How long did your cats live?

[Anonymous]

I’m sitting here with my beloved two year old cat and hoping she lives a long time. *sniff*

I had a cat that lived to be 16; he had diabetes and a mass that was possibly cancerous. My childhood cats lived to be 12 (kidney disease) and almost 20. Another car was rescued so we weren’t sure of his age, but he lived to be elderly.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Just lost 7-month-old kitten to FIP. We tried an experimental antiviral and it bought him a few really good months but ultimately he was one of the small percentage where the virus becomes resistant to the drug.

We haven't had good luck with cats. We also lost a 5-year-old cat to a congenital kidney disease, an 8-year-old cat to lymphoma, and a 12-year-old cat to lymphoma. People whose cats live to be 16-20 seem like myths to me.

We are taking a long break from pet ownership, possibly permanent. A kitten dying is hell. We did the best we could for him but unfortunately it was not enough.

A few years ago we lost a one year old cat to FIP. When she was really ill at the end, I took her to the vet to be put down (she had already been in treatment for FIP but not responding, losing weight, could hardly stand), and the vet refused to euthanize - poor kitty died at home of an enormous seizure a day later. I was so upset at that vet. And FIP sucks with how it can take out young cats. So sorry for your loss.

Most of our other cats have lived into their mid to late teens.

[Anonymous]

My tabby lived to 19. Cats kept indoors generally live longer.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:For those whose cats lived 19+ years, what do you attribute it to? How often did they see the vet? Did you do treatments that prolonged their lives?

Mine lived to be 19 and had very little vet attention at all, for years I honestly could not afford it. She developed mammary cancer at 18, had surgery, had a very good year, then went downhill pretty fast.

My sister had one of her kittens. Lived in a semi-rural area and it was a mostly outside cat. Cat didn't get spayed until she was 16 and had had a litter in a closet in the house. A couple of years later my sister developed cancer and couldn't keep the cat due to her chemo, so I took the cat. She lived until 23, this year. Also minimal vet care. She started dropping weight her last year, I considered vet but opted to let nature take its course, which in the end it did.

[Anonymous]

Our cat died at 17 due to kidney disease and a tumor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our cat died at 17 due to kidney disease and a tumor.

Oh, and it was mammary cancer.

[Anonymous]

21. She was still healthy but her dementia was wearing on her. She made it clear she was ready to go. She was quite a cat. I sang her favorite song to her as the vet put her to sleep. Miss her still.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:For those whose cats lived 19+ years, what do you attribute it to? How often did they see the vet? Did you do treatments that prolonged their lives?

Mine lived to be 19 and had very little vet attention at all, for years I honestly could not afford it. She developed mammary cancer at 18, had surgery, had a very good year, then went downhill pretty fast.

My sister had one of her kittens. Lived in a semi-rural area and it was a mostly outside cat. Cat didn't get spayed until she was 16 and had had a litter in a closet in the house. A couple of years later my sister developed cancer and couldn't keep the cat due to her chemo, so I took the cat. She lived until 23, this year. Also minimal vet care. She started dropping weight her last year, I considered vet but opted to let nature take its course, which in the end it did.

Why bother getting a cat spayed at 16?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:21. She was still healthy but her dementia was wearing on her. She made it clear she was ready to go. She was quite a cat. I sang her favorite song to her as the vet put her to sleep. Miss her still.

For those whose cats lived 19+ years, what do you attribute it to? How often did they see the vet? Did you do treatments that prolonged their lives?

She was an indoor/outdoor cat until I got her at age 7. Then she was always indoors, annual vet checkups and bloodwork as she got older. When she was around 10 or 11 the bloodwork showed early kidney disease. We put her on the special low-protein cat food until she passed away. We had her teeth cleaned around that age too and a rotten tooth was found and removed. We never missed any of her check ups or shots. I think it was part that and part genetics/disposition.