How Long Do Indoor-Outdoor Cats Live
A typical indoor-outdoor cat will live about 18 years, while an indoor-only cat will only see 15 or 16 years of life. This can be attributed to several factors: disease risks, size differences between breeds, and spaying and neutering.
Indoor-outdoor cats tend to be healthier than indoor-only cats.
As you can see, indoor-outdoor cats tend to be healthier than indoor-only cats. Indoor-outdoor cats are less likely to get diseases like FIV and toxoplasmosis than their closed-in counterparts, but they’re also more likely to come into contact with fleas and ticks.
Larger cat breeds tend to live longer than smaller ones.
As a general rule, the larger your cat breed is, the longer it will live. This is because larger cats are less prone to injury and are more likely to be fed by their owners. A study published in The Journal of Feline Medicine & Surgery found that indoor-only cats lived an average of 15 years while outdoor-access cats lived an average of 12 years.
The idea that bigger pets live longer than smaller animals has been observed throughout history and across species. For example, elephants have been observed living as long as 70 years in captivity; however, in comparison with chimpanzees (one of our closest living relatives), chimps only live about 35 years on average at maximum capacity.
So what’s going on here? Why do big animals tend to outlive small ones?
Male cats generally have a life expectancy of 15 years, while females live to somewhere between 16 and 18.
Male cats generally have a life expectancy of 15 years, while females live to somewhere between 16 and 18. It’s important to note that this is the average lifespan for indoor-outdoor cats; those who are strictly indoor or outdoor cats will typically have shorter lifespans than their counterparts.
As we’ve mentioned above, male cats tend to live longer than female ones. The reason for this may be due in part to the fact that male cats are generally bigger than female cats and thus require more energy from the body to support their size (like how larger dogs tend to have longer lives). Males are also more likely to be neutered than females, which reduces the risk of certain cancers in both sexes—especially prostate cancer in males—and can eliminate behaviors like aggression and urine marking in males that some owners find undesirable.
Early spaying and neutering can add two to three years onto your cat’s life.
There are many reasons to spay or neuter your cat: it can help prevent cancer, urinary tract infections, and other diseases; it can reduce the risk of unwanted litters; and it will add two to three years onto your cat’s life. If you’re interested in keeping your indoor-outdoor kitty inside for longer than this, it’s important to get her spayed or neutered as soon as possible. The sooner you have this done (ideally before she reaches 6 months old), the better off she’ll be in both health and longevity.
Indoor-outdoor cats live longer than indoor-only cats, but they are at risk for diseases like FIV and toxoplasmosis.
Indoor-outdoor cats live longer than indoor-only cats, but they are at risk for diseases like FIV and toxoplasmosis. The good news is that when it comes to the overall health of your cat, indoor-outdoor cats tend to fare better than their indoor-only counterparts.
Indoor-outdoor cats are exposed to a wide variety of microorganisms and parasites that can help their immune systems develop greater resistance to disease. These bacteria also play a role in maintaining healthy gut flora (the bacteria living in your cat’s intestines).
It’s important to remember that indoor-outdoor cats are just like any other pet. They need love and attention, and they can be very rewarding companions. But they also have their own unique needs, and they shouldn’t be treated as a throwaway commodity or left outdoors all day without supervision. If you’re considering adopting one of these animals, make sure you’re prepared for their special needs before bringing them home!
