Just wondered if people thought cats living longer than say 20 or 30 years ago.

Our cat is 16 in April, and next door's just died when 18.

Our childhood cat died 13, and don't recall any friends having bagpuss-like old uns...

Vet once complimeted our cat's coat, asking what we fed him and when we said Iams, he said "ah, good stuff" (or posh veterinary words to that effect).

Our cat is 16 too. She also has a very glossy coat - although to be honest eats any old crap, including toast, breakfast cereal and dog food. I tend to feed her on any brand really but stick with them pouches as she throws it up if you give her dried food. She lived on it for many years but suddenly starting chucking it up. She is fine with a pouches and stealing things from the dog's bowl.

Cats and dogs are living longer and far more healthy as they get older than when I was a child. It's probably party down to better quality food and more advances in vet care, but a lot is do with the food imo.

Ours is fussier food wise, but did lap up a surprising amount of the charred gravy leftovers from the pork ribs last night.


Yep would have thought this the main reason too

The main thing we notice with our cat is that he has difficulty "curling up" now - probably arthritis, poor thing ?

We just bought a new dog bed and the cat loves it.

Thinking about it, in the 60s the neighbours had a 20 year old cat. But that was pretty unusual or I wouldn't have remembered it! It was a jet black one, called Suki, and I longed to have one, too! Parents wouldn't let me as our dog hated cats.

20!!!!!!!

Did it look a bit like (a black version of) Bagpuss, but less alive?

LOL. I remember it as being quite skinny - probably why it lived so long! Not too thin but svelte.

childhhod cat was PTS when she was 18 - this was in 2001.

my mates cat just had to be put to sleep - she was 23!!!! no kidding. They got her in 1987

Think how much that cat has set them back in food

We had to have our lovely cat put to sleep just before Christmas, she was 19.

She got fed the generic Tescos tinned catfood - obviously didnt do her any harm!

I think our cat is determined to outlive the neighbourhood cats (all are her arch enemies and she keeps the lot out of her territory - even though she only has 3 legs and is half their size!)

Don't put her on a pedestal

Our cats have all lived to 17 years. Our first one kept himself immaculate right to the very end and the vet who finally put him to sleep asked if he had always been so smart. We inherited him from our neighbours when they moved away when he was 13. I don't know what they fed him (suspect cheap rubbish) but with us he got a mix of Whiskas, Iams and scraps/treats.
God, now I'm upset...

My eldest is 21, which is suprising given how many times I've nearly tripped over her!

Why do they always sit right behind you (especially when your in the fridge)?

She a proper gannet and always insists on sharing my marmite on toast.

Of course the dog is right behind her.

OMG,my cat might live as long as my mortgage !

I can't. She'd fall off.

Almost. She is pedestal, lol .

(well this kind: http://www.dutchconnection.co.uk/ima...60cm%20ITW.jpg)

My mums cats lived till 16, 17 and 18. They died in the 90s and were cats that went outdoors. My ex had a cat that lived till 22.

I hear indoor cats live longer than outdoor cats in general.

<snort>

Although that piece of inanimate furniture is slightly more intelligent.

As a cat gets older, the food you feed them has nothing to do with how good their coat is. Cats tongues naturally wear down as they get older, which means they can't groom themselves as well as before. No amount of HIlls or Iams will stop the tongue from wearing down... As an aside, my mum's cat died a couple of years ago aged 22.

Yep, I thought so as our cat's black bits shine like a mirror, and she generally looks as fit at 16 as she looked at 1... but she is a scavenger, and when her bowlful of the generic, cheapest cat food is empty - she heads straight for the dog's bowl which usually has our scraps in it as well as the dog's food.

According to a recent episode of Q.I. the average cat has a carbon footprint equivalent to a Volkswagen Golf, when you take the environental impact of land needed to rear meat, etc!

I think a dog was the equivalent of a Hummer, or something!

Driven at what speed, the car, not the cat ?

Yeah, my comment on Vet's ref to his coat was when he was two, he's now a mingy, tufty old thing (the cat), lol

My wife (not, it must be said, a cat lover) says that if he throws up fur balls any more often, then we'll have to send him to a convalescing home for cats

LOL