If you have the Persian Cat in your house, then I think you may be overwhelmed by their delightful, spunky, and intelligent characteristics. Raising a Persian Cat is something similar to raising your own child. They are just amazing creatures.Isn’t it so? Among all the other Cat Breeds, they have the natural capability to melt the heart of the cat-loving Humans by just staring and walking past them.
As a Proud Owner of a Persian Cat, a question may hit your mind that What is the life expectancy of a Persian Cat? It’s a very common question to think of but when you are searching for the answer on the Internet, you will be flooded with a lot of information about Persian Cat Lifespan. Some of those information may seem contradictory to you, but don’t worry …we’re here to help you.
In this article, We are going to answer this question,” How long do Persian Cats Live?” and we will also discuss all those important factors which have some correlation with the life-expectancy of your adorable, fluffy Persian Cat. We strongly believe that as a proud parent of the Persian Cat, you must be aware of those factors and some recent scientific reports related to this.
Median Life Expectancy of Persian Cats
Before Directly saying that “This is the Life Expectancy of Persian Cat”, we want to tell you something beyond that,want to tell you about some current research that calculates the Median Life Expectancy of Persian Cats.
This research paper was published on Nature where scientists from the UK did a thorough investigation on how demography, common health disorders affect the life expectancy of Persian Cat. For that research, they took 3235 Persian Cats which was nearly 1.1% of the entire Persian Cat Population (285,547)at that time of doing that research.
Now, why are we serious about Median Lifespan, not the Average or Mean Life Expectancy?
The reason is very simple! Because unlike Mean median doesn’t depend on all the values in the Data set. Among those 3235 Persian Cats, maybe some of them may give some extraordinary results which according to Statistics, are considered as “Outliers”.So if you take the mean life expectancy by performing an average of all the Cat’s Longevity in the Data set, that won’t give you a good approximation.
So, According to the study carried out in England, the Median Life Expectancy was 13.5 Years. This is for Male Persian Cats whereas for Female Persian Cats,the Median age is slightly higher .For Female Persian Cats,the Median Life Expectancy was 14 Years.
You can visit this link to read the detailed research
You can also visit this open access research paper on “Mortality of Life Insured Swedish Cats during 1999-2006” to get an idea about the study conducted by the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences about Persian Cat Groups like Himalayan, Exotic, Chinchilla, Persians, etc…Here they mentioned that 83% of that group lived 7.5 years or more,76% of that group lived 10 years or more and 52% of them lived 12.5 years or more…
So, by looking at those numbers we can roughly conclude that what could be the median lifespan of a Persian Cat and that is nearly 13-14 years. If you want a more broader range, then 12-17 years could be a tidy figure.
Factors Affecting the Lifespan of Persian Cats
The Life-expectancy of Persian Cats depends upon various factors. As a proud owner of Persian Cats, it also greatly depends on you like where you raise them, what type of food are you offering, Are you performing regular Health-checkups or not?
So, Apart from the genetic factors, it also depends on you like how you are taking care of them.
Indoor vs Outdoor Persian Cat
The first and foremost thing to consider is that where are you keeping your adorable fluffy friend? As per our experience, we will suggest that Persian Cats are better to keep as Indoor Cats. That doesn’t mean that we are telling your Persian Cats shouldn’t go outside. They can go outside.
But what you need to keep in mind that Persian Cats are more prone to Respiratory disorders, so going outside more often will expose your cats to outside allergens, dust which can be a health concern.
Apart from that, there are other reasons as well
- Persian Cats are also predisposed to getting fungal infections.
- They are sensitive to heat.
- Because of their unique coat, it is very much easy for them to get it dirty, so as an owner you need to do more brushing to clean it off.
Now, how does it affect life expectancy? Well, according to WebMD, generally indoor cats live longer than Outdoor Cats. The average life-span of an Outdoor Cat is 2-5 Years as they are exposed to outside allergens, dust, and other dangers.
How Genetics are playing a Role in Life Expectancy?
Unlike Humans, Genetics also play a significant role in determining the life expectancy of a Cat. According to Royal Veterinary College, University Of London, 64.9% of Persian Cats have at least one disorder.
One of the most common causes of Death is Kidney Disease(23.4%). They have been affected by Genetic disorders like “Polycystic Kidney Disease“, “Dermatophytosis“, “Progressive Retinal Atrophy“, “Lysosomal Storage Disease” etc.
Preventive Breeding is the method that is used to develop a certain kind of general resistance towards those diseases. Some Experienced or reputable breeders do frequent health checkups to wipe out those diseases as much as possible. But it is not that easy task. The reason is, Genetic and Heredity related issues are often difficult to trace. For example, your Furry Feline’s immediate Father and mother may not have any genetic issues but nobody knows their forefathers may have certain kinds of disorders that may or may not affect themselves.
