How long do house cats live indoors

Pet parents want to know how long they can expect their cats to live. The information helps with practical planning and emotional readiness. And while nobody can tell you exactly how long an individual’s lifespan will be, statistics do allow us to answer the question “How long do cats live?” in a general way.

Table of Contents Show

Keeping your feline fit and healthy
What happens as a cat ages?
What Your Local Vet Can Do
Total Wellness Plan

The feline life expectancy that is quoted in reference texts varies, but a good, average figure is 10 to 15 years. Another statistic that veterinarians commonly use in practice is the following:

Cats who spend significant unsupervised time outdoors tend to survive to be about 7 years old, while indoor-only cats can be expected to live to around 14 years of age.

These numbers may seem low, but they represent an average of the lifespans of ancient, well-cared-for kitties; unfortunate individuals who died early from disease or accident; and everybody in between.

Here’s an example using a rather typical litter of four. The senior citizen of the group makes it to 18 years old, with another sibling dying from an age-related disease at a very respectable 15. So far, so good. However, one littermate succumbed to an infectious disease as a kitten and the fourth cat was killed by a car at the relatively young age of 10. If you look at the litter as a whole, they fall on the low end of that 10- to 15-year life expectancy range, despite the longevity of two of the cats.

Another way to answer the question “How long do cats live?” is to look at the different aging rates of pets and people. In other words, we can ask “How old is my cat in ‘human’ years?”

An often-quoted formula says that we should multiply a cat's actual age by five to get its age in “human” years, but this is inaccurate because cats experience their entire infancy, childhood, and a large part of their adolescence in their first year of life. A chart produced by the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners does a much better job of comparing human and feline life stages:

Age of Cat	Human Age Equivalent
0-1 month	0-1 year
2-3 months	2-4 years
4 months	6-8 years
6 months	10 years
7 months	12 years
12 months	15 years
18 months	21 years
2 years	24 years
3 years	28 years
4 years	32 years
5 years	36 years
6 years	40 years
7 years	44 years
8 years	48 years
9 years	52 years
10 years	56 years
11 years	60 years
12 years	64 years
13 years	68 years
14 years	72 years
15 years	76 years
16 years	80 years
17 years	84 years
18 years	88 years
19 years	92 years
20 years	96 years

Continue to add four years for every year a cat is fortunate enough to live past the age of 20.

The best way to maximize your cat’s life expectancy, regardless of how it is calculated, is to provide excellent nutrition, ample exercise and mental stimulation, all necessary veterinary care including preventive medicine, protection from outdoor risks, and lots and lots of love and attention.

Dr. Jennifer Coates

Keeping your feline fit and healthy

There are many things you can do to help your feline friend live happily through their golden years.

Observation - your role is essential in noticing small changes to your cat's behaviour or general well being. You can do this by performing a weekly mini-physical examination yourself (if you are unsure about how to do this, ask us next time your cat visits).
Also be on the lookout for changes in water intake, appetite, breathing patterns, coat quality, lumps and bumps, coughing, physical abilities, toileting habits and even grooming habits.
Routine vaccinations
Regular veterinary check-ups including a physical examination (find out more here)
Balanced diet to suit your cat's age
Maintain a healthy weight range
Exercise - regularly engage in moderate playtime
Provide a stress free environment

What happens as a cat ages?

The ageing process is accompanied by many physical and behavioural changes:

The immune system of older cats is less able to fend off foreign invaders.
The skin is thinner and less elastic, has reduced blood circulation, and is more prone to infection.
Older cats groom themselves less effectively than do younger cats, sometimes resulting in hair matting, skin odour, and inflammation.
The claws of ageing felines are often overgrown, thick and brittle and will need to be clipped more often.
Hearing loss is common in cats of advanced age.
Ageing is also accompanied by many changes in the eyes. A slight haziness of the lens is a common age-related change and in most cases does not decrease a cat's vision to any appreciable extent. However, several diseases-especially those associated with high blood pressure can seriously and irreversibly impair a cat's ability to see.
Dental disease is extremely common in older cats and can hinder eating and cause significant pain.
Although many different diseases can cause a loss of appetite, in healthy senior cats, a decreased sense of smell may be partially responsible for a loss of interest in eating. However, the discomfort associated with dental disease is a more likely cause of reluctance to eat.
Feline kidneys undergo a number of age-related changes that may ultimately lead to impaired function; kidney failure is a common disease in older cats, and its signs are extremely varied. Picking up changes in the kidneys early, will provide a better quality of life.
Degenerative joint disease, or arthritis, is common in older cats. Although most arthritic cats don't become overly lame, they may have difficulty gaining access to litter boxes and food and water dishes, particularly if they have to jump or climb stairs to get to them. Cats with arthritis or joint disease may groom less and are less inclined to appreciate a pat over the back or tail area.
Hyperthyroidism (often resulting in over activity); hypertension (high blood pressure); diabetes mellitus; inflammatory bowel disease; and cancer are all examples of conditions that, though sometimes seen in younger cats, become more prevalent in cats as they age.
In humans, ageing changes in the brain contribute to a loss of memory and alterations in personality commonly referred to as senility. Similar signs are seen in elderly cats: wandering, excessive meowing, apparent disorientation, and avoidance of social interaction.

Information adapted from Cornell Feline Health Centre

What Your Local Vet Can Do

If you have an ageing feline friend, we're sure you want to ensure they live a long and happy life. We offer free dental health checks so that we're able to identify any signs of dental disease in your cat, vaccinations, cat boarding and more - contact your nearest vet clinic today.

Total Wellness Plan

Enjoy greater convenience and peace of mind with the Total Wellness Plan. As part of our annual healthcare plan you will receive unlimited consultations*, annual vaccination, monthly parasite control delivered direct to your door and more, meaning that you can focus on your cat living a long and happy life without the stress - join the Total Wellness Plan today.

*For Classic plan members only.