Pets are, in general, living longer. In February 2023, a study conducted by Mars Inc. and published in Frontiers in Veterinary Medicine sought to determine the actual current lifespans of various breeds of dogs and cats. There are factors, it must be said, that can make “lifespan” a difficult number to pin down. For one, data is generally gathered (as it was in this study) using veterinarian records. This leaves out animals who do not receive vet care, strays, etc. Still, as a vast majority of pet owners these days (particularly in developed pet markets) take better care of their pet’s health than their own, veterinary records are a good place to start.
Mars owns Banfield Pet Hospital, and thus more than 2,500 veterinary clinics worldwide. One thousand clinics in the U.S. were able to provide data for the study (which included information on 8.9 million dogs and 2.4 million cats). The data gathered was from 2013–2019, and compared breed sizes, male vs. female pets and life expectancy growth during that time frame.
