We all will agree that our sweet furry friends that we share every moment with and yes, even have ongoing conversations with, are pretty much as much a part of the family as a sibling.

So, of course, we want them to be with us as long as possible and to be able to enjoy life as much as we do.

Unfortunately, they don’t really have nine lives and we need to help increase your tuxedo cat’s lifespan in any way we can.

The life expectancy of an outdoor cat of any of the cat breeds is generally three to five years while the indoor cat’s average lifespan can be seventeen to twenty years.

In fact, the oldest cat ever recorded was named Creme Puff, and she lived just over 38 years. Her longevity was attributed to good genes, a healthy diet, and regular veterinary care.

While it’s rare for a cat to live past 20 years old, there are many cats that live into their early twenties with proper care and attention from their owners.

I’d like to share some tips that will go a long way toward playing a part in cat longevity and helping your cat live longer.

What Are Some Ways To Increase Your Tuxedo Cat’s Lifespan?

1. Keep Your Cat Indoors

I know this sounds obvious, but, there are times when we like to let our feline friend enjoy the sunshine and chase the butterflies in the backyard.

This is all fine and good, but, put your cat on a harness and leash. This will at least keep them from running out into the street and getting hit by a car or slipping into the neighbor’s yard that happens to have a dog that doesn’t particularly care for cats.

These are a couple of the reasons why outdoor cats have such a short life expectancy. And if you’re out in the countryside, you can add in the possibility of predators and hawks.

And the great outdoors also increases the chance of picking up fleas and diseases.

So, the number one rule would be to keep your cat indoors and if not, at least have them on a leash and harness, AND don’t leave them alone tied to a post or anchor in the yard.

2. Proper Diet

Don’t gasp at this, but, truly the best food for a cat is raw meat. But, if this is too extreme for you, feed your furry friend wet food (our cats, Merlin and Maisey love Rachael Rays Nutrish).

The dry cat food puts on pounds which isn’t healthy and also the processing of the dry food takes all the nutrients out that are needed.

Along the same line, too many treats aren’t healthy either.

But best of all, wet food contains water which flushes toxins from the body and helps keep your cat hydrated. And double down on that by making sure the wet food has no by-products or preservatives.

The right food can play an important part in keeping your kitten around for a long time.

3. Exercise

Believe it or not, just like proper exercise is good for cat owners, it’s also good for your precious black and white cats.

My wife and I play with our cats daily, using the laser light for them to chase, throwing little stuffed animals that our male cat, Merlin loves to chase down and throw in the air, rolling springs across the floor that our female cat, Maisey loves to play with.

The cat wheel is another very good exercise that will keep your kitty entertained along with cat trees for them to climb.

And giving them exercise mentally is also good. We have a couple of food puzzles ours love to play where they have a treat reward once they solve the puzzle. It keeps their mind sharp.

Proper exercise mentally and physically and keeping your cats active will go a long way in extending the cat’s life expectancy.

4. Regular Visits To The Veterinarian

The cat owner goes to the doctor regularly for check-ups or physicals.

So should your cat. (Learn more)

Preventative veterinarian visits can help catch health issues like kidney disease, mammary cancer, lung cancer, dental disease, (yes your cat’s teeth can play a part in its health)weight gain, etc.

Catching many of these early may add some years onto your cat that they otherwise may not have.

5. Keeping The Litter Box Clean

Cleaning the litter box daily not only keeps the house smelling fresh and the kitty clean, but, it also makes it easier to spot problems quicker like diarrhea or blood in the stools or urine.

The bigger jump you can get on a health problem, the better the chances of your cat recovering fully.

Also, you’ll be able to notice any changes in their bowel or urine habits that might indicate a problem.

A couple of things that can help along this line are the Litter Robot and Pretty Litter.

The Litter Robot will self-clean so you don’t have to worry about missing a day and Pretty Litter is a cat litter that changes color when they urinate if they have an infection of any kind. Different colors for different problems.

• Typical: Dark yellow/olive green indicates cat urine within the standard range.
• Acidity: Orange may indicate metabolic acidosis or kidney tubular acidosis.
• Alkalinity: Blue may indicate certain urinary tract infections or an increased risk of stone formation.
• Blood: Red may indicate bladder crystals, feline lower urinary tract disorder, or certain types of kidney disease.

It’s an awesome way to catch health problems even before there are physical signs.

6. Keep Your Cat Hydrated

I’ve mentioned in other articles that cats are like old men in that they sometimes don’t drink as much water as they should.

Sometimes adding a little water to their wet food helps in this area.

They need to have fresh water available at all times and make sure it’s enough water. We keep two water dishes out in our house– one in the dining room and one on their cat tower.

Also, make sure the water dishes are wide enough that their whiskers don’t touch the sides.

When this happens, it can cause “whisker fatigue” which is very stressful for a cat and stress will help shorten a cat’s life.

7. Regular Grooming

Keeping your cat’s body brushed regularly helps for a shiny coat and nails trimmed will keep them from curling into their pads or snagging and tearing, which could cause infection.

Plus, most cats love being brushed. At least ours do. They’ll lay back like they’re begging to have their bellies brushed. Purring and drooling. It’s almost hard to watch. lol.

And by regularly brushing them, you’ll notice if there are any odd places or lumps appearing and be able to get them to the vet before it gets worse.

8. Have Your Cat Spayed Or Neutered

With so many homeless kitties, this should be the first thing you do when you get your felines, and the earlier the better.

Stats show that the chances of cancer are 50% greater if you wait until she’s older to have spayed.

It eliminates the chances of mammary cancer or testicular cancer, thus, another step toward a longer life.

According to The Humane Society of the United States, male cats that are neutered live 69% longer than those that are not, and female cats that are spayed live 39% longer than unspayed female cats.

9. Don’t Smoke Around Your Cat

Yes, they are affected by secondhand smoke, too. And I realize this can be a hard one to accomplish.

But, it’s been found that cats around secondhand smoke are twice as likely to develop lymphoma, which can be fatal.

If you must smoke, help your cat and maybe step outside and do your thing.

The fact is, the longer your kitten lives in a smoke-filled home, the more likely they are to develop various cancers.

10. Love And Affection

The easiest of all the things you can do to help your feline live its fullest long and healthy life is constantly show them love and affection.

A cat knows when it’s loved and it’ll put its full trust in you, have little or no stress, and live a happy life.

11. Dental Hygiene

Dental hygiene, believe it or not, can affect how long your cat lives.

Bad teeth can cause bacteria that can enter your pet’s bloodstream, causing organ damage.

The older your cat, the more likely to have a dental disease. Start when they’re young having their teeth checked and cleaned and give them yet another chance of being around longer.

In Conclusion

Truly, the length of your cat’s lifespan is entirely in your hands, along with your cats well being.

They’ll generally eat and drink what you give them, and like us, they’ll like the less healthy stuff more than what’s good for them.

They can’t make veterinarian appointments or clean their litter box.

They can’t make the decisions for themselves. It has to be you.

Follow the above points and your indoor cat should be purring for years to come and you’ll have a lifelong lap cat to keep you happy.