Our current cat had a bad kitten hood, how long can we expect her to live?

Question

All of our previous cats lived well into their twenties. I honestly didn’t remember how old they were. One day when I was a kid I came home from school and found 3 tiny orange and white kittens in our living room. Whenever someone asked us how old they were we would just say “twenty something”. When the youngest of the 3 littermates died recently, my aunt said that she remembered the exact date and time they were born since they were her first and only litter of kittens (we were always a dog family on my dad’s side): she said that they were born in May, 1984. That would have made her about 27 years old. Our current cat, Lille, is about 9 and ½. The problem is that she experienced a bad kitten hood compared to our other 3 cats. She was born in my brother’s barn to a semi-feral mother; she had upper respiratory infections when we got her – the only kitten we ever adopted who arrived with her own Meds form the livestock vet. She was also the runt of the litter and abnormally small. She was about the size of a hamster when weaned from her mother. She makes up for this by being very intelligent, precocious, and having a nose for trouble – all qualities we look for in our pets! Our other 3 cats were taken well care of from conception to death by age related diseases. I don’t expect Lille to live that long even though she is very healthy and goes to annual visits to the vet. It goes without saying that she was spayed at sexual maturity. She has had no litters of kittens. She has recurring dandruff and sensitive skin. We tried a lot of sensitive skin foods and giving her fish oil to no avail. She also has cramps in her paws (you can tell because her little toes separate like ours do). She seems to be a bit of an actress, though. She has learned that when she stretches her legs and separates her paws or she sometimes limps a bit up the stairs early in the morning, the family asks what the matter is and is kitty all right. I was going to get her Glucosamine for joints until I saw her almost fly up the stairs, slide across the wood floors on the carpets until they land in a pile in the corner, arch her back like a kitten and run all over the house like a 3 month old! She does these antics more than she limps and the limps seem to get worse when we act concerned. Stinker! My question is: how long can I realistically expect her to live when she is an inside cat who only goes outside to an enclosed porch in the summer?

Update:

I should add that she is supervised in the enclosed yard and porch. Her outside time is also restricted to daytime.

Update 2:

Here is Lille this Winter!

http://www.myphotos.yahoo.com/s/2121dyyzb9pnnqfs9o...

? · Accepted Answer

Which hood was it? Was it in Compton cuz the cats there are CrAzY?!

JK I know what your talking bout but no one knows how long its gonna live. It'll happen when it happens.

20? Wow, I thought they croaked at 9.

? · Answer

I once found a cat in a dumpster, she had ticks, ear mites and mange. She was in horrible shape when I snuck her into my house under my sweater (I was 10). That was in 1986 and she passed away when she was 22 and I was 34. She never got very big (4 1/2 lbs) and her skin was always kind of sensitive but she was a scrapper LOL and I miss her utterly. Its not how they start life, its how they travel the road they are on. Maybe she will be 27, maybe 17, maybe 37 (thats the oldest cat on record, whom was in England I believe) but does it matter all that much? You are loving her and she is being loved by you, stop looking at the hourglass and let her look at the yummy birdies ;P

Valerie A · Answer

First of all God bless u for being a kitty angel on earth and taking such good care of your cats.. Some of the questions on this site  :0(  ..  many people just dont do the right thing or do not understand cats... u r a true cat person =^--^=  purrrr--  seriously, her early years should not affect her life span.. also cats do  not think like we do, they live for the moment and do not project for or worry about the future as we do... so you have given this kitty Heaven on earth compared to what would have been had you not saved her.   With cats it is not quantity but quality... and you for sure have given her that.. Bless u again, u have made my day.. But I do not see why it should affect her life span. Her formative months when her body was growing were filled with love ,and nutritious food so her organs and bones could develop as they should... that makes up for a lot... take care and remember every day is a gift..for her as well as you.

Shut up woman! Get on my horse!!! · Answer

Your three cats that you previously had lived to be extraordinarily old.  The average age for a cat is about 13 yrs.  You must be doing something right.  There is really no way to tell how long anything will live for.  This applies to everything from humans to trees to kitties.  Below is a google on "cat longevity".  There's some good stuff on it.  Good luck with your kittie.  :D

tmclone · Answer

I'm betting on 20+.

Sounds like all my former ferals who take to living inside. Good luck wiith your fur ball

Bridey · Answer

I think the good care you give and have given will enable her to have along and happy life!  I'm betting on 20yrs

butterball · Answer

No Person animal etc. is guarenteed any amount of time.  All you can do is the the best that you can do. And it sounds like your doing that. All  we can do is love them  take care of them (Our cats, Babies). Hopefully you do  have her so she can't get hurt while she's outside.

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Our current cat had a bad kitten hood, how long can we expect her to live?

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