If your household includes a cat or dog, you want to ensure they live a long and happy life. Having an idea of your animal’s lifespan allows you to maximize their comfort in their later years. It also lets you take steps to prepare for their passing, like creating pet keepsakes. Learn about canine and feline life expectancy below.

Life Expectancy of Dogs

Life expectancy averages are known for common breeds of dogs. Golden Retrievers, Labrador Retrievers, Irish setters, and Standard Poodles all live for 12 years on average.

However, size is also a factor. While a Great Dane lives for seven years on average and a Saint Bernard for eight, for instance. Meanwhile, Miniature poodles and Dachshunds both have an average life expectancy of 14 years. It’s also possible to estimate your dog's human age. During their first year of life, dogs age the equivalent of 15 human years, with the second year being the equivalent of 9 human years, and each year afterward equals 5 years.

Life Expectancy of Cats

Lifespan approximations are also available for better-known cat breeds. America Shorthair and Siamese breeds live from 15 to 20 years, for instance, while Persians can live for above 15 years.

However, many cat breeds are typically unknown and usually too mixed to accurately pinpoint, making their lifestyles the main determining factor of longevity. Indoor cats tend to live longer as they are less exposed to dangers like wild animals, such as coyotes, foxes, and other feral felines. A healthy diet and preventive medical measures, such as heartworm prevention, also add years to a cat's life.

It's also possible to estimate a cat's “human age” equivalent. For example, at one year, a cat is the equivalent of a 15-year-old person. At five, a cat is 36 in human years. At 10, it's 56, and a cat would be 96 in human years at the age of 20.

Knowing when your four-legged friend is expected to pass on allows you to prepare emotionally and practically, such as creating a paw print pet keepsake to remember them by. When it does come time to say goodbye, turn to Char Mac Pet Cremation of Cincinnati, OH. Family-owned and -operated, they have been helping clients memorialize their pets since 1964. Visit their website for a list of services, from animal cremation to pet keepsakes, or call (513) 851-5791 for questions.