Lifespan Of An Indoor Cat, A Quick Overview Leave a comment

Every cat owner wants to see a cat living longer and enjoying the quality of life, right? When it comes to the lifespan of an indoor cat, there is no exact information available in the literature. However, you may find an average estimate of the life expectancy of a cat everywhere. How long can a cat live? Several pet owners ask this question. 

The simple answer to this question is that an indoor cat can live longer than an outdoor cat.  To know further interesting facts, please scroll down and get the authentic information.

In this blog, we are going to discuss the “lifespan of an indoor cat” and all other related things under the light of scientific literature and general field experience.

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How Can A Cat Live Longer?

There are a number of factors that affect the life expectancy of cats. Just keep in mind better nutrition and good quality management leads to a longer lifespan of a cat. However, we have summarized some important points which can help a cat live longer and healthier.

• A Highly Nutrious Diet

As discussed earlier, a nutrient-enriched diet is very essential for the overall well-being of your cat.  Being a responsible owner, this is your duty to provide a cat with an appropriate and balanced diet in a balanced proportion. You may take recommendations from an expert pet nutritionist in this regard.

Note: If you want to see your cat enjoying a healthy life and stay with you for a longer time, do focus on her diet (This must be your top priority). Also, keep an eye on the hydration status of your cat. Make sure, your cat has availability of clean and fresh drinking water all the time.

• Physical And Mental Stimulation

Physical exercises also play an important role in keeping your cat fit. Hence, they enhance the life span of your beloved cat. You must go out for a walk with your cat according to your schedule. You can also buy various interactive toys to keep your cat engaged. 

If you want some indoor activities for your cat then you can buy a cat wheel or treadmill. This is important to supervise the cat when she is doing exercise on these types of equipment.  You can also get scratch posts, climbing towers for your cat. Also, talk to your vet and get some interesting exercise suggestions for your cat.

Note: Physical and mental stimulation is very much essential for the better performance and overall well-being of a cat. The cat’s environmental enrichment is also important to keep a cat engaged and out of boredom.

• Routine Medical Examination

Regular vet visits are also important for the well-being of cats. Being a responsible owner, you should keep eye on your cat. If you suspect any abnormal signs in your cat, talk to your vet immediately. This is also wise to stay in touch with a vet.  A healthy cat can live longer and enjoy a quality life. Also, keep in mind, prevention is better than cure. Also, get your cat vaccinated on time.

What Is An Average Lifespan Of An Indoor Cat?

According to pet experts, an indoor cat with proper care and good management can live up to 10-15 years.

Reasons To Keep A Cat Indoors:

An indoor cat has a longer lifespan as compared to outdoor/wild cats. We have summarized the important reasons below:

1. An outdoor cat can be attacked by various predators such as dogs and furious cats.  On the other hand, an indoor cat stays safe.
2. An outdoor cat can be hit by vehicle (Accidents). On the other hand, an indoor cat stays safe from road accidents.
3. An outdoor cat can easily get infections and fatal diseases from the other animals. On the other hand, an indoor cat stay protected from such infections.
4. An outdoor cat can eat poison or other toxic chemicals. On the other hand, an indoor cat stays safe from such poisons.
5. An outdoor cat can also easily contract parasites such as fleas and ticks. These parasites cause serious diseases and reduce the lifespan of your cat.
6. An outdoor cat can easily get lose or theft by the people with criminal intentions.

What Is An Average Lifespan Of An Outdoor Cat?

According to scientific literature, an average lifespan of an outdoor cat is 2-5 years. The important causes of this lower life span have been already discussed above. This is why it is important to keep a cat indoors with all available facilities.

What Are The Different Life Stages In A Cat’s Life Cycle?

For a better understanding of the lifespan of an indoor cat, we have divided a cat’s life cycle into various stages. Let’s discuss those stages one by one.

Life stage	Age (years)	Description
Kitten	Up to 6 months of age	This is a period of fastest growth. You can start basic training for your kitten during this period. For instance, basic litter training and introducing your kitten to other pets and household things.
Junior	From 6months up to ~2 years	At this stage, a cat is fully mature.
Prime	From 3 years to 6 years	At this stage, keep an eye on the overall health status of your cat. Make sure, your cat is fully vaccinated.
Mature	From 7 years to 10 years	At this stage, monitor the health status of your cat and also manage her weight. Remember, during this period of life, a cat becomes slow. Also, monitor her feeding frequency.
Senior	From 11 to 14 years	At this stage, you should keep your cat out of boredom. Also, provide your senior cat with mental and physical enrichment activities.
Geriatric	15 years or above	At this stage, keenly observe the behavior of your cat. Also, note the vocalization and feeding frequency of your cat.

What Are Common Myths About Keeping A Cat Indoors?

As discussed earlier, indoor cats can live longer as compared to outdoor cats. Here, we are going to enlist some common myths about indoor cats. We hope, this will be useful for cat lovers.

1. Cats are fully indoor creatures. They like the fresh air, sunshine and natural environment. So, cats love outdoor atmosphere
2. Indoor cats can’t do proper exercises that lead to weight issues.
3. Cats can cause a variety of infections in human beings. For example, they cause toxoplasmosis in pregnant women. Being a responsible owner, you should get your cat fully vaccinated as recommended by your vet. A pregnant woman should wear gloves while handling the cat feces etc.
4. Cats scratch the furniture and destroy the household items. This behavior can be corrected with the help of proper training and scratch posts.
5. Cats create the mess inside the home because of their bad habits of urinating everywhere. This can be corrected with the help of proper litter training.

What Is The Life Span Of Common Cat Breeds?

Here is interesting information for cat owners. We have enlisted the average life span of the most popular indoor cat breeds below:

Name of breed	Life span  (years)
Bengal	14-16
American shorthair	15-20
Persian cat	10-17
Maine coon	10-13
Ragdoll	15-18
Burmese	16-18
Calico	12-15
Sphynx	10-15
Siamese	12-20
Savannah	12-20
Manx	8-14
Munchkin	12-25

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Conclusion

Cats are pretty creatures. The life expectancy of a cat depends upon various factors i-e good health, nutrition, enriched environment, etc. Generally, an indoor cat can live up to 15-20 years. In contrast, an outdoor cat can live hardly up to 5 years.

Over and above, there are a number of benefits of keeping a cat indoors. Some people believe that cats can’t live happily totally in an indoor environment. Being a responsible owner, this is your duty to provide a cat with all necessities and facilities so that she could live a happy and healthy life.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can a pet cat live up to 25 years?

However, 25 years life span is an extraordinary one. In rare cases, a pet can live up to 25 years but it totally depends upon your management. Remember, the average lifespan of a well-cared pet cat is nearly up to 15 years.

Is spaying or neutering important for the lifespan of a cat?

Yes, spaying and neutering enhance the life span of a cat. You should talk to your vet in this regard.

Does wet food increase the lifespan of a cat?

Yes, this has been documented in the literature that wet cat food increases the life span of a cat.

References

Taylor, E.J., Adams, C., and Neville, R., 1995. Some nutritional aspects of aging in dogs and cats. Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 54(3), pp.645-656.

Laflamme, D.P., 2005. Nutrition for aging cats and dogs and the importance of body condition. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 35(3), pp.713-742.

Delgado, M. and Dantas, L.M., 2020. Feeding Cats for Optimal Mental and Behavioral Well-Being. Veterinary Clinics: Small Animal Practice, 50(5), pp.939-953.