 cats acquired in 1967 died at 18 years of age The last 9 years of their lives they were indoor- outdoor cats (in at night). I knew zip about premium foods, fed mostly grocery store food until a vet put them on C/D at age 15. -3 cats acquired in 1985 died at 15, 16 and almost 19. The 18+ year old spent the last 5 years of her life fighting epilepsy. They were indoor-outdoor cats in their early years, mostly indoor in their later years. I still believe if I had known more about senior nutrition needs, the 15 & 16 year old cats might have lived longer. The longest lived cat (the one with epilepsy) was put on K/D by our vet after the other two died (she was the youngest of the three) and she was the only cat that died of something other than kidney disease. Gail F. near San Antonio TX USA Our precious past away a few months ago she born on a farm she was 19.5 her sister passed away at 18 her brother was 16 Our phantom is 12 going on 13 and he is a fat cat and a grumpy furball > My son's girlfriend lost a cat today. She moved here from California, > and her mom kept one kitty. That cat was 15, and just stopped eating. [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > -------------------------- > "The worst thing about censorship is [redacted]" > Tiger's an indoor cat - what's a realistic expectation for his life > expectancy? It's not unusual for an indoor-only cat to live to 20. Anything over 15 is good - most I have known go around 18 or so. -L. > Tiger's an indoor cat - what's a realistic expectation for his life > expectancy? 15 is considered an average, but I think I read somewhere that the "official world record" is 26 so you never know... My friend has a persian/domestic, indoor/outdoor female that's 14, but my friend suggests that she'll probably live 4 or 5 more, eventhough she tried to proove the "nine lives theory" getting injured and sick on numerous occasions:-) As far as saying some words to make the loss a bit more bearable, I tell myself that I did my best to make him (I always have males) live like a king and make him happy. Seems to work:) Good luck! > Tiger's an indoor cat - what's a realistic expectation for his life > expectancy? My son picked him out of a farm-cat litter when he was a > toddler. Though I've dealt with a lot of cat deaths, when Tiger goes > it'll be a big blow to him - prolly when he's away at college. Hell, > it'll be a big blow to me, too. Cats' lives are like people's. Some of them are very healthy and others are plagued with health problems. If he's healthy and a good weight, he could live many more years. I can relate with your son--my childhood cat died in January at the age of 19. The good news is that feline medicine has improved greatly in the last decade. Take him in for annual (or twice per year) check ups and bloodwork to keep an eye on his health. And, of course, shower him daily with love. :) Rene >She's broken up, and I can't find the words to reassure her. I've lost >almost a dozen cats in my lifetime, and there really is nothing you >can say - they're such delicate creatures - "the candle that burns the >brightest burns the briefest". Sometimes just a reassuring "Sorry" and a hug is the best. My furbabies http://members.aol.com/larrystark/
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