Petco Text Logo
Petco Pet Logo

  • Two Easy Ways to Start Earning Rewards!

What cat breeds are less prone to kidney disease and live longest?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Male | neutered | 10 years and 7 months old | 19 lbs

I sadly had to put my beloved cat "duck" down as his kidney disease got worse. I'm wracked with guilt and extreme sadness. My house feels empty and I wonder if I did it too soon. Someday I will get another cat, maybe in 6 months. My question is, is there a breed that is not predisposed to kidney issues? Which cats tend to live the longest, or is it luck of the draw? Thank you in advance.

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

Image profile

Answered By Dr. Melanie, BVSc MS

Veterinarian

Published on August 18th, 2017

First off, I'm very sorry you lost Duck! It so hard to lose a beloved pet, I've faced this myself and it hurts deeply. Don't feel guilty, there was nothing you could do to prevent his kidney disease. Unfortunately there are no breeds that aren't predisposed to kidney disease. It's something that is very common in senior cats, and you can't predict if a cat will get it or not. There also isn't a specific breed of cat that lives longer, although a domestic shorthair and longhair may have a chance of living longer due to the fact they will not have problems from inbreeding that you will see with purebred cats. When you are ready, you will know it and you will get another cat. It won't take Duck's place, no cat ever will, but it may help heal you a little bit. Again, I'm so sorry for your loss :-(

