These are the signs that your cat will probably live a long

We all want our cats to live forever (except when they’re waking us up at 6am for biscuits), and while feline immortality is still out of our grasp, it’s not that unusual for cats to live into their 20s - a solid effort for such little guys.

But how can you tell if your cat has a good shot at making it to 21 - the feline equivalent of 100 - and can you change its fate? 

Two major studies have brought together knowledge from a team of veterinary experts from around the world on the common changes experienced by ageing cats, looking at everything from musculoskeletal system wear and tear to cognitive and behavioural health. 

The aim was to establish the signs of healthy ageing in cats, because while it's generally accepted that there's a lot that owners and vets can do to ensure the physical and mental health of older adults, that's not much help if you don't know what signs to look out for.

This is especially pertinent now, with roughly 20 percent of cats in the USestimated to be 11 years or older.

Anyone with a cat in their life will know that they're probably going to stick around for a while, with the average lifespan of indoor house cats these days hitting an impressive 12 to 15 years. 

This has increased dramatically over the past few decades, with the average cat living to just seven years in the early 1980s, and just over nine years in 1995.

If your cat ages in a healthy way, chances are they’ll even make it to their 20s. And who knows, maybe yours will rival Creme Puff, the oldest known cat, who lived to a ripe old age of 38, enjoying a rather sophisticated diet of bacon and eggs, asparagus, broccoli, and coffee with heavy cream.