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Cats | Breeds and Lifespan
The full content of the "breeds and lifespan" column in the 12-column knowledge tree for cats. Where the original text could not obtain an authoritative figure for a field, it leaves the field blank and states why; this site preserves that as-is and does not fill in numbers on its behalf. The disease column has been published separately as vet/cat-common-diseases and is not duplicated here.
Cats | Breeds and Lifespan
This article is compiled from the cat section of the veterinary encyclopedia. The same symptom calls for different handling in different species, and following another species' approach can be harmful — first confirm which animal you are dealing with.
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Scientific name | *Felis catus* (domestic cat) |
| Lifespan range | Lifespan: ① life expectancy at birth = 11.18 years (US Banfield clinic data, Montoya et al., PMC9989186, "life expectancy at birth...11.18 years (11.16–11.20) for cats" <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9989186/>, verified 2026-07-30) ② median age-at-death = 14.0 years (UK 2009–2012 study, cited in the same paper, "median age-at-death of cats between 2009 and 2012 in a UK study was 14.0 years", verified 2026-07-30). ⚠️ The two estimators must not be combined: their denominators and sampling are entirely different. State which one you are citing. (OP construct correction 2026-07-30: a CX audit caught the statistical constructs as mismatched; the two studies use different methodologies — the former is a life-expectancy-at-birth statistic, the latter a median age at death, and the numbers are not interchangeable); the average lifespan gap between indoor-kept cats and cats with free outdoor access 【no single authoritative value for this item: the whitelist sources provide no cat-specific reference value for the indoor–outdoor lifespan gap in years; the PMC paper above only notes qualitatively that "outdoor access poses a greater risk of road traffic accidents" and "An indoor lifestyle is associated with feline obesity", giving no quantified difference in years; separately, the non-whitelist blog catcareworld.com was found claiming to cite a "2023 JAVMA study, n=4,206, indoor lifespan 3.2× that of outdoor cats", which a direct PubMed check found no such publication for, so it was judged a suspected fabricated citation and excluded, 2026-07-30; the direction is clear: cats with outdoor access are markedly shorter-lived because of road accidents, infectious disease and fighting, but no authoritative page giving the precise difference in years could be found】 |
| Life-stage classification | Kitten / junior / adult / mature / senior; the age boundaries for each stage follow the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines (catvets.com: "Kitten: birth up to 1 year" "Young adult: 1 to 6 years" "Mature adult: 7 to 10 years" "Senior: 10 years and older" "End-of-life: any age", <https://catvets.com/resource/aaha-aafp-feline-life-stage-guidelines/>, verified 2026-07-30); ⚠️ the 2021 edition has been simplified to 4 age stages plus an end-of-life stage, which does not map exactly onto the older 5-stage naming used in this table; take the age cut-points from the newer edition |
| Body-type classification | Shorthair / longhair; oriental type (slender) / cobby type (e.g. Persian); brachycephalic / normal muzzle / long muzzle |
| Phenotype–health links | White coat with blue eyes is associated with congenital deafness (not confined to a single breed); brachycephaly = airway problems and epiphora; folded ears and short legs = skeletal developmental abnormalities; hairlessness = thermoregulation and sebum issues |
Hereditary disease reference for purebred cats (15 breeds)
⚠️ The disease-to-breed associations in this table are a directional summary; gene names and test names are all marked 【conceptual description, not a specific publication — 🚫: "genetic testing" is a generic term, not a specific publication or test name】 (they need to be checked against current testing-laboratory listings); breed-specific prevalence 【verification result: no single authoritative value — breed-specific genetic disease prevalence varies enormously by population, region and breeding stock, and no single cross-population percentage attributable to a whitelist source was found; citing unverified percentages is prohibited, 2026-07-30】. Having a test available does not mean the disease will necessarily occur.
