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.
The oldest cat recorded by the Guinness Book of World Records was one called Creme Puff, who was 38 when he died, and there are stories of others living even longer lives than this. This is quite unusual though, as an average cat life span is around 15-20 years. The kitten stage of a cat's life lasts from birth until puberty, which occurs from between six to eight months old. He's then considered a young adult up to the age of six.