When you look at the current research on spaying and neutering, the AGE at which it's done turns out to be vitally important to your dog's future health. For example, your female dog should NOT be spayed at 6 months old.
Life Expectancy of Dogs and Cats. We hope our pets will be a part of our lives for many, many years but the fact is that the average life expectancy is 10-12 years for dogs and 10-14 years for cats. Older pets have very specific needs and are particularly susceptible in later years to cancer, arthritis, and dental disease.
With improvements in nutrition and veterinary medicine including vaccines and therapeutic agents, cats are living to over 15 years of age and in some cases over 20 years of age. Life expectancy depends on many things, including one important factor - whether your cat is an indoor-only cat or an outdoor cat. Indoor cats generally live from 12-18 years of age. Many may live to be in their early 20s. The oldest reported cat lived to be an amazing 28 years old. Outdoor cats generally live shorter lives due to being more likely to be involved in traumas such as motor vehicle accidents or dog attacks.