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.
1 response 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.
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