| Breed | Main hereditary / breed-associated diseases | Screening or monitoring direction |
|---|---|---|
| Persian | Polycystic kidney disease (PKD); brachycephalic syndrome (breathing, epiphora, dental crowding); progressive retinal atrophy; dystocia | Renal ultrasound + genetic testing 【conceptual description, not a specific publication — 🚫: "genetic testing" is a generic term, not a specific test name; check against current testing-laboratory listings】; ophthalmology |
| Exotic Shorthair | Same as Persian (shared breeding origin) | Same as Persian |
| Himalayan | Same as Persian; PKD | Same as Persian |
| Maine Coon | Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM); hip dysplasia; spinal muscular atrophy | Regular echocardiographic follow-up + HCM-related genetic testing 【conceptual description, not a specific publication — 🚫: as above, a generic term rather than a specific test name】 |
| Ragdoll | HCM | As above |
| British Shorthair | HCM; PKD; blood-type distribution raises the risk of neonatal isoerythrolysis | Echocardiography; blood-type matching before breeding |
| Abyssinian | Pyruvate kinase deficiency; progressive retinal atrophy; amyloidosis (renal) | Genetic testing 【conceptual description, not a specific publication — 🚫: as above】; ophthalmology; renal function follow-up |
| Somali | Same as Abyssinian (longhaired version) | As above |
| Siamese | Amyloidosis (hepatic); lower-airway / asthma tendency; strabismus and nystagmus; gangliosidosis; feline orofacial pain syndrome | Genetic testing 【conceptual description, not a specific publication — 🚫: as above】; liver and kidney function; pain-behavior records |
| Oriental Shorthair | Same disease group as the Siamese | As above |
| Scottish Fold | Osteochondrodysplasia — linked to the same gene as the folded ear, causing deformity of weight-bearing joints and caudal vertebrae and chronic pain (a major animal-welfare controversy) | Imaging assessment; lifelong pain management; breeding for this phenotype is not recommended |
| Munchkin | Short-leg-related skeletal abnormalities (spine, sternum, joint loading) | Imaging; weight control |
| Sphynx | HCM; congenital myopathy; sebum and skin infections; poor thermoregulation | Echocardiography; skin care; keeping warm |
| Devon Rex | Congenital myopathy; hip problems; seborrhea | Neuromuscular assessment |
| Bengal | Progressive retinal atrophy; pyruvate kinase deficiency; flat-chested kitten syndrome | Ophthalmology; genetic testing 【conceptual description, not a specific publication — 🚫: as above】 |
| Norwegian Forest | Glycogen storage disease type IV; pyruvate kinase deficiency | Genetic testing 【conceptual description, not a specific publication — 🚫: as above】 |
| Burmese | Craniofacial defect; predisposition to diabetes mellitus; hypokalaemic polymyopathy | Serum potassium / blood glucose follow-up; breeding screening |
The content above is transcribed cell by cell from the encyclopedia chapter text, without rewriting or condensing; treatment direction is given by category only, with no drug names or dosages, and medication must be prescribed by a veterinarian.
Limits of this content
The content of this article comes from the cat section of the veterinary encyclopedia (see the evidence chain for the original location and content hash). The sources listed at the end are the authoritative references cited by that chapter; the correspondence is at the chapter level. This content is for educational purposes and cannot replace diagnosis and prescriptions from a practicing veterinarian; seek veterinary care immediately in an emergency. This text has not been clinically reviewed by a named veterinarian.
FAQ
- What should I note about the scientific name of the cat?
- *Felis catus* (domestic cat). The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.
- 猫の学名について何に注意すべきですか? — *Felis catus*(イエネコ domestic cat)。実際の判断は獣医師が個別の症例に応じて行う必要があり、本記事は薬剤名と用量を記載しません。
- What should I note about the scientific name of the cat? — *Felis catus* (domestic cat). The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.
- What should I note about the lifespan range of the cat?
- Lifespan: ① life expectancy at birth = 11.18 years (US Banfield clinic data, Montoya et al., PMC9989186, "life expectancy at birth...11.18 years (11.16–11.20) for cats" <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9989186/>, verified 2026-07-30) ② median age-at-death = 14.0 years (UK 2009–2012 study, cited in the same paper, "median age-at-death of cats between 2009 and 2012 in a UK study was 14.0 years", verified 2026-07-30). ⚠️ The two estimators must not be combined: their denominators and sampling are entirely different. State which one you are citing. (OP construct correction 2026-07-30: a CX audit caught the statistical constructs as mismatched; the two studies use different methodologies — the former is a life-expectancy-at-birth statistic, the latter a median age at death, and the numbers are not interchangeable). The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.
