How many cats live and how a person can affect the life expectancy of an animal, we will tell in this article.
The length of life of a wild cat and a domestic one differ significantly. So, cats live in natural conditions for about 5 – 7 years. And the average life expectancy of a cat at home is 14 years. Depending on the conditions and various factors, including the maintenance, care and attitude of the owner to the pet, the life span of a cat varies from 8 to 25 years.
Breed and heredity
One of the factors affecting the life span of a cat is its breed and heredity. Therefore, when choosing a thoroughbred pet, we recommend:
- buy an animal from experienced breeders;
- carefully study your pedigree – this will help determine the average life expectancy, the period of active growth and possible diseases.
It is worth remembering that every pet is individual, and it does not matter whether it is pedigreed or not. Therefore, it is not possible to predict how long your cat will live. But to make her life interesting, every owner can do it.
How to prolong the life of your pet
In order for a beloved four-legged friend to please with his presence as long as possible, it is necessary to create favorable conditions for the cat’s vital activity.
The list of recommendations below will help to organize this:
- monitor your well-being
- encourage the cat to an active lifestyle
- do not let the cat walk alone
- sterilize your pet
- be attentive and give love
Regular visits to the veterinary clinic helps to detect even the latent course of the disease in time and begin treatment, which will pass without complications. But if you notice the slightest deviation from the norm of animal behavior, for example, decreased appetite, lethargy, aggressiveness and other symptoms, then immediately seek medical help.
The life expectancy is affected by the activity factor of the cat. Sluggards, as a rule, live less. Therefore, encourage your pet to move in every possible way with the help of games and toys, walks in the fresh air.
It is worth remembering that letting a cat walk alone on the street is dangerous, since there is a risk of injury from a dog, a car, poisoning or getting infected with something from their relatives. Not all cats like to walk in the fresh air, for some it is a lot of stress, which negatively affects the health of the pet.
Another factor affecting the life span of an animal is sterilization. Statistics show that sterilized pets live 2-3 years longer. This is due to the fact that pregnancy and childbirth for a cat is a big burden on the body. Sterilization in this case acts as a regulator of the hormonal background of the animal, protection from stress and diseases.
Proper nutrition is the key to your pet’s health. Do not mix natural products with industrial feed. Give preference to producers of high-quality dry food, as it contains all the substances that are necessary for the full growth and development of the animal.
Be attentive to your pet and give love. Since positive emotions have a positive effect on the cat’s life expectancy.