Together forever: 10 breeds of long-lived cats

For pet owners, the thought of his death seems unbearable. Therefore, yielding to the child’s request to “have a pussycat”, it is worth considering that this inevitable moment of frustration for the whole family occurs as late as possible. In our selection – 10 cat breeds that live longer than others.

Manx

Representatives of this breed often do not have a tail, but not all Manxes are completely devoid of it. It is believed that the “taillessness” and “short-tailed” of this breed is the result of a natural genetic mutation of the spine, and according to the degree of tail length, the Manx can be both proud owners of a very short “stump” and a tail of almost normal length. They are distinguished by intelligence and ingenuity, friendliness and playfulness, but, most importantly, they can live longer than 15 years.

Siamese cats

Representatives of this breed with an unusual color can live from 10 to 18 years. The breed originates from Thailand, which was formerly called Siam, but in Russia a variety of the breed called “Thai” is usually called Siamese, which are much more common: real Siamese cats have a slender and elongated body and, as a rule, a lighter color. There is a prejudice that Siamese cats are highly aggressive, but this is nothing more than a myth.

Oriental cat

They look like Siamese, but the color is different, there are about 300 varieties of colors. The similarity is not surprising, because these cats belong to the Siamese-oriental breed group. In addition to a slender graceful body, they inherited character traits such as intelligence, curiosity and friendliness from their Siamese ancestors. The average life expectancy of the Oriental is about 15 years.

Russian blue

Representatives of this breed are endowed with graceful features of a muzzle, a characteristic color, and in general, as a rule, they are damn good-looking, which explains why they are so often used in TV commercials for cat food. They differ in intelligence, are easy to train, however, they can shy away from strangers, but they are very affectionate with the owners. They can live up to 20 years.

Bombay cat

The jet-black wool gives the appearance of the representatives of this breed some mystical notes. But there is nothing mysterious in the behavior of the Bombay cat – the creature is very sociable, and it can fondle both its owners and strangers. Smart, playful, love to be given a lot of attention. They can live up to 20 years, but there is only one quirk – the breed is rare, so the purchase of a kitten will cost a lot. However, this also applies to other representatives of our “hit parade”.

Sphinx

Cats of this breed are one of the most reliable evidence that aliens have already visited our planet. Since they are hairless, they are popular with those who are allergic to wool. Sphynxes love when they are paid attention, are sociable and friendly – they can run their tail after the owners all evening. They live from 15 to 20 years, but at the same time they require care – due to the lack of wool, they must be protected from both cold and heat.

Persian cat

Because of their long hair, the Persians look very gorgeous, however, for this they require care – they need to be combed out regularly, and during the moulting, the whole apartment will have to be “combed out” from the wool. The average life expectancy of representatives of this breed is from 15 to 20 years, but Persians also require taking care of their health, as they often suffer from stomach problems. Their character is usually calm and friendly.

Balinese cat

It is believed that they descended from the Siamese as a result of natural mutation – at least in color they are similar to their ancestors, only the wool is more authentic and the carcass is of a different shape. Their owners usually do not skimp on rewarding their pets with enthusiastic epithets: affectionate, sociable, intelligent, agile, playful. A Balinese cat that does not complain about health is able to live a long life – from 18 to 22 years.

Ragdoll

The breed is relatively new, appeared in the early 1960s. The coat is long and silky, which reminds of Persian cats. The name is translated as “rag doll” not by chance – if you take a cat in your arms, it can go limp, but all because cats of this breed were selected precisely for their soft nature, which allows them to relax so much even in the hands of a stranger. The character is friendly, when playing, he practically does not release his claws, but they are lazy – most of all they like to wallow and sit back. However, the “softness” hides excellent health – they are able to live for 15-25 years.

Burmese shorthair cat

By the way

Life expectancy for each breed is indicated approximately. In fact, cats of any breed can live quite a long life with the proper care, care and love from their owners.