14
Apr
This is not an exact science as cats can live for 20 years. Those who manage to live past a few weeks often have a lifespan of only 1-2 years.
The cats that currently live with me are only now starting to approach their early teens.
How long do cats live not in the wild. First of all domesticated cats dont live in the wild- secondly feral cats live their life on a day to day survival basis- their life expectancy depends on alot of factors- traffic can cause deaths as other wild animals such as raccoons hawks which can cause infections from fighting or from predatory actions can become fatal for these lost souls. Without any human assistance at all most cats die before they reach adulthood. Those who manage to live past a few weeks often have a lifespan of only 1-2 years.
With human assistance these cats can live longer to up to 10 years. Human beings who help feral cats often opt to trap neuter and then release them to control the population. For kittens who were raised by a feral mother a study available on the AMVA website reports.
Survival data were available for 169 kittens. Overall 127 of the 169 75 kittens died n 87 or disappeared 40 before 6 months of age. Eighty-one of the 169 48 kittens died or disappeared before they were 100 days old.
In conclusion some a relatively small percentage of domestic cats could manage to survive in the wild for a reasonable length of time perhaps for the rest of their lives in rare cases. Feral cats often travel in packs. In todays article we are going to discuss how feral cats are raised in the wild.
How Long Do Feral Cats Stay With Their Kittens. Despite popular belief feral cats stay with their kittens for a long time. Feral cats usually stay with their kittens for at least 3 months.
At this point the kittens are almost always weaned and able to eat solid food. Feral cats will not. Feral cats stay with their kittens for the majority of the first two weeks of their life full-time for the babies are blind and deaf for the first fortnight of their lives.
After that the mama will venture out to find food for herself to stay strong while continuing to nurse her babies. Cats that had owners meanwhile tended to stick close to home with their range sizes averaging a mere 49 acres. Feral kitties were also more active than cats that had homes.
Feral and wild cats live for just 4 to 5 years on average and the life expectancy for outdoor cats isnt much greater either. Outdoor cats are exposed to a host of dangers from traffic to wild animals poisons other cats and even humans. Without a human caregiver a stray cat will not survive for long outside.
The ones who do manage to survive become semi-feral which makes them unlikely to become adopted if they are eventually taken to a shelter. If you are considering dumping a cat outside I would implore you to take the cat to a shelter if you are unable to find a home for him. The ASPCA states that the average lifespan of indoor cats is 13 to 17 years but there are cats that live up to 20 years as well.
It is a few years lesser in case of outdoor cats. Now we come to the next more important question. How can you help your cat live longer.
With advances in medicine and nutrition cats are living longer than ever before. Its not unusual today to see a cat live well into its 20s. As a health care provider thats encouraging and heartening.
The cats that currently live with me are only now starting to approach their early teens. Furthermore feral cats typically have a short life span of two years as a result of harsh urban environments. However if they get care they can survive for long.
Feral cats are extremely territorial and fight to defend their territory. Experts are of the opinion that there are varying stages of wildness and feral cats fall on the least wild portion of the spectrum. Although many people feel that not allowing a cat to roam outside is cruel deciding whether a cat will be an indoor or outdoor cat is one of the most important decisions a cat owner will make.
The longest life recorded for a domestic cat was twenty-eight years but most indoor cats live for between twelve and sixteen years. In general healthy cats live between 10 and 20 years with an average of about 15 years. The number one factor that affects longevity is whether a cat lives indoors or outdoors.
However factors such as breed gender domestication health and spaying or. How Long Do Cats Live. The average lifespan of a domesticated cat is 13 to 17 years.
This is not an exact science as cats can live for 20 years. Others will succumb to illness or accidents earlier in life. A cats life span is divided into six stages.
Theres little doubt that feral cats on average dont live as long as pet cats especially those living exclusively indoors. Although the often-heard claim that these cats live only about two years is supported to some degree by studies of unsterilized cats living without any apparent reliance on food from humans By contrast studies have documented median lifespans for sterilized.