How Long Do Cats Live? Life Expectancy by Breed, Sex and Age

How long do cats live? On average about 12 years, though that number hides a lot. Plenty of cats reach their late teens, and a cat that’s already 10 has better odds than the average suggests. We went through the best recent data we could find and ran the results through our cat age calculator so you can see what they mean in human years.

How long do cats live on average?

The most detailed numbers come from a 2024 study of 7,936 cats that died while registered with UK vet practices in 2019. The researchers built proper life tables, the same kind insurers use for people.

Group	Life expectancy at birth
All cats	11.7 years
Female	12.5 years
Male	11.2 years
Crossbred	11.9 years
Purebred	10.4 years

The oldest crossbred cat in the data was about 26.7 years old, so the upper end is a long way from the average.

One honest caveat. “Life expectancy at birth” counts every kitten, including those lost young to accidents or illness. That pulls the average down. An earlier study by the same UK group, covering 4,009 cats that died between 2009 and 2012, found a median age at death of 14.0 years. The two figures measure slightly different things, so don’t worry if you see both quoted.

Which cat breeds live the longest?

Breed made a big difference in the 2024 data. Here are breeds with enough cats to give a usable estimate, with the human-age equivalent from our calculator.

Breed	Life expectancy at birth	About this in human years
Burmese	14.4 years	74
Birman	14.4 years	74
Crossbred (moggy)	11.9 years	64
Siamese	11.7 years	63
Persian	10.9 years	60
Ragdoll	10.3 years	57
Maine Coon	9.7 years	55
British Shorthair	9.6 years	54
Bengal	8.5 years	50
Sphynx	6.7 years	43

A couple of these surprised us. British Shorthairs and Maine Coons are popular, sturdy-looking cats, yet both averaged under 10 years. Sphynx cats came out lowest by a long way, and the authors say more research is needed on that breed. Small breed numbers mean wide error bars, so treat the lower rows as a rough guide.

How long will my older cat live?

This is where life tables are more useful than a single average. Once a cat survives kittenhood, its expected total lifespan goes up.

Your cat’s age now	Female: expected years left	Male: expected years left
Newborn	12.5 (to about 12.5)	11.2 (to about 11.2)
1 year	12.0 (to about 13)	10.6 (to about 11.6)
5 years	9.4 (to about 14.4)	8.2 (to about 13.2)
10 years	5.8 (to about 15.8)	5.1 (to about 15.1)
15 years	2.8 (to about 17.8)	2.6 (to about 17.6)

So a healthy 10-year-old female isn’t “near the end” because she’s passed the 12-year average. On average she still has nearly six years ahead.

Worked example: our 10-year-old tabby

Say you have Mia, a 10-year-old spayed female moggy.

1. Human age now. Enter 10 years in the cat age calculator. It gives 56 human years. The cat years to human years post explains the formula: 15 for year one, 24 by year two, then about 4 a year.
2. Expected years left. The female row for age 10 says about 5.8 more years, which takes her to roughly 15 or 16.
3. What that looks like in human terms. At 15.8 cat years, the calculator would put her around 79.

That’s an average, not a forecast. Mia could have kidney disease at 12 or still be hunting moths at 19.

What helps a cat live longer?

The 2024 study linked three things to a shorter life: not being neutered, being purebred and having a body weight far from the typical weight for the cat’s breed and sex.

• Neutering. Entire cats had 4.29 times the odds of dying before age 3. The study shows a link rather than the exact reason, but it’s a big one.
• Weight. Keep your cat near its ideal weight. Our how much should a cat weigh post walks through body condition scoring. The evidence here is messier than you might expect: an Australian study cited in the paper found cats with a slightly chunky body score lived longest. Very thin and very heavy cats are the ones to worry about.
• Portion control. Weight creeps on slowly. Our cat calorie calculator and cat food calculator turn calories into cans or cups, and the wet food guide covers mixed feeding.
• Regular check-ups. The AAFP recommends a vet visit at least every 6 months for cats aged 10 to 15, and every 4 months for healthy cats over 15.

On indoor versus outdoor cats, we looked hard and couldn’t find a reliable study that puts a number on the difference. What we do know: in the 2015 English study, trauma was the most common recorded cause of death, at 12.2% of cats. Indoor life, or a secure outdoor space, probably helps.

Curious how this compares with dogs? See how long do dogs live. Dogs live a bit longer on average, but big and flat-faced breeds pull their numbers down.

When to call your vet

Older cats hide illness well, so small changes count. Book a visit if you notice:

• Weight loss, even slow, over a few months.
• Drinking or peeing more than usual.
• Eating less, or eating more but still losing weight.
• Vomiting more than occasionally, or diarrhea.
• Hiding, less grooming, or reluctance to jump.
• Bad breath, drooling or pawing at the mouth.

Go the same day if your cat stops eating for more than a day, is straining in the litter box with little coming out (especially a male), or is breathing with an open mouth.