Written by Glenda Moore of CatStuff

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Do you think of yourself as a cat lover? Do you proudly say, "I love cats. I've always had a cat or two. I've owned 20 ... 30 ... 50 cats in my lifetime!"

If you told people that you love children, that in your lifetime you've adopted 20 or 30 babies (but, ummm, none of them have ever reached maturity) .... what would people think?

The average lifespan of a well-cared-for cat is at least 15 years or so. Let's say that you're only 25 years old, and have had only 1 cat at a time. Speaking statistically,  you could (should?) have had only 2 cats if the first lived to a ripe old age, or maybe 4 or 5 if some of those kittens have had unpreventable or uncurable health problems. 

Why haven't those cats you've owned made it to old age? Are they (or you) just really "unlucky"? Have you thought it's "just fate" that so many of your cats were run over in the street, died from some disease, wore out from having too many kittens, were killed by the neighbor's dog, or were murdered by some kid with a b-b gun or misplaced sense of "fun"?  Have you been thinking "that's just the way it is, cats don't live very long?"  [Aside:  I know of at least 2 cats - owned by friends - who lived to be 25 and 30 years old!]

Please: Treat your cats as your lifelong companions, as living, loving creatures who desire and deserve to spend a full lifetime with you. Give them the care they deserve - have each spayed or neutered, vaccinated against disease, and keep them inside and safe!