Domestic cats are one of the most beloved pets of people. These are, without exaggeration, playful and affectionate creatures, loyal to their masters. People who are going to have such a cute animal at home should know why the life expectancy of their pet will depend.
How many years do cats live?
If you look at the statistics of the life expectancy of domestic animals, you will notice that the domestic cat lives in captivity much longer than in nature. In general, the average life span of all cats is from 11 to 14 years. However, even among these animals, there are real centenarians. Sometimes you can hear that this or that cat died at the age of 20-23! These are, of course, isolated cases of maximum indicators of their life expectancy.
According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest cat in the world today is Lucy, who lives in the UK. She was born back in 1972. It turns out that she has already passed 40 years ago!
Factors affecting a cat's life
The lifespan of a cat, as well as its quality, directly depends on the breed of the animal and on the conditions associated with its maintenance.
Food
Their living conditions and, especially, food have a significant impact on the life of these animals. If the food is wholesome and healthy, then the cat's health problems arise much less. As you know, apartment cats live many times longer than their street counterparts.
Care
Regular veterinary check-ups and appropriate treatment for cats are one of the main factors affecting their lifespan. Do not forget to vaccinate your cat in a timely manner. For cats, the most vulnerable place to certain diseases is the oral cavity. The fact is that in their mouths they have a more than rich blood supply, so bacteria, in which case, easily spread throughout the animal's body.
Breed
Another factor that decides the fate of a cat is its breed. Depending on it, the animal can live for both a long and a short time. So, an ordinary mongrel cat is able to live up to 10-12 years. It is believed that Siamese cats live the longest.
It is believed that up to 5 years of age each year of a cat's life is equal to 7 years of a human. Further, after 5 years, each next feline year is equal to 5 human years.
Reproductive ability
Basically, cats are able to maintain their ability to mate until old age. According to the observations of experts, after 8 years of its life, the cat, although smaller, still brings offspring. However, after 11 years, not every mating of her is capable of causing pregnancy. If we talk about cats, then they can successfully mate up to 15 years old. By the way, the average life expectancy of cats and cats is almost the same, that is, it does not depend on gender. Sterilized and neutered cats live on average 4 years and 5 years longer, respectively, than their counterparts without surgery.
