Cat Lifespan by Breed

Find your cat's breed below to see its typical lifespan range, when to start watching for senior changes, and the health issues worth staying ahead of.

Abyssinian 9-13 years Activity and jumping · Amyloidosis American Bobtail 12-15 years Tail · Mobility American Curl 12-16 years Ears · Dental American Shorthair 15-20 years Weight · Dental American Wirehair 12-16 years Coat · Skin Australian Mist 12-16 years Weight · Evidence Balinese 12-16 years Ancestry · Vision Bengal 12-16 years Heart and HCM · Gastrointestinal Birman 12-16 years Weight · Coat and grooming Bombay 9-15 years Evidence · Weight British Longhair 12-20 years Coat · Heart British Shorthair 10-13+ years Weight · Heart Burmese 12-16 years Diabetes and weight · Kidney and urinary Burmilla 12-16 years Kidney · Ancestry Chartreux 12-15 years Weight · Knees Chausie 12-15 years Hybrid · Activity Cornish Rex 11-15 years Coat · Vision Cymric 10-16+ years Ancestry · Bowel Devon Rex 9-15 years Skin and coat · Ears Donskoy 12-15+ years Coat · Skin Egyptian Mau 12-15 years Urinary · Emergency European Burmese 12-16 years Identity · Diabetes Exotic Shorthair 8-15 years Breathing · Eyes Havana Brown 12-15 years Appetite · Dental Highlander 12-15 years Ears · Tail Himalayan 9-15 years Breathing and heat · Eyes and tears Japanese Bobtail 12-16 years Tail · Mobility Khao Manee 10-12 years Hearing · Safety Korat 10-15 years Genetics · Dental Kurilian Bobtail 12-15 years Tail · Weight LaPerm 12-16 years Coat · Skin Lykoi 12-15 years Skin · Coat Maine Coon 11-13+ years Heart · Mobility Manx 10-14 years Spine · Bowel Minuet 12-15 years Structure · Face Munchkin 12-15 years Structure · Spine Nebelung 12-16 years Coat · Behavior Norwegian Forest Cat 10-16+ years Coat and grooming · Mobility and jumping Ocicat 12-15 years Activity · Weight Oriental Longhair 12-16 years Coat · Voice Oriental Shorthair 12-15 years Appetite and weight · Amyloidosis Persian 10-13+ years Breathing · Eyes Peterbald 12-15+ years Coat · Skin Pixiebob 12-15 years Feet · Tail Ragdoll 12-15+ years Heart · Dental Russian Blue 10-14 years Appetite · Weight Savannah 12-20 years Hybrid generation · Law and access Scottish Fold 11-15 years Osteochondrodysplasia · Arthritis and joint pain Scottish Straight 11-14+ years Ancestry · Joints Selkirk Rex 14-20 years Coat · Kidney Siamese 12-15+ years Appetite and weight · Dental Siberian 11-15 years Coat · Weight Singapura 9-15 years Weight · Dental Snowshoe 12-16 years Voice · Ancestry Sokoke 12-15 years Evidence · Activity Somali 11-16 years Ancestry · Blood health Sphynx 6-12+ years Heart · Skin and ears Tennessee Rex 12-15 years Coat · Skin Thai 12-16 years Identity · Voice Tonkinese 12-16 years Urinary · Ancestry Toyger 12-15 years Evidence · Weight Turkish Angora 12-16 years Activity and mobility · Weight and body condition Turkish Van 12-17 years Weight · Coat

The Short Version

Typical range Most cats live 12 to 18 years, with breed and body condition shifting the odds.
When senior starts Cats over 10 are considered senior; 7 to 10 is mature adult. Higher-risk breeds justify earlier baselines.
Biggest factor Healthy weight and early screening for heart, kidney, and dental disease matter more than breed alone.
Start here Pick your cat's breed for its range and the risks worth watching earlier.

Fast Answers

Which cat breed lives the longest?

Studies often place Birman, Burmese, Siamese, Persian, and mixed-breed cats among the longer-lived groups, but the exact ranking shifts by study, country, and sample size. Check the individual breed page for sourced context rather than trusting a single trophy list.

How long do indoor cats live by breed?

Indoor life cuts trauma, infection, and roaming risk, so many indoor cats live longer. But it doesn't erase inherited heart disease, dental or kidney disease, obesity, or normal aging, so breed still tells you what to monitor.

When is a cat senior?

Vets generally treat cats over 10 as senior and 7 to 10 as mature adult. If your cat's breed carries specific risks, it's worth starting senior screening a little earlier.

Where should I start if I don't know my cat's breed?

Start with the senior cat signs guide, the cat age calculator, and a vet baseline. A mixed or unknown history still benefits from tracking weight, appetite, grooming, litter habits, teeth, breathing, and mobility.

Are purebred cats shorter-lived?

Sometimes, in some datasets, but it isn't a universal rule. A specific inherited risk or an overweight body condition usually matters more to one cat than the purebred label by itself.

Good to Know

Guide

Why lifespan sources disagree

Different sources measure different things: life expectancy, median longevity, the age of cats that have died, breed-profile estimates, or owner surveys. They're related but not identical, which is why a Siamese life-table number and a Persian disorder study can point to different figures without either being wrong.

Guide

What actually moves the number

Breed sets the starting odds, but the daily levers are yours: a healthy weight, good dental care, regular heart and kidney screening, and quick vet visits when something changes. These often matter more than the breed label alone.

Guide

Reading a range without fear

A range is context, not a countdown. Use it to know what to watch and when to screen, not to decide your cat has a fixed number of years. Two cats of the same breed can live very different lengths depending on care and luck.

Tools & Related Guides

Tool

Cat Age Calculator

Translate age into feline life stage before subtle senior changes become obvious.

 Tool

Cat Quality of Life Scale

Use when appetite, grooming, breathing, litter habits, mobility, or comfort are changing.

 Tool

Cat Biological Age Calculator

Frame healthy-aging conversations with more structure.

 Guide

Why Cat Lifespan Numbers Vary

How the ranges are worked out and why sources disagree.

 Guide

Senior Cat Signs

Tell urgent changes apart from ones to simply track or schedule.