Do cats really have 9 lives and why the latest study will upset sphynx owners: first ever "life tables" introduced in UK

British scientists created "life tables" for cats for the first time. These data can be used to estimate the life expectancy of different breeds of felines.

To do this, a team from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) in London, together with researchers from National Chung Hsing University in Taiwan, analyzed the records of 7396 cats in the UK that died from January 2019 to March 2021. The results were then broken down by breed and gender and presented in life tables, Mail Online writes.

The analysis showed that the overall average life expectancy of British cats from the moment of their birth is 11.7 years. The researchers also found that females will live 1.33 years longer than males.

Burmese breeds had the highest life expectancy at 14.4 years, followed by Mestizo at 11.9 years and Siamese at 11.7 years.

At the same time, Sphynx cats had the shortest life expectancy, with only 6.8 years.

Factors such as pure-breeding and excessive or insufficient weight were also associated with a shorter life expectancy.

Domestic shorthair cats, the most popular breed in the UK, live for almost 12 years.

The team noted that this data can help potential owners and volunteers predict how long an animal can live. The information can also be useful for veterinarians.

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