How old have your cats lived?

[Bears Discover Fire]

I've never owned a cat that made it past 6.

My first cat escaped from the house and disappeared on Halloween, when I was in 7th grade. Don't even want to dwell on what may have happened to sweet Puddy.

My second and third cats were a brother and sister, adopted together. The sister cat disappeared and we later found our neighbors the next street over had adopted her. So happy ending there. Her brother was not so lucky and was attacked and killed by a raccoon when he was 3.

My fourth cat was hit by a car at age 5.

My current cat is a strictly indoor hellraiser. He's 3-ish and hopefully will live a full, healthy life. He's a bit of a problem child and he makes me miss some of my other cats who were better tempered and less dysfunctional.

 

[Alpinemaps]

I used to house sit for a couple, and their cat, Dennis, was 23 when he passed away.

He was an amazing cat. He was indoor/outdoor. Lived on the edge of a canyon with coyotes. Never bothered him. He was awesome. His last few years, he was certainly blind and deaf, so he didn't go outside much. But he knew where everything was in the house, and had no problem getting around. He was pretty spry until he passed away.

 

[bigdaddy]

I've never owned a cat that made it past 6.

My first cat escaped from the house and disappeared on Halloween, when I was in 7th grade. Don't even want to dwell on what may have happened to sweet Puddy.

My second and third cats were a brother and sister, adopted together. The sister cat disappeared and we later found our neighbors the next street over had adopted her. So happy ending there. Her brother was not so lucky and was attacked and killed by a raccoon when he was 3.

My fourth cat was hit by a car at age 5.

My current cat is a strictly indoor hellraiser. He's 3-ish and hopefully will live a full, healthy life. He's a bit of a problem child and he makes me miss some of my other cats who were better tempered and less dysfunctional.

You should seriously never have another cat again.

My 18 old cat was a "replacement" for my sisters cat that ran away. Smartest cat ever because he ran away the day before he got fixed. However we thought we saw him several years later and he was nice and fat so we guess he found a new home.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I have read that an average lifespan of a cat is 13-15, a little less for outdoors (OK a lot) and a little more for indoors. One site said a cat could max at 25-35, which I think is a joke. That would be like 160 cat years!

So how old have your cats lived to? Mine is 18 (indoor/outdoor cat), and I have a bad feeling about her.

If they are really old (like over 20) and still alive please vote.

Most cats can go to about 15. Some breeds are longer lived. I had a Siamese who was 21 when she went to chase the great mouse in the sky.

 

[Sephiroth]

my grandmother had a cat that lived to be 32, and my cat now is 11 and is just as energetic as he was as a kitten

 

[Mr Awe]

I had a male cat who lived to be about 20. Fairly rare for a male cat. Died of cancer. He had diabetes as well but that wasn't a factor.

Had a female cat die at 12 years due to stomache/intesting cancer.

A cat reaching 20 is pretty rare. 25 is almost unheard of. Almost but not quite. It's probably like a person living to 110. Exceedingly rare but it's happened.

Mr Awe

 

[RoJoHen]

I have read that an average lifespan of a cat is 13-15, a little less for outdoors (OK a lot) and a little more for indoors. One site said a cat could max at 25-35, which I think is a joke. That would be like 160 cat years!

So how old have your cats lived to? Mine is 18 (indoor/outdoor cat), and I have a bad feeling about her.

If they are really old (like over 20) and still alive please vote.

Most cats can go to about 15. Some breeds are longer lived. I had a Siamese who was 21 when she went to chase the great mouse in the sky.

My old best friend's cat lived to be around 30, and she was an outdoor cat that roamed the neighborhood.

I was convinced at one point that she would never die. To be fair, I have no confirmation that she ever did die, because they ended up moving away.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

She might still be waiting there. For you.

 

[Bears Discover Fire]

I've never owned a cat that made it past 6.

My first cat escaped from the house and disappeared on Halloween, when I was in 7th grade. Don't even want to dwell on what may have happened to sweet Puddy.

My second and third cats were a brother and sister, adopted together. The sister cat disappeared and we later found our neighbors the next street over had adopted her. So happy ending there. Her brother was not so lucky and was attacked and killed by a raccoon when he was 3.

My fourth cat was hit by a car at age 5.

My current cat is a strictly indoor hellraiser. He's 3-ish and hopefully will live a full, healthy life. He's a bit of a problem child and he makes me miss some of my other cats who were better tempered and less dysfunctional.

You should seriously never have another cat again.

My 18 old cat was a "replacement" for my sisters cat that ran away. Smartest cat ever because he ran away the day before he got fixed. However we thought we saw him several years later and he was nice and fat so we guess he found a new home.

To be fair, all but my current cat were "family cats" owned in my childhood and teens. I wasn't the one who got to set the policy on whether the cat was indoor or outdoor, my parents were.

I agree, my parents should never own another cat again.

 

[Zachary Smith]

Shiva was just past 18 when she died of kidney failure in 2004.

Garp is just past 18 now and seems reasonably healthy. I hope we have a few more years together.

The remaining three cats are all between 6 months and 6 years of age and I expect to have them around a while. No one goes outside.

 

[bigdaddy]

I agree, my parents should never own another cat again.

OK then, they shouldn't.

I have always had indoors / outdoors cats and all of them lived to at least ten except for the two homeless ones that we took in.

 

[AdmiralGarak]

We had one reach 21. Most of them make it to be somewhere in the 15-18 range.

Looked up the oldest known housecat. The oldest cat lived to be 36.

 

[bigdaddy]

I'm bumping my own thread to say that my cat had to be put to sleep this morning after she got old very quickly. She would have been 19 in January.

 

[Ward Fowler]

^I'm really sorry to hear it. I've been through it myself, so I know how hard it is. My thoughts are with you.

 

[bigdaddy]

She told me yesterday she wanted to die, and this morning she didn't want me to leave her side, and knew she was going to the vets and was OK with it.

 

[nevermore]

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

Currently, my oldest cat was around 6 when he ran away, so i'm using that as the high setting. My "new" oldest cat is actually around 4 right now.

 

[bigdaddy]

Both my cats ran away when they were about 6-8, both came back. One was stuck in someone's basement for a week.

I had Fluffy, my sister got Max in Late 1990 or early 1991. Max was the smartest cat ever because he ran away the day before he was going to get fixed, and then we ran into him like 4-5 years later and he was huge! So he found a nice new home. Max disappearing lead to my sister getting her new cat Whiskers in April 1991 and that's my kitty who just died.

 

[ManOnTheWave]

I'm sorry to read that. My condolences.

 

[Deranged Nasat]

My maternal grandmother's cat reached 21. She raised her from a few weeks after birth. It was very hard when the time came for the final vet visit.