Cat lovers certainly hope their pets will live long and healthy lives, accompanying them for many more years. But what exactly is the natural lifespan of a cat? And how many years did the longest-lived cat in the world live to date? Like humans, a cat's lifespan depends on many factors: such as genetics, environment, lifestyle, disease, and whether it has been injured. Other factors affecting a cat's lifespan include sex and whether it has undergone sterilization (spaying or neutering).
Tabby cats are a prized breed, with a genetic mutation that gives them a tiger-striped pattern on their fur.
Similar to humans, female cats generally live longer than male cats; spayed/neutered cats are more likely to live longer than unneutered/neutered cats. Furthermore, purebred cats have shorter lifespans compared to mixed-breed or crossbred cats. Generally, the average lifespan of a cat is around 15 years. However, domesticated cats can be expected to live up to 30 years. Of course, this doesn't mean all domestic cats will live that long on average.
A cat's age can be inferred by observing its fur color, teeth, and eyes.
World's longest-living cat
According to the Guinness World Records, some cats not only live to be 30 years old, but also much longer.
Below, let's take a look at the ranking of the 5 longest-living cats in the Guinness World Records:
First place: The world's oldest living cat was a tabby named Creme Puff, aged 38 years and 3 days (1967-2005). She was a female cat who lived with her owner, Jack Perry, in Austin, Texas, USA.
Second place: Following closely behind is a short-haired black cat named Baby. It also lived in the United States. Age: 38 years old (1970-2008).
Third place: This cat was named Puss, aged 36 years and 1 day (1903-1939). Puss held the record for the oldest living cat in the 1990 edition of the Guinness World Records. He was a male cat from Devonshire. He died the day after his 36th birthday.
Fourth place: Also included in the 1990 edition of the Guinness World Records is a tabby female cat named Ma, aged 34 years and 5 months (1923-1957), also from Devonshire.
Fifth place: In fifth place is a cat named Granpa Rexs Allen. Age: 34 years and 2 months. Interestingly, this cat's owner is also Jack Perry, the owner of the first-longest-lived cat. According to Perry, the secret to the cat's longevity is its diet: eggs, broccoli, bacon, and coffee with cream.
How to estimate a pet cat's age?
When estimating the age of pet cats and dogs, many people have heard the saying that one year old is equivalent to seven years old in human years. However, as people's understanding of animal ages has increased, this method is actually outdated and inaccurate.
Cats are their owners' darlings and best friends.
For example, a 1-year-old cat is much more mature than a 7-year-old child.
There is a specific scientific formula for calculating a pet dog's age: 16 x ln(dog's age) + 31, where ln represents a mathematical function called the natural logarithm.
For example, a 2-year-old dog is equivalent to a human age of 42: 16×ln(2)+31.
Black cats are not easily chosen for adoption.
However, there is no fixed formula for estimating a cat's age. Nevertheless, there are many ways to estimate a cat's actual age, including by observing its teeth, eyes, bones and muscles, and fur.
If a cat has tartar spots on a few of its white teeth, it means the cat is at least 1 or 2 years old; if all its teeth have yellow spots, the cat is at least 3 or 5 years old; if some teeth are missing, the cat is definitely old: about 10 to 15 years old.
A cat's eyes begin to become cloudy after the age of 12. A kitten's eyes are clearer and smoother.
However, it is generally believed that the first two years of a cat's life are roughly equivalent to the first 25 years of a human's life. Therefore, some people have summarized that a 1-year-old cat is equivalent to an 18-year-old; a 4-year-old is equivalent to a 35-year-old; an 8-year-old is equivalent to a 50-year-old; a 12-year-old is equivalent to a 70-year-old, and so on.
In addition, older cats look more "skin and bones", their fur is less shiny, and they lack the plumpness and agility of their youth.
If you're unsure of your cat's age, you can visit a veterinarian to estimate the closest possible age.
The cat at 10 Downing Street, London's Prime Minister's residence, is a media darling.
Other cat-related fun:
1. Cats cannot taste sweetness.
2. Cats also have left and right paws: female cats usually have their right paws predominant, while male cats have their left paws predominant.
3. Cats have exceptional night vision, allowing them to easily sense the movement of prey in the dark and quickly capture them.
4. A cat's pupil changes three times a day: in the morning it looks like a date pit; at noon it looks like a vertical line; and at night, its pupil almost fills the entire eyeball.
5. A cat's purring does not always indicate comfort and contentment; it can also be a sign of self-healing and wound recovery.
6. Cats sweat through their paws.
