How long have your previous cats lived to?

[Nattyandcatty]

One of my cats is about to turn 8, the vet said he is senior now which surprised me because I know cats can live to be 18+ however, I’m not sure how common this is. Just out of interest, how long have your cats lived to, and what age do you think is considered “old” for a cat?

Almost 16

I don't think i have ever had a cat live to 18+. I think most of mine have gone on to about 16. Pedigrees have shorter lives, I think my husbands says his were 12 and 13. My current cat is 10.

Just lost our beautiful cat, aged 19. She only went to the vet once in her life and died peacefully at home.

My childhood cat lived to 12. She had thyroid issues.

My current cat is eight - I still think of her as a baby!

@Nattyandcatty The vet mentioned it because adult mature cats from middle age onwards have different nutritional requirements to younger adult cats. Most cat food manufacturers sell their product in regular or in 'senior' versions for age 7+, so it would be beneficial for your cat to switch now. Older cats can suffer from long term progressive kidney disease, and the right food helps to prevent that.

Mine have mostly lived well into their teens.

Our cat Milo lived until 20.

21, 8 (cancer) and 19. Current cat is 16

17 for most of mine. Current cats are 5, 12 and (at a guess) 15.

My elderly girl is arthritic and sleepy, but enjoys going outside to sunbathe all day, and she can still sprint when I call her in for dinner!

8 of my moggies lived into their 20's. Two of them died at 14 and 16 but they were rescue pedigrees and they dont tend to live a very long time. But they have all the latest vet treatments regular dental care and really good food. The longest lived ones had radioactive iodine treatment very early after they were diagnosed with thyroid disease.

First one died aged 8 of congenital heart problems.
Second one lived until he was 18 and was eventually PTS as life was really no fun for him anymore.
Current scamp is just over 1 year old but has used up 8 of his 9 lives already, so needs to settle down now.

Edited to add: all rescue cats, all moggies not pedigree.

Cats sleep almost all day?

Moggy means mixed breed, so not half moggy half oriental, just moggy

First cat don't know as rescue cat and already adult. I had her for about 12 years and she was clearly old by then and died in her sleep.in her basket. Second cat 18 1/2. He had cancer and had to be pts. Third cat I think was stolen as she went missing the same day 2 other lovely cats went missing all living with 5 doors of each other. She was 3 years old at the time. All were very beautiful cats. Mine was half Bengal and 1 was a ragdoll and 1 Maincoon. All were speyed and chipped. The vet told me people steal beautiful cats to try to breed them to sell the kittens then if they realise they must be speyed they throw them out on go streets. It made me cry but I think my cat was so affectionate and clever she would probably have found herself another home. I like to think that. The 2 I have now are both 8 1/2 years old and I have had them both from kittens. They are siblings. When I drive to another town I can't help myself looking at cats especially ones looking like my girl who was stolen.

Including childhood cats:
12, 18, 12, 1.5, 16

2 lived to 16 my lovely old boy is still going at 19

My last cat (moggy) was almost 14 but had a heart irregularity diagnosed as a kitten and they told us he would only have 3-4 years so he did well! Current cat (Bengal) is 3 but has already broken both hips and eaten tinsel that we didn't even know eat in the house, which required surgical removal, so here for a good time rather than a long time. DHs family cat (moggy) lived to 21! DH had moved out by the time he died.

Our lovely girl only made it to ten before cancer took her - we were absolutely robbed. Our little boy is three so I am hoping he lives to a ripe old age, and we currently have MiL’s big boy with us who is ten.

8 isn’t old at all. They tend to increase the excess on insurance policies at 8 though.
My cats have lived to 23, 18, 16. My current puss is 7. 🐾

Our last two were 12 and 17, they were mother and son and we lost them both to liver cancer. Before that we had Little Suzy who made it to her early 20’s. All moggies. Our current trio are all young so hoping we’ll have many more years ahead

Oldest have been 17, 19, currently have a 20 year old.

Our lovely Maine Coon boy lived to 13 and had to be pts because of cancer. We then took in a cat (moggie) that had belonged to a friend who had unfortunately died. Not sure how old she was, possibly about the same age as our boy, but we only had her for about six months before the cardiomyopathy she had been diagnosed with some time before deteriorated suddenly. Had to rush her to the out of hours vet late at night but nothing much they could do but pts. No more cats here but DH misses our boy especially and keeps wanting another so never say never.

Our first, tabby, was 19.

Our second, a white and tabby, was 3. Brain tumour.

Third was an accident (chased by a dog, not a road accident).
Current was the sister of our third and she's now 7.

Mine have all lived to 17/18 and no health issues but I always get mixed breeds, my friends like pedigrees and they all end up with health issues and dying younger

Dying from natural causes 17, 19 and 23. First two were male pedigree bluepoint Siamese cats the 23 year old was a female moggy. My friend’s moggy lived to 21

Cats (and dogs) tend to mature proportionally much faster than humans, have a much longer middle age, and a shorter old age. So whereas a human is considered middle aged at around 40 odd, a cat is biologically middle aged at around 7. But while a human is middle aged for around 20-25 years, a cat can be middle aged right up to mid/late teens so probably around 8-10 years.

Breed and breeding can make a massive difference too. Registered breeds tend to live a little shorter lives than moggies, but if the moggie comes from a long line of interbreeding e.g. some remote feral colonies, they are also likely to inherit poor genetics.