Answers to Readers' Questions on Animal Ages - Succeed with Animal Health. Also refer to diet, exercise, cats, kittens, dogs, productive years, elderly, mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Answers to Readers' Questions on Animal Health:
Animal Ages
The following 13 questions have been answered. They are listed according to date.
List of first 10 items
- Can a craw live to be 300 years old?
- How long does a bear live?
- My guinea pig lived until 9-years old
- What should I feed my 19-year old cat?
- Wants age conversion chart for animals
- How do I reference this website in a publication?
- Dog is losing use of hind legs
- Does a pony live longer than a horse?
- Old cat getting eccentric habits
- Why do cats and dogs live shorter lives?
Can a craw live to be 300 years old?
Question
September 1, 2008
hi dear,
I would like to know age of Craw! can you say?
Somebody tells to me that it's 300 years!! is true?
Soroosh - Iran
16443
Answer
Scientists have found what they claim to be a 400 year old clam. See: http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/10/scientists-fi-1.html. Some tortoises live to be over 200 years old. So it is possible the a Craw lives that long, but I have no statistics on it.
How long does a bear live?
Question
July 21, 2008
i was wondering how long does a bear live for.
i was also wondering how many bear years are there in a human year or how many human years there are in a bear year.
- Australia
16248
Answer
A bear in a zoo can live 30 to 40 years. But few bears in the wild live past 15 years, because of disease, lack of food or other predators.
If an average bear lives to 35 and an average human lives to 70, 1 human year would be about 2 bear years.
My guinea pig lived until 9-years old
Question
July 4, 2008
my guinea pig lived till it was 9 years old
Toni - UK
16179
Answer
That is great! You must have taken good care of your pet.
What should I feed my 19-year old cat?
Question
March 10, 2008
Marja my cat will reach 19 years next month (April 2008)... I have difficulty finding "Senior" foods for her... Any advice????...Thank you
Anna Tell - Canada
15510
Answer
Marja certainly is an old girl. Congratulations on keeping her in good health.
I'm not sure that many of the senior versions of cat food are that much different. Some are supposed to be easier to digest, while others have added vitamins and minerals. It is good to get the higher quality food (more expensive brand), if you can't find senior cat food. But you seem to be doing something right, since she has lived this long.
Occasionally, give her some boiled (not fried) chicken as a treat. That is "real food" that she should love. I used to give our old cat some pieces of corn from the cob that she liked to eat. You could also mix a little rice with the chicken.
I hope these ideas help. Best wishes on keeping a health, happy cat.
Wants age conversion chart for animals
Question
January 20, 2008
Is there a conversion chart to caluclate all/most animal lifes/years as compared to human years of age?
A pig 10 years old = 45 human years.
Thanks
Jeff Meredith
Jeffrey - USA
15178
Answer
The web page: http://sonic.net/~petdoc/lifespan.htm lists the average life span of many animals.
The way they usually make a chart to compare with humans is to compare the average life span of the animal with that of a human. If a canary lives to be 20 and a human to 80, you can determine some relationship. But also the age at which each matures to an breeding adult is an added factor.
I don't have a source that provides that information for other animals.
How do I reference this website in a publication?
Question
January 10, 2008
hello, how do i reference this website in a publication?
- USA
15104
Answer
If you are referring "Comparison of Animal Ages", you can state that title and its web address http://www.school-for-champions.com/animalhealth/animal_ages.htm.
If you wanted, you could also cite it as from "Animal Health: School for Champions".
Dog is losing use of hind legs
Question
February 20, 2007
thank you so much for the info on asprin my lab/collie mix is losing the use of his back legs and for the past 2 days has been growling at me when i try to help him. never thought about using asprin. i hope it helps thanks again
- USA
13213
Answer
If your dog is getting old, then there could be a number of reasons he is losing the use of his hind legs. The most common problem is arthritis. But other types of joint degeneration can occur. Aspirin is only a temporary solution to the pain. Rimadyl for animals does not cause stomach problems and may be better. You can get that through your vet.
I hope your dog will be OK.
Does a pony live longer than a horse?
Question
August 11, 2006
I have a horse/pony 14 1/2 hands. He is part Welsh pony. He will be turning 35 soon. I was told pony's live longer than horses. Is this true? He has a very good life and is not ridden any more.
thank you,
Evelyn - Canada
11687
Answer
Just as most small dogs live longer than large-breed dogs, the same is true of horses and ponies. But still at 35, he is an old fellow. As long as he has a good life, he will hopefully last a number of years more.
Old cat getting eccentric habits
Question
October 27, 2005
Thank you for this very informative web page. My older(15 or 16-year-old) cat is getting more and more eccentric, and I was curious as to just what his human age equivalent was. Pondering this the other day:
"My cat is getting old and eccentric. So am I.
But I don't have a hissy when I'm left alone,
Drink out of the toilet bowl when the water bowl is full,
Chew plastic bags when 'I don't get my way', Or, (bear with me)
- refuse to cover my body wastes,
- step into wet litter and then track it all over the house,
- And
Shed everywhere (although my hair is getting thin).
If we didn't love one another, it would be unendurable."
Joan - USA
8714
Answer
Thanks for your pondering remarks on your 80+ year old cat (human years).
Our old cat recently passed away at age 20. Over a year ago, she stopped burying her wastes and would often stand in the litter box and miss the sand altogether. I had to have plastic sheets covered with paper around the litter box.
I used to brush her every day to keep the remaining fur in good shape. Just like old humans, old cats seem to stop grooming themselves when they get elderly.
Although she no longer would play, she still would occasionally tease our dog.
Young or old, we love our pets.
Why do cats and dogs live shorter lives?
Question
September 10, 2005
My son would like to know WHY dogs and cats live shorter lives than humans?
Bruce - USA
8073
Answer
There seem to be several reasons for the shorter life span of various animals. One reason is the rate of their metabolism. A cat's heart rate is much faster than a human's, but a hamster or mouse has an even faster heart rate. They only live about 2 years.
These animals all mature much sooner than humans, have babies and then get old sooner. Their life is just faster. But note that giant ocean tortoises move very slowly and live longer lives than humans.
Of course, we all wish our pets would live much longer than they do.
Summary
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Answers to Readers' Questions on Animal Ages