How Long Do Cats Live?
When asked how long do cats live, others would jokingly say that cats have nine lives and for that they may be the longest living creatures in the world! Based on the statistics, an ordinary indoor cat’s life expectancy is up to twenty years. There are loads of reasons why cats do not reach their twentieth birthday and worse they even don’t reach half of their estimated life expectancy. But according to studies, a cat’s life expectancy these days are way longer compared to cat’s life expectancy decades ago. This may due to the change in purpose and reason of humans on why they decide to own a cat.
Back in the early days, cats were mainly kept in barns and farms for the purpose of hunting mice and other rodent and pests. Even though they performed their jobs in an incredibly excellent manner these lovely felines weren’t pampered as todays housecats are. They didn’t have a warm home to spend the night in, and were inevitably and consistently exposed to injuries, mishaps and diseases. They were also poorly fed thus putting them in a situation where in they didn’t have much choice but to feast on their victims who are most of the time carrier of diseases. As a result, they did not get the right nutrition that is appropriate to their built and what’s worse is that they lack medical help from professionals.
Nowadays, as the cat’s role in households has been upgraded, their life expectancy has skyrocketed as well and the question of “how long do cats live” has a much happier answer. Now that they are loved, pampered, trained, nurtured, groomed and cuddled they live longer and thus gave us more chances of becoming happy while sharing more wonderful and unforgettable memories with them. Although these days, barn outdoor cats that were meant to hunt pests still exist, most are now vaccinated, given good cat foods that are appropriate for their needs and purpose, regularly checked up by their vets and given enough attention by their masters. Too bad some are still treated roughly and they still couldn’t make it to their twentieth birthday.
Some common causes of a cats early demise are traffic accidents, poisoning (this may be accidental of intentional), cat brawls, diseases acquired from other cats, being picked up by animal control and later euthanized when not claimed and death due to predators. Stray cats die because of starvation or any or combination of the causes earlier mentioned. So, as you can see, your cat has a better chance of living a lot longer if you keep him indoors at all times.
In order for our affectionate, sweet and smart feline friends to stay longer by our sides there are lots of matters to be taken care of. Cats, just like humans, need proper diet and regular exercise in order to live longer. Factors such as of their being an indoor, outdoor or a combination of two, physical attentiveness and heredity issues do really affect their life expectancy. When it comes to ensuring our cat’s chance to celebrate its twentieth birthday with us, getting the appropriate vet care is essential.
So, the ultimate answer to “How long do cats live?” rests in the hands of the cat owner. Treat your cat with care and provide the proper housing, nutrition and love and your cat will live for a good long time.
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