Longevity

ellie

TCS Member
Thread starter
Adult Cat
Joined
Dec 14, 2001
Messages
104
Purraise
1
Location
Maryland
A co-worker was telling me yesterday this his cat lived to be 19 years old, never had any serious health problems and was fed Friskies his whole life. All the cat sites I've been to have said you should feed your cat the best food you can afford and not that supermarket stuff. Just out of curiousity I would like to know how many people here have had cats that lived to be 18 years or older and what brand of cat food did they feed them.
 

gus's mom

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Sep 27, 2003
Messages
161
Purraise
1
Location
Vancouver Canada
My mom's cat lived to the ripe age of 20 but had cancer in the end. They fed her the cheapest junk they could, Friskies and Meow Mix. I agree with you though, I've always believed that the high quality foods are the way to go (not that it's helped my cat in the end). My aunt's cat lived to 23 but I don't know what they fed him. I think environment plays a big part in their health too. Second hand smoke is just as deadly for our pets as it is for us, cleaners and chemicals you use in the house play a role too.
 

greycat2

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 6, 2003
Messages
3,311
Purraise
138
My cat Sphinx is about 18 years old (he was about 16-17 years when I adopted him last year at a local shelter). I don't know what he was eating prior to me adopting him.

I've tried him on almost all canned foods I can afford but he turned his nose at all of them but canned Friskies with gravy and a vet prescribed dried for allergies (IVD Green Peas and Rabbit and Hill's z/d Low Allergen).

(Kuce is somewhere around 10-12 - no one is quite sure but at least 10 years and she is on almost the same diet as Sphinx except she eats Hill's z/d and r/d).
 

tulip2454

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Sep 16, 2003
Messages
1,208
Purraise
1
Location
still practising the Dharma
My oldest cat to date is Tulip who is just 18. She has been fed on a variety of food from Whiskas canned meat to Royal Canin dried for Seniors. Most of it she turns her nose up at. I think she belongs to the type that say 'you can never be too thin'. I got her from an advert for kitten to free homes. When I went the people were lovely and rescued kittens and cats from all over. The kitten were fed on chicken breast from when the were weaned. I remember the lady saying that it was a good start for them. The older cats got tinned meat as they could not afford to feed them all on chicken! She will to this day have you hand off for a piece of chicken. I recently had her checked over and she is in perfect health just elderly. She is feisty and selfish and spoiled and spiteful - but i love and she should go on for many years rejected a variety of food stuffs! She had 'cat flu' as a kitty but since then has never seen a vet for any illness at all. She was innoculated when little but shame to say I only get them vaccinated if i am going on holiday and they need to go to a cattery, about once every 6/7 years.
By the way my vet health nurse who I take my fat Katy to for check ups and weighing has 2 cats both over the age of 23. I dont know what she feeds them on but whatever it is it works.
 
Top