Life tables of annual life expectancy and risk factors for mortality in cats in the United Kingdom

Objectives:

The current study aimed to generate the first life tables for the UK companion cat population overall as well as broken down by sex and breed status, and to quantify associations between traits such as sex, neuter status, breed status and bodyweight with mortality.

Methods:

Life table construction and modelling included data on 7,936 confirmed deaths in cats under primary veterinary care at clinics participating in the VetCompass Programme in 2019. The life tables were built for cats overall, for female and male cats, and for crossbred cats and purebred cats. Multivariable generalised linear regression models were generated to explore risk factors for shortened lifespan.

Results:

Life expectancy at age 0 for UK companion cats overall was 11.74 (95% CI: 11.61−11.87) years. The probability of death at each year interval increased with age from year interval 3−4, with the probability value not exceeding 0.05 before year 9. Female cats (12.51; 95% CI: 12.32−12.69) had 1.33-year longer life expectancy than male cats (11.18; 95% CI: 11.01−11.38) at age 0. Among 13 breeds (including crossbreed) analysed, Burmese and Birman had the longest life expectancy at year 0, showing 14.42 (95% CI: 12.91−15.93) and 14.39 (95% CI: 12.87−15.91), respectively. The Sphynx had the shortest life expectancy at year 0 among the breeds analysed at 6.68 (95% CI: 4.53−8.83). Being intact, purebred and non-ideal bodyweight were significantly linked to a decreased lifespan.

Conclusions and relevance:

The life tables presented here for pet cats in the UK overall, by sex and by crossbred and purebred can contribute to a better understanding of the life trajectory of cats, helping evidence-based decision-making for cat owners and the veterinary profession. We also provided updated life expectancy at age 0 of various cat breeds for 2019 and showed evidence of the association between non-ideal weight and a decreased lifespan.