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New study reveals how long your cat is likely to live, according to its breed Credits: Social Media
By Ellissa Bain

New study reveals how long your cat is likely to live, according to its breed

By Ellissa Bain

A new study into the life expectancy of cats has revealed how long your cat is likely to live, according to its breed.

The research in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery analysed UK cat death data and found out how long each breed lives on average.

Close-up of gray fluffy cat sleeping on human's lap, hands stroking cat's fur. Love and care for pets, teenager and cat friends spend time together
Close-up of gray fluffy cat sleeping on human’s lap, hands stroking cat’s fur. Love and care for pets, teenager and cat friends spend time together. Credit: Kseniya Ovchinnikova (Getty Images)

How long your cat is likely to live

Researchers looked at 7936 confirmed deaths in cats under primary veterinary care at clinics participating in the VetCompass Programme in 2019 and found that the average life expectancy for UK cats overall was 11.74 years.

They analysed 12 cat breeds and found that the one with the longest life expectancy is Burmese at 14.42 years. Originating in Burma, these medium-sized cats are solid and muscular with a short coat, and their color can range from dark brown to beige and grey.

This was closely followed by the Birman cat at 14.39 years, another breed from Birma which is known for its long, silky luxurious fur, blue eyes and pure white feet.

At the other end of the scale, the shortest life expectancy is the Sphynx at just 6.68 years. The breed, which was developed in Canada through selective breeding, has increased in popularity in recent years and has no fur at all.

Here is the average life expectancy of each breed at birth:

  1. Burmese – 14.42 years
  2. Birman – 14.39 years
  3. Crossbred – 11.89 years
  4. Siamese – 11.69 years
  5. Persian – 10.93 years
  6. Ragdoll – 10.31 years
  7. Norwegian Forest Cat – 9.95 years
  8. Maine Coon – 9.71 years
  9. Russian Blue and Russian – 9.65 years
  10. British Blue and British Longhair – 9.58 years
  11. Bengal – 8.51 years
  12. Sphynx – 6.68 years
A teenage girl is holding her new pet Sphynx kitten in her arms. Pet life. Allergy to cats
A teenage girl is holding her new pet Sphynx kitten in her arms. Pet life. Allergy to cats. Credit: Elena Medoks (Getty Images)

One gender lives longer on average

The study also found that female cats had a 1.33-year longer life expectancy at 12.51 years, with males being just 11.18 years. However, the life expectancy gap between genders shrank with time and became not significantly different at year 15 to 16.

Interestingly, the life expectancy for crossbreed cats at age zero was 11.89 years, more than 1.5 years longer than purebred ones at 10.41 years. Purebred cats also had 1.83 times higher odds of dying before three years old than crossbred cats.

On top of that, unneutered cats were 4.29 times more likely to die before three years of age compared with neutered cats.

This new data is great for pet owners, allowing people to make informed decisions about which breed and gender they want to get.

“If somebodys priority is they want a cat that is going to defer death for as long as possible, on average, we now have the evidence to say [get a] female and crossbred,” co-author Dr Dan ONeill, from the Royal Veterinary College, said.

This vet’s key piece of advice for first-time cat owners is also useful when it comes to picking a breed.