In the early 1980s, the average life expectancy of a pet cat was seven years, but as of 2021, it has risen to fifteen years.

TIL The average life span of a pet cat has risen from seven years in the early 1980s to fifteen years as of 2021. from todayilearned

There’s been an increase in pet cat lifespans over the past few decades. Early in the 1980s, life expectancy was about seven years, but it increased to 9.4 years in 1995 and is anticipated to reach around 15 years by 2021. There have even been reports of cats living into their fifties. This is the case with one of the oldest recorded cats, Crème Puff, dying at 38, which has been verified to be the oldest known cat.

A study conducted in 1995 found that neutered male cats live to double as long as intact male cats, while spayed female cats live 62% longer than intact female cats. Similarly, neutered female cats live twice as long as intact male cats. Cats that have been neutered are less likely to develop testicular cancer and uterine and ovarian cancer, and mammary cancer. As a result, neutering or spaying cats is a useful technique, not only for the health of the cats but also for their longevity.