How Diet plays an important Role?
Unlike Humans, Diets also play a huge role in determining the overall health conditions of your cat. A well-balanced diet mixed with both dry and wet food and full of Protein, Vitamins, Minerals, and other important nutrients is always recommended for well-being. The right type of food will actually help your cat in increasing the lifespan. One thing you should check that the food you are offering to them must be free from any type of artificial sweeteners or any type of artificial ingredients because those may have some serious negative impact on your Furry Feline’s Health.
Recommended Water Intake
We all need water to survive, so Persian Cats are also no exception. Their body also needs water to survive otherwise it will face Dehydration. Though Domestic Cats like Persians are descended from a desert cat so sometimes they may not drink enough water. They will fulfill their daily water requirement from the food they eat.
Anyway, On average, Persian Cat needs 25-30 ml of water Per pound or Roughly 50 ml of water Per Kg of Bodyweight.
Why Eye Care is Important?
Ophthalmic Disorders are quite common in Persian Cats. Due to their Brachycephalic structure, they are predisposed to various Ophthalmic Problems. Brachycephalic means having a short, round head with large flat eye sockets. They often face Excessive Eye-draining and Eye infection-related issues. Some Ophthalmic Problems which are generally common to Persian Cats are
- Chronic Epiphora
- Non-healing Corneal Ulcers
- Progressive Retinal Atrophy
- Corneal Sequestra
So, Daily cleaning and regular Eye checkups are highly recommended to overcome any unwanted problems. In some cases, Vets or animal ophthalmologists will suggest an operation to subdue some severe issues like Chronic Eye tearing, Improper Tear Drainage, etc. Vets may suggest some Eye drops or Ointments to treat any infections which you need to give according to the Prescription.
Importance of Dental Care
Because of their Brachycephalic structure, they are often predisposed to various Dental and Eye related problems. According to Royal Veterinary College, Dental Disease is the most common in males while for females, claw/nail problems are more common.
According to the study done by UK researchers, Dental Disorders are the third most common group of disorders (12.3%) and Peridontal Disease is the second most common disorder reported which proves that Dental Care should be on the Priority List of any Persian Cat Owner. Cleaning your Cat’s Teeth regularly at least once/twice a week is highly recommended.
Spaying and Neutering
Spaying or Neutering your Cat has some health benefits too. spaying/neutering certainly reduces the chance of developing cancer and eliminates the possibility of your Cat to become Pregnant . Some people may not agree with this point that as they might have mixed opinions but those benefits are backed by scientific research. According to the Banfield pet hospital, cats who are spayed or neutered generally live longer than the unspayed ones.
Some people may find it cruel but at the end of the day, you can ask yourself and may consult with your vet before making a decision.
General Health Care and Vaccination
Regular Health Checkups at least once a year is always suggested as we already discussed that Persian Cats are predisposed to various kinds of disorders. It will cost roughly 300$-400$ per year for your Vet Fees.
Yearly Vaccinations are also very important to reduce or eliminate the chance of developing infections, diseases, etc…
Ways to Increase the Life Expectancy of Persian Cats
- It is better to keep as Indoor Cats because Persian Cats are Timid and Lazy. They may not defend themselves properly from other wild and aggressive animals and frequent going outside will expose them to dust, allergens, which may lead to respiratory diseases.
- Regular cleaning of eyes is very important as Ophthalmic Disorders are very much common to Persian Cat Breed. It is recommended to clean your Cat’s eyes twice daily with Proper Eye Cleaning Solutions.
- Proper Dental Hygiene is very important to prevent Dental Diseases. For that, you need to brush your teeth regularly.
- Your Persian Cat needs a proper healthy and well-balanced diet to fulfill their daily needs . Always try to feed a high-quality nutritious Diet free from any artificial ingredients as they may lead to accidental poisoning.
- Try not to overfeed her as Overfeeding leads to Obesity which will increase the risk of having Diabetes.
- Quarterly Medical Checkups or at least once in 6 to 12 months is highly recommended to detect any issue as early as possible. The sooner you detect the problems, the sooner you will be able to prevent them.
- One of the most common causes of death is Kidney Disease. So, if you are observing symptoms like Sudden Increase in Urination, Loss of Appetite, Low energy, excessive thirst, then you may need to contact your vet ASAP.
- Always try to raise your Adorable Persian Cat in a healthy environment that is free from dust, pollution as they are prone to develop sinus infections and other Respiratory Diseases.
