Cats can live to around 20 years old – even longer in some exceptional individuals. This is equivalent to a human age of 100 years, so few cats live this long.
The average lifespan for a cat is between 12 and 15 years. A cat that has reached 2 years of age has gone through the equivalent of human childhood and the teenage years and is in its twenties; cats are deemed middle-aged at about 7 years, where they are the equivalent of a human age of 40 years. Any cat that is beyond this age can be considered to be heading for old age and feline retirement.
Some cats retain their youthfulness and seem always to want to be kittens. (Research suggests that human inadvertently keep dogs and cats in a regression around pre-adolescence.) Other cats wish to retire gracefuly and actively avoid any commotion and chaos, simply seeking out a warm place to rest and be calm.
2 responses so far ↓
1 Carolyn // Jun 10, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I had two cats who both lived 21yrs. As they got older…they stayed by my side constantly.And then all of a sudden..wanted to go outside…something they had never done before. I read later that they were looking for their place to die.
2 Karl Schmitt // Apr 22, 2010 at 1:18 pm
My name is Karl and I live in Albuquerque, NM and I have two 10 year old tabbies Cory and Simon. They are brother and sister and are a great source of joy to me. My question is do I need to start integrating food for senior cats into their diets? My vet says that I should, but would like to have another opinion. My cats are strictly indoor cats so they are not subjected to all the diseases that are outdoors, can I assume that they will live much longer than the average cat? Also, my female cat Cory likes to jump on tables which I don’t want. What is the best way to handle getting her off and getting her out of the habit of jumping on tabels? I realize that some cats are jumpers and I do allow them to jump on chairs, couches, and window sills, but Cory seems to do it all the time, but Simon does not. I have tried just picking her up and putting her on the floor, being firm with my voice, but nothing seems to help her from jumping on the tables. I personally think she does it because she wants me to pet her and when I do 10 minutes later she is back on the table again. Please help
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Karl
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