Is My Cat Sick Or Just Old
Cats are great at hiding illness so owners should pay attention to any changes in behaviour. Changes such as moving around less, difficulty jumping as high and weight gain or loss could be put down to ageing but they could also be a symptom of illness. If youre concerned at all its best to contact your vet or out of hours your nearest Vets Now for advice.
Some subtle signs of illness in cats to look out for include:
- Hiding away/wanting to be alone
- Weakness
- Looking more scruffy/ungroomed than usual
- Eating or drinking more or less than usual
- Going to the toilet more or less
How To Keep Your Cat Healthy
While some factors of a cats health are out of your control, like genetics and accidents, there are plenty of things you can do to keep your cat as healthy and long-lived as possible.
1. Keep your cat indoors
As we already discussed, a cats average lifespan increases dramatically when theyre kept indoors, away from diseases and physical trauma. If you want your cat to get some outdoor time, consider an outdoor enclosure such as a catio, or training your cat to enjoy leash walks.
2. Keep your cat at a healthy weight
Obesity in cats is associated with several diseases, such as cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and osteoarthritis. It also more than doubles their mortality rate compared to lean cats, according to VCA Hospitals. Keep treats to no more than 5-10% of your cats daily diet, advises the ASPCA.
3. Get your cat plenty of exercise
Exercise helps keep your cats weight down, helps her burn off excess energy, and gives your brain something to do. PetMD recommends bursts of playtime that last 10-15 minutes, using toys like feathers, strings, and lasers, as well as providing climbing opportunities on cat towers.
4. Spay or neuter your cat
Spaying prevents several cancers, including uterine and breast, especially if you spay your cat before her first heat . Male cats benefit from neutering by preventing testicular cancer. Altered cats are also usually better behaved. Female cats wont go into heat and seek out a mate, and male cats tend to mark less.
The Breed And Genetics Of Your Tabby Cat
Certain breeds of tabby cats tend to have longer lifespans such as the Burmese, Siamese, Savannah, and British Shorthair.; These breeds tend to have better health and suffer lesser health issues. Burmese tabbies, for instance, live for 18 to 25 years. Unfortunately, some breeds tend to have shorter lifespans such as the Selkirk Rex and the Manx tabbies that only live for an average of eight to 14 years.;
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How Long Do Cats Live The Average Lifespan Of A Housecat
What is the average lifespan of a domesticated housecat? Well, thats a slightly difficult question to answer. The age of a domesticated cat depends on a number of differing factors. Therefore, it varies considerably from cat to cat. However, Cat World is able to provide us with a good basis of knowledge on the lifespan of the average cat. Also, be sure to check out how long do cats live, depending on whether theyre indoor or outdoor!
How Can I Help My Cat Live Longer
If youve just brought home a kitten, you might be amazed to think that this ball of fluff could be with you for at least 15 years! But how can you help a cat to live longer? Firstly, its important not to be swayed by some of the things you read on the internet. A lot of people will try to sell you some miracle cure that extends life, or will tell you that a particular diet will help your cat live longer. Its best to remain sceptical about these claims.;
Anecdotal evidence is persuasive, but theres no way of knowing if the medication or supplement truly caused the increase in lifespan without some serious clinical trials. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is!
On the other hand, studies have shown some similarities between cats that have a long life. Looking at these, we can come up with some recommendations for how to help your cat live longer.
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How Long Do Tabby Cats Live Indoor Or Outdoor
This is a question we are often asked, and it is clear that an indoor life is more likely to leave you with more years to share with your cat.
The average lifespan of an outdoor cat is only 2 -3 years which is such a lower amount than the 15-20 years we mentioned earlier.
There are multiple reasons for this and they are often things an indoor cat will never experience such as hazardous traffic, diseases, human traps, predators, poor weather conditions, even theft.
The outdoor cats have the lower lifespan than the indoor cats
It is easy to avoid all of these when you are an indoor cat. Although this isn’t how everyone wants their furry friends to live, the facts do not lie.
In terms of predators, if you live in the USA this is more of a concern for your outdoor cat than if you live in the UK.
Weather conditions are more likely to be a worry for anyone whose cat hasn’t returned at the regular time in the UK.
A Word About Outdoor Cats
This article answered the question how long do indoor cats live? but its important to point out the best way to shorten a cats life expectancy is to let him wander outside. Outdoor cats only live an average of 2 to 5 years. The dramatic difference is attributed to the many dangers an outdoor cat faces, including traffic and predators.
