Aging in cats

Felines getting older

Aging in cats is the process by which cats change over the course of their natural lifespans. The normal lifespan of domestic cats is in the range of 13 to 20 years. As cats senesce, they undergo predictable changes in health and behavior. Dental disease and loss of olfaction are common as cats age, affecting eating habits. Arthritis and sarcopenia are also common in older cats. How a cat's health is affected by aging may be managed through modifications in a cat's diet, accessibility adjustments, and cognitive stimulation.

## Average lifespan among domestic cats

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This cat is around 18 years old; notably, there are specks of grey fur around the eyes.

Reliable information on the lifespans of domestic cats is varied and limited.[1] Nevertheless, a number of studies have investigated the matter and have come up with noteworthy estimates. Estimates of mean lifespan in these studies range between 13 and 20 years, with a single value in the neighborhood of 15 years.[2][3] At least one study found a median lifespan value of 14 years and a corresponding interquartile range of 9 to 17 years.[4] Maximum lifespan has been estimated at values ranging from 22 to 30 years although there have been claims of cats living longer than 30 years.[1][2][4][5][6][7][8] According to the 2010 edition of the Guinness World Records, the oldest cat ever recorded was Creme Puff, who died in 2005, aged 38 years, 3 days.[9] Female cats typically outlive male cats, and crossbred cats typically outlive purebred cats.[2][4] It has also been found that the greater a cat's weight, the lower its life expectancy on average.[4] The current oldest verified cat alive is Flossie, who was born in 1995 in the United Kingdom.[10]

A common misconception in cat aging (and dog aging) is that a cat ages the equivalent of what a human would age in seven years each year. This is inaccurate due to the inconsistencies in aging as well as there being far more accurate equations to predict a cat's age in "cat years". A more accurate equation often used by veterinarians to predict cat years is 4x \+ 16, (x being the chronological age of the cat) which works for cats who are two years of age or older.[citation needed]

In one study of cat mortality, the most frequent causes were trauma (12.2%), renal disorder (12.1%), non-specific illness (11.2%), neoplasia (10.8%) and mass lesion disorders (10.2%).[4][11]

## Signs of aging

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### Nutrition

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Aging in cats impacts their nutritional behavior. Various areas in the feline aging process can affect nutrition. This includes reduced food intake and decreased nutritional absorption. There is a correlation between increasing age and dental disease in cats. This oral discomfort affects the amount of food felines consume. The key to preventing oral pain from dental disease is oral examinations and early appropriate intervention."[11] Arthritis in older cats may also restrict mobility and cause discomfort when feeding. Olfaction loss with aging can also impact a feline's food intake.[citation needed] There are many factors discussed in the article that led to reduced food intake. Their second focus is decreased nutritional absorption. They provide evidence suggesting that "older cats have decreased fat and protein digestion and if this loss is not accounted for cats will begin to metabolize their lean body mass leading to sarcopenia."[citation needed] Cats that can preserve their lean body mass have increased longevity. Because of this, dietary manipulation can have positive effects in feline longevity.[11][12]

## References

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1. ^ a b "AnAge entry for Felis catus". AnAge: The Animal Ageing and Longevity Database. 2017-10-14. Retrieved 2018-03-15.
2. ^ a b c Cozzi, B.; Ballarin, C.; Mantovani, R.; Rota, A. (2017). "Aging and veterinary care of cats, dogs, and horses through the records of three university veterinary hospitals". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 4: 14. doi:10.3389/fvets.2017.00014. ISSN 2297-1769. PMC 5306394. PMID 28261586.
3. ^ Grimm, D. (2015). "Why we outlive our pets". Science. 350 (6265): 1182–1185\. Bibcode:2015Sci...350.1182G. doi:10.1126/science.350.6265.1182. ISSN 0036-8075. PMID 26785473.
4. ^ a b c d e O’Neill, D.G.; Church, D.B.; McGreevy, P.D.; Thomson, P.C.; Brodbelt, D.C. (2014). "Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary care veterinary practices in England" (PDF). Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery. 17 (2): 125–133\. doi:10.1177/1098612X14536176. ISSN 1098-612X. PMC 10816413. PMID 24925771. S2CID 7098747.
5. ^ Arking, R. (2006). The Biology of Aging: Observations and Principles (3rd ed.). New York: Oxford University Press. p. 127.
6. ^ Comfort, A. (1956). "Maximum ages reached by domestic cats". Journal of Mammalogy. 37 (1): 118–119\. doi:10.2307/1375545. ISSN 0022-2372. JSTOR 1375545.
7. ^ Hayashidani, H.; Omi, Y.; Ogawa, M.; Fukutomi, K. (1989). "Epidemiological studies on the expectation of life for cats computed from animal cemetery records". Nihon Juigaku Zasshi. 51 (5): 905–8\. doi:10.1292/jvms1939.51.905. PMID 2607740.
8. ^ Vets, Cloud 9 (2018-10-22). "How Long Do Cats Live? Breeds And Life Expectancy". Cloud 9 Vets. Retrieved 2023-04-28.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
9. ^ "Oldest cat ever". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 2015-12-01.
10. ^ "Flossie, 26, officially the world's oldest cat". BBC News. 2022-11-24. Retrieved 2023-12-22.
11. ^ a b c Dowgray, Nathalie; Pinchbeck, Gina; Eyre, Kelly; Biourge, Vincent; Comerford, Eithne; German, Alexander J. (2022-04-04). "Aging in Cats: Owner Observations and Clinical Finding in 206 Mature Cats at Enrolment to the Cat Prospective Aging and Welfare Study". Frontiers in Veterinary Science. 9. doi:10.3389/fvets.2022.859041. ISSN 2297-1769. PMC 9014291. PMID 35445099.
12. ^ "Caring for the ageing pet". Veterinary Record. 123 (6): 142–143\. 1988-08-06. doi:10.1136/vr.123.6.142 (inactive 26 January 2025). ISSN 0042-4900. PMID 3420779. S2CID 24560386.`{{cite journal}}`: CS1 maint: DOI inactive as of January 2025 (link)

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