- 猫の寿命の範囲について何に注意すべきですか? — 寿命:① 出生時平均余命(life expectancy at birth)= 11.18 年(米国 Banfield 診療データ、Montoya et al.、PMC9989186、「life expectancy at birth...11.18 years (11.16–11.20) for cats」<https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9989186/>、確認 2026-07-30)② 死亡時の中央値年齢(median age-at-death)= 14.0 年(英国 2009–2012 年の研究、同論文の引用、「median age-at-death of cats between 2009 and 2012 in a UK study was 14.0 years」、確認 2026-07-30)。⚠️ 2つの推定量は合算してはいけません:分母と標本抽出がまったく異なります。引用の際はどちらを用いたか明示してください。(OP による構成概念の修正 2026-07-30:CX 監査が統計的構成概念の不一致を指摘。2つの研究は方法論が異なり、前者は出生時平均余命の統計、後者は死亡時の中央値年齢であり、数値をそのまま置き換えることはできません)。実際の判断は獣医師が個別の症例に応じて行う必要があり、本記事は薬剤名と用量を記載しません。
- What should I note about the lifespan range of the cat? — Lifespan: ① life expectancy at birth = 11.18 years (US Banfield clinic data, Montoya et al., PMC9989186, "life expectancy at birth...11.18 years (11.16–11.20) for cats" <https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9989186/>, verified 2026-07-30) ② median age-at-death = 14.0 years (UK 2009–2012 study, cited in the same paper, "median age-at-death of cats between 2009 and 2012 in a UK study was 14.0 years", verified 2026-07-30). ⚠️ The two estimators must not be combined: their denominators and sampling are entirely different. State which one you are citing. (OP construct correction 2026-07-30: a CX audit caught the statistical constructs as mismatched; the two studies use different methodologies — the former is a life-expectancy-at-birth statistic, the latter a median age at death, and the numbers are not interchangeable). The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.
- What should I note about the life-stage classification of the cat?
- Kitten / junior / adult / mature / senior; the age boundaries for each stage follow the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines (catvets.com: "Kitten: birth up to 1 year" "Young adult: 1 to 6 years" "Mature adult: 7 to 10 years" "Senior: 10 years and older" "End-of-life: any age", <https://catvets.com/resource/aaha-aafp-feline-life-stage-guidelines/>, verified 2026-07-30); ⚠️ the 2021 edition has been simplified to 4 age stages plus an end-of-life stage, which does not map exactly onto the older 5-stage naming used in this table; take the age cut-points from the newer edition. The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.
- 猫のライフステージ区分について何に注意すべきですか? — 子猫(kitten)/若齢(junior)/成猫(adult)/中高齢(mature)/高齢(senior);各ステージの年齢境界は 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines に準拠(catvets.com:「Kitten: birth up to 1 year」「Young adult: 1 to 6 years」「Mature adult: 7 to 10 years」「Senior: 10 years and older」「End-of-life: any age」、<https://catvets.com/resource/aaha-aafp-feline-life-stage-guidelines/>、確認 2026-07-30);⚠️ 2021 年版は 4 つの年齢区分+終末期に簡素化されており、本表が踏襲している旧来の 5 区分の呼称とは完全には対応しません。年齢の区切りは新版を基準としてください。実際の判断は獣医師が個別の症例に応じて行う必要があり、本記事は薬剤名と用量を記載しません。
- What should I note about the life-stage classification of the cat? — Kitten / junior / adult / mature / senior; the age boundaries for each stage follow the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines (catvets.com: "Kitten: birth up to 1 year" "Young adult: 1 to 6 years" "Mature adult: 7 to 10 years" "Senior: 10 years and older" "End-of-life: any age", <https://catvets.com/resource/aaha-aafp-feline-life-stage-guidelines/>, verified 2026-07-30); ⚠️ the 2021 edition has been simplified to 4 age stages plus an end-of-life stage, which does not map exactly onto the older 5-stage naming used in this table; take the age cut-points from the newer edition. The actual judgement still rests with a veterinarian on a case-by-case basis, and this article gives no drug names or dosages.
Source anchors
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Cite this article
Jane・《Cats | Breeds and Lifespan》・IDAEO 知識庫・2026-08-13・https://km.idaeo.ai/post/vet/cat-breeds-and-lifespanUpdated 2026-08-15