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Proper Care And Nutrition
An important factor that determines your tabby cats longevity is if she is receiving balanced nutrition and proper care, both physically and mentally. Always make sure to feed your pet with veterinarian-approved and recommended meals. Do not spoil her by overfeeding her with treats. You should provide clean water at all times.
You should also see to it that your cat does not miss her vaccinations and regular check-ups with your vet including dental check-ups. Encourage your tabby to be physically active by installing a cat tree or cat perch. Tabby cats are also very smart and it is important to have plenty of interactive playtime with her through the use of interactive toys to mentally challenge your cat. Keep toxic household items away and safely out of reach from your pet cat. Most of all, giving your pet your attention and care will benefit them.;;;
Tips For Helping Your Cat Live A Long Life
If you want to increase your cats life expectancy, there are things you can do as a loving cat owner.
Since we are also cat owners, we can attest to the desire to want our sweet friends to live forever. Since they cannot, its encouraging to know our cats can live a very long and happy life through the use of excellent care and veterinary medicine.
For more information on the lifespan of cats, or to schedule an appointment, please contact us.;
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Indoor Cats Vs Outdoor Cats: Making The Decision
The consensus among veterinarians and organizations such as the American Veterinary Medical Association is to keep cats confined, whether indoors or outdoors. Outdoor enclosures or leash walking for cats that are comfortable with it can keep them stimulated and safe while protecting humans, wildlife, and the environment.
Indoor cats tend to live longer than their outdoor counterparts, typically reaching 10 to 15 years of age. Cats who spend their lives exclusively outdoors live an average of just 2 to 5 years.
Gina Gentilozzi never thought twice about keeping her three cats indoors, particularly because she has some unpleasant memories about her own childhood pets. When I was little, I had indoor-outdoor cats and they all had;fleas, she recalls. And outdoor cats bring you home dead things and I dont like that either.
McWhorter is well aware that Hobbes and his sister, Calvin, lead a riskier life than her two indoor cats, Lucy and Ricky, but she inherited them from her homes previous owner and was afraid it would be hard for them to make the transition from outdoor to indoor cats. I really didnt want four cats in the house, and they were accustomed to being outside, she says.
Continued
Why Do Outdoor Cats Live Shorter Lives
Outdoor felines face a range of potentially life-threatening dangers, including:
- Cars, trucks, and other vehicles
- Cats, dogs, and wild animals
- Parasites like fleas and ticks
- Poisons, including pesticides and fertilizers
- Toxic plants like lilies
Cats who wander outdoors also risk theft or capture by animal control authorities. The chances of returning home increase dramatically when pets are microchipped and registered in the appropriate database.
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The Longest Living Cat In History
The oldest cat ever recorded in the Guinness World Record is a domestic shorthair cat named Crème Puff from Austin, Texas.;
She was born in 1967 and died in 2005 and has lived an impressive lifespan of 38 years and 3 days, which is more than twice the average life expectancy of felines.;
Her owner believed her incredible longevity is due to their unique diet of dry cat food and broccoli, turkey bacon, eggs, or coffee with cream.;
She’s also given by her owner an eyedropper filled with red wine once a week to aid her circulation.;
Although this Tabby Mix’s long lifespan possibly resulted from a combination of factors, including tender care, good genetics, and a safe environment, her owner gave credit to her non-typical diet.
All Domestic Cats Are Tabby Cats
Thats right! All domestic cats are tabby cats because they possess the agouti gene. This gene is often called the “tabby gene” because it’s the gene that not only determines whether your cat’s fur will have the striped bands but also what kind of pattern will these stripes have.You’re probably wondering why then are there some cats that don’t have any stripes if they all have the tabby gene? Well, the reason is that there’s what’s called a dominant and recessive gene. Cats that have the tabby pattern are those that have a dominant agouti gene while those that have a recessive agouti gene.You can learn more about the difference between dominant and recessive genes in the video below.
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How Long Do Cats Live If Theyre Outdoor Cats
A number of challenges tend to limit the average cat lifespan of an outdoor cat. Of course, outside means different things depending on where a cat lives and when were answering How long do cats live?
Do you live in an urban, suburban, rural or remote location? How many neighbors have outdoor cats? Do you live in a place with an abundance of predatory wildlife? Are there feral or stray animals nearby? Is the weather amenable year-round to an outdoor lifestyle? How close do you live to roads and thoroughfares?
