Improved nutrition and healthcare has led to dogs and cats living longer, according to new research from Euromonitor International.
Cats reach geriatric life stage at the age of 15 years, but it is not unusual for them to live until their late teens, whereas dogs tend to have a shorter lifespan, with their rate of ageing very strongly positively correlated with size – a Great Dane can be geriatric by age seven, while the lifespan of a Chihuahua could be almost as long as that of a cat.
The rise in life expectancy has resulted in an expanding population of senior canines and felines and is set to see a continual growth by 2022.
Damian Shore, contributing analyst at Euromonitor International comments, “Despite the rising prevalence of pet obesity, advances in nutrition and veterinary care, increased consumer expenditure on pet healthcare, a reduction in pet euthanisation, and the increased prevalence of pets living indoors are among the factors that have contributed to an increase in the life expectancy of dogs and cats.
“This has resulted in an expanding population of pets, where the average life expectancy of dogs rose to a record high of 13.2 years during 2014.”
