These Are the Indications That Your Cat Will Live a Long Life

We all want our cats to live forever (except when they wake us up at 6 a.m. for biscuits), and while feline immortality is still out of reach, it’s fairly uncommon for cats to live into their 20s – a commendable achievement for such diminutive creatures.

But how can you tell if your cat has a fair chance of reaching 21 – the feline equivalent of 100 – and whether you can influence its fate?

Two significant studies have pooled expertise from a global team of veterinary experts on the frequent changes experienced by aging cats, examining everything from musculoskeletal system wear and tear to cognitive and behavioral health.

The goal was to identify the indicators of healthy aging in cats, because while it’s widely known that owners and veterinarians can do a lot to safeguard the physical and mental health of older adults, it’s not much assistance if you don’t know what signs to look for.

This is especially important now, with over 20% of cats in the United States expected to be 11 years or older.

Anyone who has a cat understands that they are likely to stay for a long time, with the average lifetime of indoor house cats currently reaching an astounding 12 to 15 years.

This has increased substantially over the last few decades, with the average cat surviving to just over nine years in 1995, up from seven years in the early 1980s.

If your cat ages properly, they may even live into their twenties. And who knows, maybe yours will outlive Creme Puff, the oldest known cat, who lived to the age of 38 while eating bacon and eggs, asparagus, broccoli, and coffee with heavy cream.

Congratulations, Creme Puff; you were fantastic.

To give you an idea of how amazing Creme Puff was, here’s a chart from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine comparing cat years to human years:

A one-year-old cat is biologically equivalent to a 16-year-old human, and a two-year-old cat is equivalent to a 21-year-old human. Each year after that is worth approximately four human years. According to this calculation, a 10-year-old cat is equivalent to a 53-year-old person, a 12-year-old cat to a 61-year-old person, and a 15-year-old cat to a 73-year-old person.

So, how does healthy aging in a cat appear? According to two studies published in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, your cat will likely suffer many behavioral changes, changes in appearance, and functional changes related to its physical health as it ages.

According to the experts, your cat’s capacity to play and jump should be preserved as it ages, even if it is slightly decreased, and it should be able to maintain a healthy weight with no substantial changes in muscle mass or body fat.

With less cleaning, fur may begin to thin, whiskers may become black, and skin may get scaly.

Here’s a list of some more common, healthy things an aging cat might go through:

Changes in behavior include an altered sleep cycle, changed vocalizations, and a lower stress tolerance.

Changes in the look of the eye, such as lenticular sclerosis, which causes the pupil to appear foggy, blue-grey-white, and iris atrophy; decreased skin elasticity and brittle, thicker nails; small changes in weight and vision. Teeth can thicken their dental walls, making them appear yellow, off-white, or even glassy.

Daily functional changes include changes in activity patterns, decreased mobility, and a reduction in vision, smell, and hearing.

A healthy aged cat, according to the researchers, is one that exhibits none of the DISHA pattern of indications that is used to detect cognitive deterioration in aging dogs:

• D: disorientation – being disoriented in familiar surroundings, failing to recognize family members
• I: Interaction changes – social interactions between the pet and the owner or between other pets may vary. They may become more clinging or distant and irritated.
• S: sleep/wake disturbances – they may sleep more during the day, wake up in the middle of the night, or have inconsistent sleep-wake cycles.
• H: house-soiling – going to the toilet indoors or somewhere they wouldn’t typically go.
• A: activity changes and anxiety – a general decrease in activity levels and interest in play, as well as restlessness and repetitive behaviors such as licking.

“Many of the changes that occur with ageing in cats, like in humans, are not deemed pathogenic and have no significant impact on overall wellbeing or quality of life,” the researchers say. “However, while attempting to decide whether an aged cat may be deemed ‘healthy,’ ruling out sickness is critical.”

For more information, read the two studies online for free here and here, then take your friend to the vet whenever you detect anything out of the ordinary. I hope it doesn’t keep a grudge for too long…