These are all limiting factors, as are increased exposure to fleas, ticks, and other parasites and illnesses. Outdoors, cats can also get into cat fights and scrapes with other cats and are at increased risk of accidents.
However, they also have the freedom to explore, mark out favored perches and get natural exercise. Because there are so many more unpredictable variables, the numbers are generally not good, and cat lifespan ranges much more widely, anywhere from three to 10 years. The average cat lifespan outdoors is 5.625 years.
Tabby Cats Are Extremely Moody
Tabby cats can be as moodyif not, more moodyas their human owners. One minute they can be extremely hyper and playful, and then suddenly be very lazy. They can have days when they’re as sweet and cuddly as can be, and then they’ll have days when they become extremely grumpy and want to be left alone.Tabby cats brought up indoors and live longer with a playful personality. On the other hand, those say outdoors end up living short and grumpy lives. Health conditions like hyperthyroidism and Feline hyperesthesia can also make your tabby cat become moody.
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Signs Of Ageing In Cats
Your cat may become less playful as he ages and spend more time sleeping.
Weight loss is quite common in older cats; this should never be put down to just aging; there is always a cause of weight loss, which should be investigated. Common causes include diabetes, hyperthyroidism, kidney disease and cancer, which are all common diseases that can affect middle-aged to older cats.
Arthritis is a common disease that can creep up on older cats which occurs when the joints degenerate. Symptoms include limping, reluctance to put weight on one leg, stiffness, particularly when waking and reluctance to jump.
What Is The Difference Between A Sick Cat And An Old Cat
As your cat ages it will experience changes in behaviour, appearance and in its physical health. Cats should retain their ability play and jump when they age even if it is slightly reduced. Cats should also be able to maintain a healthy weight as they age. There should be no significant changes to muscle mass or body fat.
From a behavioural point of view your cats sleep patterns may change, their meows and other vocalisations may change and they may become less tolerant. In terms of appearance their nails may thicken, pupils can become cloudy and teeth may become slightly yellow or off white due to the thickening of dental walls.
There may be changes in your cats daily routines, a decline in vision and mobility and declines in their sense of smell and hearing.
A good way to keep an eye on your older cats health is by using the acronym DISHA to watch our for signs of cognitive decline:
- Disorientation getting lost in familiar areas or not recognising family members
- Interaction Changes they may become more clinging or irritable
- Sleep Disturbances changes in their sleep patterns
- House Soiling going to the toilet in places where they shouldnt
- Changes in Activity less interest in play or excessive licking
The most common causes of death in cats overall are:
- Trauma 12.2%
Most common causes of death in cats under 5 years:
- Trauma: 47.3%
Most common causes of death in cats over 5 years:
- Kidney Disease: 13.6%
- Cancer: 12.3%
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How Long Do Wild Cats Live
With all this talk about how indoor life, veterinary care, and nutrition can extend the lifespan of a cat, what about the cats that live in the wild? Unfortunately, the pressures to surviving in the wild are even greater for wild cats. The lifespan of a wild cat is drastically shorter. While tigers in captivity commonly make it into their 20s, the average lifespan in the wild is far less at 10 to 15 years. Its pretty typical for half of a litter to; not make it more than two years as well. Lions follow along the same lines as the tiger, while mountain lions experience a slightly shorter lifespan at 8 to 13 years. On the smaller side, a bobcats life expectancy is only around seven years, while the wildcat is closer to 14.
Average Lifespan Of A Siamese Cat Complete Growth Guide
The Siamese is one of the oldest breeds of cats. The breeds history has been long forgotten, but that doesnt mean they make less of an impact. On average, they are one of the longest living cat breeds, so many people gravitate towards them because of that. Several people love their chatty personality and affectionate demeanor and that these cats can stick around for so long. So, what is the average lifespan of a Siamese cat?
On average, a Siamese can live between 15-20 years. Siamese cats have a longer life expectancy than most other cats. Unique variations of modern Siamese cats live shorter lives. Regular health checks, a proper diet, and consistent exercise can greatly affect how long your cat lives.;
Various factors go into keeping a cat healthy and giving your kitty a nice long life. In this article, well dive into all of those areas and discuss ways you can help your Siamese cat live their longest, most enjoyable life.;
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How To Help Your Cat Live Longer
There are six simple steps you can take to help increase the life expectancy of your cat.
For more advice on keeping your cat healthy, visit www.cats.org.uk/help-and-advice/health