SCIENTISTS REVEAL DOMESTIC CAT BREEDS WITH SHORTEST AND LONGEST LIFESPANS

UK-wide study shows Burmese and Birman cats live for an average of 14.4 years. But Sphynxes have the lowest life expectancy. 

Scientists can’t predict the future. (Yet.) But researchers from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) and Taiwan’s National Chung Hsing University (NCHU) have broken down how long cats can be expected to live. By characteristics including breed, sex and whether or not they’re neutered. 

To reach these conclusions, the team looked at data on nearly 8,000 cats whose deaths were recorded at veterinary clinics across the UK between 1st January 2019 and 31st March 2021.

And while the experts found Burmese and Birman cats typically live 14.4 years beyond their first year of life, some breeds don’t fare as well. Sphynxes, for example, only live for a further 6.7 years on average — the shortest recorded lifespan from the study.

Other characteristics impact lifespans, too. Unneutered cats tend to have lower life expectancies, the analysis revealed. Whereas female cats live around 1.3 years longer than males. And being overweight can also negatively affect longevity. 

As Dr Kendy Teng, study lead-author and assistant professor of animal welfare epidemiology at NCHU, noted: “Knowing the expected lifespan of their cats, we're not just raising awareness, we're helping the owners to make 'pawsitive' decisions for their cats.”

Read the full study here. And if you want to give your cat their best health? Get stuck into our 100% real meat recipes here.