Cat Life Expectancy: What Veterinary Studies Say
Choose sex and breed type to see what a large US veterinary study published for that group of cats, with the UK study beside it when it reports the same group. They are group averages, not a prediction for your cat
Choose a Group of Cats
The US study reports every combination of sex and breed type, so it is the main figure. The UK study is shown beside it when it reports the same group. Neither study measured indoor or outdoor life. Neutering and individual breeds cannot be selected; see the questions below.
All cats
Dot: the published figure. Colored bar: the range published with it. Vertical line: all cats in the same study. Scale: 0 to 20 years.
Figures published by the two studies cited below, for groups of cats. They are not a prediction for any single cat. The UK figure is the median age at death of cats that died; the US figure is life expectancy at birth. They measure different things in different countries, so do not mix or average them. Neither study measured whether cats lived indoors or outdoors, so this tool has no indoor or outdoor figure.
A Figure from Studies, Not a Prediction
The numbers on this page are averages published by veterinary studies for groups of cats in England and in the United States. They cannot say how long your cat will live: individual cats live much shorter or longer lives. Questions about your cat’s health, neutering, vaccination or whether it goes outdoors belong with your veterinarian. Your choices stay in your browser.
How to use this tool
- Choose a sex and a breed type. “All” means no filter.
- Read the main figure, from the US study, and its 95% range. Beside it, the UK study appears when it reports the same group.
- Read the note under the figures, then press Copy Result if you want to keep the numbers with their source.
Worked example
Female cats: the US study published a life expectancy at birth of 11.68 years (95% CI 11.65 to 11.71), 0.50 years above the 11.18 years for all cats in that study. The UK study published a median age at death of 15.0 years (middle half 11.0 to 17.4), 1.0 year above the 14.0 years for all cats in that study. The two numbers differ because the studies measure different things in different countries, but both place females above males (10.72 and 13.0 years).
Why this tool exists and where its numbers come from
Owners search for how long cats live, often with an indoor or outdoor angle, and many pages give round numbers without a source. This tool shows only figures published in two peer-reviewed veterinary studies, with the range each study gives: a UK study of 4,009 cats that died in England and a US study built on the records of 2,390,078 cats. Neither study measured indoor or outdoor life, so the tool has no such figure and says so.
Sources
- O’Neill et al. (2015), Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery: the UK study (RVC repository record)
- Montoya et al. (2023), Frontiers in Veterinary Science: the US study (open access)
For the full method, see the Methodology section just below.
Methodology
The numbers come from two studies and the tool calculates nothing new. The UK study is O’Neill, Church, McGreevy, Thomson and Brodbelt, “Longevity and mortality of cats attending primary-care veterinary practices in England”, Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery 17(2), 125–133 (2015), from the VetCompass project of the Royal Veterinary College: 4,009 cats with confirmed deaths, randomly selected from 118,016 cats attending 90 practices, with data uploaded from September 1, 2009 to December 20, 2012. It reports longevity, which is the age at death, as a median with the interquartile range. The US study is Montoya et al., “Life expectancy tables for dogs and cats derived from clinical data”, Frontiers in Veterinary Science 10, 1082102 (2023), from the electronic records of Banfield Pet Hospitals: 2,390,078 cats, with life expectancy at birth defined as life expectancy in the 0–1 age interval and given with a 95% confidence interval. For all cats the UK median is 14.0 years (middle half 9.0 to 17.0) and the US life expectancy at birth is 11.18 years (95% CI 11.16 to 11.20).
Two studies, two different measures
US study, 2023
Who: records of 2,390,078 cats from Banfield Pet Hospitals.
Measure: life expectancy at birth, with a 95% confidence interval.
Groups shown here: all cats, sex, crossbred or purebred, and every combination of sex and type.
UK study, 2015
Who: 4,009 cats that died, from practices in England (VetCompass).
Measure: median age at death, with the middle half of the cats (interquartile range).
Groups shown here: all cats, sex, and crossbred or purebred (one filter at a time).
What neither study measured is whether cats lived indoors or outdoors. The UK paper lists outdoor access among the factors not included in the study. The US paper says the longer life of purebred cats might be explained if more of them were kept indoors, which is a possibility the authors raise, not something they measured.
Everyday Cat Items
A window perch, a cat tree and a harness with leash. They are general cat items and have no connection with the figures above.
Zakkart foldable cat window perch with hammock bed (size M)
Foldable window perch with a hammock-style bed, listed as cordless, machine washable and with a metal frame, supporting up to 40 lb, size M (22.8 in wide, 15.7 in deep), in cream white. Check the listing for how it attaches to your window and compare the size with your cat.
YUNIQUE cat tree with condo and large hammock (gray)
Cat tree with a condo and a large hammock, in gray, as listed. Check the listing for the height, the weight limit and the assembly before buying.
rabbitgoo escape-proof cat harness and leash set (black)
Cat harness and leash set in black, listed as an escape-proof vest in breathable mesh, with an adjustable fit, snap buckles, a sturdy clip and reflective strips, size XS for small and average cats. The “escape proof” claim comes from the seller’s listing; check the size chart and ask your veterinarian about walking your cat.
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Frequently asked questions
Do indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats? ▼
This tool cannot say. Neither of the two studies measured indoor or outdoor life. The UK paper lists outdoor access among the factors not included in the study, and the US paper only suggests that purebred cats might live longer if more of them are kept indoors, which is a possibility, not a result. Round numbers for indoor and outdoor cats that you see on many websites are not from either of these studies.
How long does a cat live according to this tool? ▼
It depends on the study. In the UK study the median age at death of cats that died was 14.0 years, with the middle half between 9.0 and 17.0. In the US study life expectancy at birth was 11.18 years (95% CI 11.16 to 11.20). Both describe groups of cats, not one cat.
Why are there two different numbers? ▼
They measure different things. The UK figure is the median age at death of cats that had died during the study period, so it describes cats that have already died. The US figure is life expectancy at birth, built from the records of a large hospital group. The cats, the countries and the years also differ, so the numbers should not be mixed or averaged.
Do female cats live longer than males? ▼
Both studies report that females lived longer: in the UK study 15.0 against 13.0 years, in the US study 11.68 against 10.72 years. The tool does not explain why, and a difference between groups does not say what happens to one cat.
Does neutering add years to a cat’s life? ▼
The UK study reports a median age at death of 15.0 years for neutered cats and 11.0 for cats not neutered, but its authors say the neutering results should be interpreted cautiously because neuter status at death was used. The US study left neutering out. So the tool cannot say that neutering adds years.
Do purebred cats live longer than crossbred cats? ▼
The two studies point in opposite directions. The UK study reports a median age at death of 14.0 years for crossbred cats and 12.5 for purebred cats. The US study reports life expectancy at birth of 11.54 years for purebred cats and 11.12 for mixed-breed cats. That is a reason to read these as descriptions of the study populations, not as rules.
Can the tool tell me how long my cat will live? ▼
No. It shows published group figures with their ranges. Many things differ from cat to cat and no average describes one cat. A veterinarian who knows your cat is the right person for questions about its health and care.
Do these numbers apply outside England and the United States? ▼
The studies come from veterinary practices in England and from hospitals in the United States. The tool does not know whether the same figures hold in other countries, so it does not assume it.
Is anything I choose uploaded? ▼
No. The page runs in your browser, so your choices stay on your device and nothing is saved. If you reload or close the page, it returns to the default group.