Cross Breeds

Do purebred cats live longer and healthier than mixed breeds?

Public Comments

1. nope its usually the opposite, cause purebreds are like royal families, eventually there is inbreeding.
2. From my experience the Hienz 57's outlast purebreds by quite a bit. The old girl I have now is 15 and as smart and spy as ever. Some of my neighbours have had two pure breds since I got this one.
3. Not necessarily. Most any cat that is kept indoors and is provided adequate nutrition and veterinary care will live a healthy life. Some recognized breeds are genetically predisposed to certain conditions that might put them at risk of a shortened life span. The best thing to do with respect to this is to research the breed you're interested in and choose a breeder very carefully.
4. it all depends on the health of the cat and how well they are taken care of....i'm pretty sure it shouldn't matter
5. From my experience the run of the mill cat lives longer than the yuppy cat. I had a pure bred siamese cat with papers that only lived about 7 years and then died of genetic problems. My shelter cat (which i've had since he was a kitten) is almost 20.
6. No, mixed breeds are healthier in general. Sometimes breeding brings out problems. Indoor cats live longer lives than outdoor cats. My indoor/outdoor mixed breed is 18 1/2 and still going strong. We couldn't make her an indoor cat as she was a stray accustomed to being outdoors before we adopted her. Now she goes as far as the patio set for a sunbath. She is alpha over our dogs and other cats. She rules.
7. Nope reverse
8. It is actually the opposite. Although every cat is different, all the selective breeding I guess made purebreeds weaker.
9. The answer to your question - it depends! It's all about genetics, and proper care. A well-cared for indoor cat with no inherited problems can easily live 15 years or more. Purebred cats that come from a *reputable* breeder will not come with inherited genetic problems - they test their cats for any of the problems common to the breed and won't breed individuals that carry those genes (a prime example would be PKD in Persians). However, cats from back yard breeders and pet stores often come complete with genetic problems, which is one reason NOT to buy from these sources. With random-bred domestic shot hairs, you don't know what you're getting as you generally don't know what's all mixed up in there. But unless the cats are inbred, what geneticists call "hybrid vigor" means that the genes are spread out enough that their is less likelihood of any kind of inherited health problems. But even with good genes, the cats - purebred or mixed - only have the potential to lead healthy long lives if they are properly cared for. Feeding them cheap junk food, allowing them to live outdoors, not providing vet care including vaccines and dental care - all of these take their toll on cats, purebred or mixed breed. There is probably no real difference in the life span of a properly bred purebred cat and a mixed breed cat, if both are properly cared for.