Patterns of morbidity, multimorbidity, and mortality in aging cats: findings from seven years of the Cat Prospective Ageing and Welfare Study

Pye, CR ORCID: 0000-0003-1761-8125, Dowgray, NJ, Eyre, K, Pinchbeck, G ORCID: 0000-0002-5671-8623, Hughes, DM, Moniot, D, Comerford, E ORCID: 0000-0002-5244-6042 and German, AJ ORCID: 0000-0002-3017-7988 (2026) Patterns of morbidity, multimorbidity, and mortality in aging cats: findings from seven years of the Cat Prospective Ageing and Welfare Study Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 13. 1813450-. ISSN 2297-1769, 2297-1769

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Abstract

Introduction – Aging is associated with an increased risk of morbidity, multimorbidity and mortality in cats. However, longitudinal cohort studies are somewhat limited in this species. Information about the prevalence and incidence of age-related disease, combinations of morbidities, and factors associated with mortality could provide insights into the impact of aging on the welfare of domestic cats. Methods – The prevalence and incidence of common age-related diseases, patterns of multimorbidity and causes and risk factors for mortality were investigated in a prospective longitudinal cohort study of 209 aging cats. Cats were enrolled at middle age and attended a veterinary examination every 6 months, until death or censoring, for up to 7 years. Results – A total of 1, 241 examinations were performed (median follow-up 4.4 years; range 0.0–6.9). Dental disease (84%), abnormalities on orthopedic examination (82%) and heart murmurs (59%) were most prevalent within the cohort over the study period. Most cats (96%) developed at least one abnormality on veterinary examination, and multimorbidity was common, with 175 cats (84%) developing two or more morbidities during the study. Death occurred in 59/209 cats (28%) and median life expectancy was 15.2 years. Pedigree cats had approximately double the hazard of mortality (HR 2.62, 95%-CI 1.39, 4.93; P = 0.003) compared with mixed-breed cats, with a similar increase in hazard for those with muscle loss at middle age (HR 2.01, 95%-CI 1.13, 3.60, P = 0.018) compared with cats without muscle loss. Discussion – These findings demonstrate that age-related morbidity and multimorbidity are highly prevalent in cats and both should be considered by veterinary professionals examining these older animals. Furthermore, we identified that midlife body condition, muscle condition and pedigree status affected mortality risk, highlighting the importance of assessing these factors in practice and suggesting that targeted strategies to promote healthy aging should start from middle age.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	chronic disease, cohort, feline, incidence, lifespan, longitudinal, prevalence, survival
Divisions:	Faculty of Health & Life Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Life Courses & Medical Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Life Courses & Medical Sciences > Inst. Life Courses & Medical Sciences (T&R staff) Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Life Courses & Medical Sciences > Musculoskeletal & Ageing Science Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Infection, Vet & Ecological Sciences Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Infection, Vet & Ecological Sciences > Inst. Infection, Vet & Ecological Sciences (T&R Staff) Faculty of Health & Life Sciences > Inst. Infection, Vet & Ecological Sciences > Livestock & One Health
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	09 Jul 2026 09:58
Last Modified:	01 Sep 2026 13:20
DOI:	10.3389/fvets.2026.1813450
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2026.1813450
Related Websites:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3199338
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