Size and Lifespan of the "Average" Cat?

Forgive these questions but I honestly would like to hear from all my fellow catsiters.How old is/are your cat(s)? How large(or small) are they?I`ve read or been told that an average cat`s life span is around 15-20 yrs.My ex-landlord had a DLH that lived to 22 yrs old! I`m just kind of curious as to what to expect with my Alley.Of course I hope she lives a nice l o n g and healthy life(she`s like my kid here!).Everyone tells me that Alley is going to be a smaller cat due to her current age and size.A big non-issue because I lover her like she is...just kind of interesting I guess.
Anyways I`d be interested in hearing from you guys n gals!
...plus I know we cat people just LOVE to talk and brag about our Feline Friends,eh?

Thanks!
HosMan

Cat sizes can vary a lot. The Homer in "Homer's Odyssey" is now 12 years old and still weighs just 3 pounds. We had a healthy cat that weighed 18 pounds his whole life.

Any cat that reaches 14 years has lived a pretty-much average life span. Anything after that is gravy. It's said that the average outdoor cat lives 6 months (of course, that includes a lot of kitten mortality), and the average indoor cat lives 15 years.

There is a cat currently being reported to be about 35 years old.

Thanks MB! As always you are one of main "go to guys" here on TCS!

An adult 3 lb cat?? Wow!

My sister has two outdoor neutered/spayed cats. The female is small (compared to mine ) and is about 15.

The oldest cat I had was a female torty who lived to almost 19 before she passed. Her name was Shadow My largest cat, Carmelo, is apporx 180 pounds and stands close to 6 feet when up on his hind legs

Originally Posted by HosMan

Forgive these questions but I honestly would like to hear from all my fellow catsiters.How old is/are your cat(s)? How large(or small) are they?I`ve read or been told that an average cat`s life span is around 15-20 yrs.My ex-landlord had a DLH that lived to 22 yrs old! I`m just kind of curious as to what to expect with my Alley.Of course I hope she lives a nice l o n g and healthy life(she`s like my kid here!).Everyone tells me that Alley is going to be a smaller cat due to her current age and size.A big non-issue because I lover her like she is...just kind of interesting I guess.
Anyways I`d be interested in hearing from you guys n gals!

...plus I know we cat people just LOVE to talk and brag about our Feline Friends,eh?

Thanks!
HosMan

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So you have a cat named Alley! Me too! Same reason, from the alley. I don't know how old she is but she may outlive me. I would expect my cats to live longer though because they are never allowed outside. Indoor cats just live longer. So keep that in mind.

My Cco is 17.5 years old and is 6 pounds now.
She used to be 10 pounds at her highest weight.

Dusty is 6 1/2 and weighs about 7 lbs I'm guessing. She's put on weight since we got Squeak. Squeak is ony a kitten, and I'm guessing about 3-4 lbs. She's doubled in size since we got her the first week of Aug.

Dusty is an in/out cat since she was outdoors before she adopted us. Squeak has never been outside.

All my cats go outdoor. The oldest is more than 15 years old while the youngest will be 4 next May.

My mom had a mostly outdoor cat (his choice; she hates to have outdoors cats because whe worries too much) that lived to be at least 14 (we didn't know his exact age, because he came as an adult stray). Her other cats are 20 (2 litter-sisters; we got them when I was 10) and a 15-year-old longhair. My oldest cat is 9.

I read somewhere that the average lifespan for a indoor spayed female is 17, and for an indoor neutered male it's 15. Of course there are those blessed with superior genetics who live much longer, and those who do not live as long, but that's the average.

It seems to me that an average size for most cats is 8-12 pounds. Some are smaller, some are larger (or fatter!), but that seems to be the standard for a cat of healthy weight.

My oldest cat is 16 years old and weights 12.5 pounds. Of course she is a large breed domestic cat (or according to a book I read awhile back - a substantial breed).

My oldest cat Sphinx was 18 years when he passed and his weight was 9 pounds.

