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New study reveals longest and shortest-lived cats, and how much longer your cat’s life is likely to be at any given age
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How long will your cat live? Researchers at the U.K.’s Royal Veterinary College have a good guess. Their recent study, published in Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, offers interesting insight into feline life expectancy, including estimated lifespan for domestic cat breeds.
Cat Life Expectancy
Using death certificate data from 7,936 cats in the U.K., the scientists created a chart listing cat breeds in order of longest to shortest life expectancy.
The study found that the Burmese breed was the longest-lived, with a life expectancy of 14.42 years.
The study found that life expectancy for the cats overall was 11.74 years. Males lived on average 16 months less than females, with an average male life expectancy of 11.18 years versus 12.51 years. The study also found that the Burmese breed was the longest-lived, with a life expectancy of 14.42 years.
Risks to Longevity
Risks to longevity included extra pounds—overweight cats tended to have shorter lifespans—and breed-specific genetic predisposition to certain diseases, which truncate life expectancy.
The Two Breeds That Live Longer Than Mixed Breed Cats
Only two of breeds—the Burmese and the Birman—tended to live longer than a mixed breed cat, with a respective life expectancy of 14.42 and 14.39, compared to a mixed breed cat’s 11.89 average years.
Other breeds fared less well. In a surprise finding, the Sphynx was the shortest-lived breed, with a life expectancy of just 6.68 years. The Bengal was found to have a life expectancy of 8.51, while the Maine Coon, Russian Blue, Norwegian Forest Cat, and British cats all saw just under 10 years. The Persian and Ragdoll breeds were found to have a life expectancy of over 10, and the Siamese of over 11.
The Sphynx was the shortest-lived breed, with a life expectancy of just 6.68 years.
The data also showed how much longer a cat is likely to live once they reach a particular age. A cat who is 9 to 10 years old is likely to live for another 6.08 years, while a 12 to 13-year-old cat will likely live another 4.24 years.
Cats in their upper teens tend to keep going: a 15 to 16-year-old cat probably has another 2.72 years, while 19 to 20-year-old cats will likely see another 1.40 years—heartening news for those with senior cats.
This article originally appeared in the award-winning Modern Cat magazine. Subscribe today!