Vote icon

1Pet Parents found this answer helpful

Related Questions

Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
What is the average time a cat has after a kidney disease diagnosis? My 18 y/o cat has chronic pancreatitis and spinal arthritis and now kidney disease. She was just put on a kidney diet. She takes 2.5 mg prednisone as needed for pain and/or vomiting
It can be quite variable and depends a little on the stage of disease (which takes in to account creatinine value, any protein in the urine, and blood pressure), and how affected the cat is when it is detected. There are also other disease processes that can exacerbate kidney blood value elevation (creatinone) so these should be ruled out if not already (such as a kidney infection, high blood pressure). Some cats were early stage kidney disease can live years potentially. A diet change may be recommended to slow progression and if hydration is an issue an owner can learn how to give fluids at home. I hope this helps and thank you for using Boop by Petco!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Why is kidney disease in cats so common? Do cats not drink enough? Should cats be always fed canned food or is it ok to feed them dry food? Thanks!
Kidney disease in cats, in most cases, is caused simply by a loss of function overtime. I think we see this more in cats because they tend to live longer than dogs, sometimes on the upward end of 15 to 20 years. As the pet ages, so do the cells that make up the kidneys, and this results in a loss of function (kidney insufficiency). In theory, yes we can preserve kidney function by adding more water to their diet. But I think that at some point the kidneys will still lose function because that is what happens naturally as the pet ages. With all that said, I still encourage owners to feed their cats wet food and use kitty water fountains whenever possible, to preserve kidney function for as long as physically possible.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 4 years old cat was diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, we managed to maintain his creatinine level by providing him with a renal diet(both wet and dry). Should i be worried? Also, his annual vaccination and deworming is due in april, should i
Don't apologize, I'm glad to answer your questions! Studies have shown that cats on a renal diet live on average of two years longer than cats who also have chronic kidney disease but aren't on a renal diet. So you are doing the right thing by feeding Smokey this diet. You can give him the vaccine, it will not effect his kidneys. Water intake should never be less. It's important for him to drink plenty of water so he does not dehydrate. I recommend getting a pet water fountain for him. It provides a continuous source of fresh water, and encourages pets to drink. I have one for my cats, and they love it. I hope this helps!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
Our two cats have had tests that show their kidney function is starting to require support. I think level 14 whereas max should be 12. They are sisters and are 7.5 yrs old and otherwise healthy, Can you recommend what we should feed to help. At pr
John, I'm sorry to hear of the mild kidney problem with Dusty and Stitch. There are several excellent prescription cat foods that are for kidney support. I would start with the brand your veterinarian recommends. If they don't like it try another until you find what they like. Your veterinarian will recommend periodic blood tests to monitor their kidney function and will add medication or fluids if that becomes necessary. Many cats live long active lives even with some kidney issues so with good care they should be fine for several years or more.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
On August 9 I had to put my 20 year old Siamese cat down . She had cancer and some other mass on her kidney. The vet sad it would be best for my angel to go into cat heaven. I still have her 10 year old daughter that started to cry , hollowing and
If you are looking at getting another kitten this should be fine. I would make sure you are getting Knopa checked on a regular basis. A test that may help stage her level of kidney disease would be the SDMA test. This test checks for a kidney biomarker that will help in staging the kidney disease and also detect early changes related to the kidneys. If she is not doing well, now may not be the time to get a new kitten as introducing another cat to the environment may stress Knopa out.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
New Pet
Ragdoll kitten born with one abnormal kidney and one regular one. I haven’t got her yet so am undecided if I should still take her. Any information on any potential future problems would be greatly appreciated.
Hello. A known congenital defect is probably an indication to avoid this kitten. She will require very regular checks of her remaining kidney function to make sure any issues are addressed early on. If the breeder is willing to present this kitten to you free of charge, you must make it your business to factor in at least some additional care for the life of this kitten. She may do quite well, but without a more definitive diagnosis of what the abnormal kidney is, it is impossible to say how she may do. BUT, people & animals can certainly live long healthy lives with just one kidney. You will just need to be more proactive with her lifelong health care if you decide to take her. Thanks for using Boop by Petco.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Food & Nutrition
I had a pet bird for two years.they live to be20 plus years. I'm trying to figure out why he had kidney issues so young. Is it something i did? He had seeds Apple grapes spring water for his diet.he passed a week ago. Brought him to the vet twice and
So sorry to hear that Side Kick passed away. He was very handsome. Your vet is correct, he was most likely born with a congenital kidney issue. If you wanted to know for sure, a necrospy (autopsy) would have been needed and tissue samples would have to have been analyzed by a laboratory. Without that testing there is no way to know for sure. I don't know if it was something you did or fed him. Any possibility he could have eaten something toxic? For future reference, a high seed diet is not really recommended for most birds. I don't think it had anything to do with the kidney issues but you may want to consider a different diet if you get another bird. I suggest a diet made by Lafeber. ( https://lafeber.com/pet-birds/bird-food-guide/ ) Hope this helps. Again, I am sorry for your loss. Best wishes.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
My 17-year-old female Maine Coon passed away from renal failure. A year ago, her blood work did indicate a 3.0 creatine level and other signs of CKD. Aside from weight loss, her quality of life was normal, eating, playing, and jumping, so I didn’t gi
I'm sorry to hear about the passing of your kitty. It's so hard to lose them :( Unfortunately this is not a question you will ever know the answer to. You can see all sorts of things happen. Some cats get subq fluids and things still progress. Some never get subq fluids and do fine for years. Some will not get subq fluids until they are end stage of the disease. The main control of kidney disease is diet. Increasing the fluids in any fashion is considered helpful and may extend the life BUT again, it may not. Same goes with the B12. The fluids and b12 are essentially proactive but are not a guarantee. Unfortunately, you cannot change how things played out and my advice is to focus on the positive memories and the time you shared with her. Again, my condolences.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
hello yesterday i went to the vet after my cat lost weight he told me that my cat suffers from kidney failure now he has one kindey that works but not with high efficiency and the other one stopped completely now my cat refuses to eat or drink what s
Sorry to hear about your kitty. It sounds like he is in the advanced stages of kidney failure. Unfortunately kidney damage can not be reversed once it occurs - only managed. Once cats get to this stage of kidney disease, most treatments are focused on trying to make cats feel as good as possible for as long as possible. Sometimes treatments that are prescribed include SQ fluids (water given as an injection under the skin to increase hydration), anti-nausea medications, blood pressure medications, antacids, and other therapies to manage complications associated with kidney failure. It is hard to give a prognosis without knowing the specific details of your cat's bloodwork and history, but if he is not eating or drinking, he may be suffering and can quickly decline. If you are concerned about your kitty's quality of life, have a discussion with your veterinarian.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Petco Pet Education Center
Health & Wellbeing
I visited an emergency clinic last night with my cat and they diagnosed him with Kidney failure. I can't talk to that vet again til 7pm tonight and I'm trying to decide whether it would be kinder to let Squeaker go now, or to try to extend his life
Part of this decision should be based upon how Squeakers is doing clinically and how bad or not bad his values are. In general, if kidney disease is caught early on, it responds very well to treatment. Most of the time, treatment is simply a diet change to a kidney friendly, prescription diet. Pet’s where the disease is more advanced, may need to take a pill to decrease protein loss through the kidneys and they may need subcutaneous fluids on a daily or weekly basis. For cats with more advanced disease, they may need hospitalization and IV fluids to see if they will recover. Again it all depends on the blood values and how the pet is doing clinically. Most cats with kidney disease, if caught in time, will live an average of 2 to 3 years of quality life after diagnosis. This is variable though. Some pets progress quickly and others live longer than 3 years. You don’t know until you try. I hope this helps to guide your decision making. You can also find a fair amount of information about
Updated on September 24th, 2025

Related Searches

Cat Supplies Cat Food Cat Urinary Tract & Kidney Medication Wet Cat Food Cat Health & Wellness Diuretics for Cats Veterinary Diet Cat Food Cat Urinary Care Heart & Blood Pressure Medicine for Cats Cat Medicine PetAlive Cat Health & Wellness HEALERS Cat Health & Wellness Vet Worthy Cat Health & Wellness Prescription Diet Cat Health & Wellness Veterinary Diets Cat Health & Wellness Potassium Citrate Cat Urinary Tract & Kidney Medication DASUQUIN Cat Health & Wellness BiologicVET Cat Health & Wellness Cyclosporine Cat Health & Wellness Prescription Diet Cat Supplies
image
Have A Vet Question?

Book an appointment with the pros – our expert vets are here to help.

Book Now

Sponsored