Luvbug turned 9 years old and weights 16 pounds (He was 11.5 when he came to live with us - starving and near death). He's also a large breed domestic.

Lil' Jag is our current youngster at 5 years and weights around 13.5 (yes she needs to loose a couple of pounds - we're working on it). She's our smallest cat in size.

At his highest weight, Mistoflees was 13 lbs. He was 17 when he crossed the rainbow bridge a month ago

Sneaky Pie is 8. She's about 13 lbs. But she needs to lose a few pounds

He was neutered and she's spayed. I have to admit, he was the NICEST kitty we ever had. If we ever get another cat (and I'm sure we will), I think I'd like another boy.

Cheryl

The farm cats on average are 10lbs and 2years old. Keep in mind that i haven't been taking care of them for that long and how they were cared for before affected their health.

I'd say honestly that how old a cat gets relies on genetics and nutrition.

As I adopted both cats in January of 2000 from a shelter, their ages are an approximation: Lilly is around 11-12 yrs. old and she weighs 9 pounds. David is around 10-11 yrs. old, and he is one big boy, at over 16 pounds (!)
(Sneakymom, I'm so sorry about the loss of your boy Mistoflees)

Aya is 8 lbs which is big for a Japanese cat.
Midori just crossed the 10lb line but she's been outside and exercising according to my Mom, so that's all muscle...
Our late Gracie was never more than 7lbs her whole life. She lived to be 14years old and was an in/out cat. Our other cats are still alive or did not have 'normal' lifespans so I can't comment from experience on that.

Bugsy is 2.5yrs old,18lbs and on a diet - his vet wants him to be at 15; he is a big kitty!! Lucky is 1.5yr old, and 11.5 lbs; Hope is about 3 yrs old and 9.6 lbs...

Harley is appx 2.5 years old (we think closer to 3.5 but that is what the shelter guessed him at) and weighs about 9.5 lbs neutered male. Jack is appx 2, and weighs about 10 lbs, neutered male. Pepper is 5 months old, and weighs about 5 lbs, spayed female. Ginger is appx 1 year old, and weighs about 8 lbs spayed female.

Leslie

Our oldest cat was about 21 when he passed, and 10 - 12 lbs.. He was an indoor/outdoor traditional Siamese. Our last cat was a feral for much of his life, and lived to 14. I never weighed him, but estimate that he was also about 12 lbs. Jamie is 10, and almost 15.5 lbs. He's an indoor cat who goes outside on a leash.

I have 2 female cats (both spayed and indoors only). Ashley is around 3.5 years old and is 10-11 pounds. Whitney is around 1.5 years old and is 8-9 pounds. They're both about the same length, but Ashley lays around a lot and therefore always looks like she pregnant whereas Whitney is fairly active has a definite waistline.

Mez

I have two cats (sisters) that are about 5 pounds each. They're not bony (they were when I got them as kittens), in fact as far as I can tell they're at about their ideal weights, they're just really small-framed. Panther was getting a bit pudgy a while back but stress of moving and missing a few meals from the stress seemed to take it off her (not the way I was going to handle that, but, since it happened, whatever works) while Squirrel has always maintained a trim figure because she's addicted to chasing the laser pointer. They're indoor/balcony DSH, 3 years and counting...their gene pool was mostly outdoor barn cats, so they're already some of the longer-lived members of their family.

My other cat, also DSH but indoor/outdoor because he was already used to going outside when I got him (I did keep him indoor in one apartment because there was nowhere safe for him outdoors, but he hated it and kept sneaking out and making me catch him...when I got an apartment with outdoor spaces and birds and trees and stuff, I just couldn't make him miss out on that), was much bigger, probably the weight of the girls combined--I don't know exactly, never took him to a vet as he never seemed to need one (he seemed fine right up to just a few minutes before he passed) and had already been neutered when he came to me. I'm not sure what his age was because he was a stray when I got him.