A life table is a tabulated expression of life expectancy and mortality-related information at specified ages in a given population. This study utilised VetCompass data to develop life tables for the UK companion dog population and broken down by sex, Kennel Club breed group, and common breeds. Among 30,563 dogs that died between 1st January 2016 and 31st July 2020, life expectancy at age 0 was 11.23 [95% confidence interval (CI): 11.19–11.27] years. Female dogs (11.41 years; 95% CI: 11.35–11.47) had a greater life expectancy than males (11.07 years; 95% CI: 11.01–11.13) at age 0. Life tables varied widely between breeds. Jack Russell Terrier (12.72 years; 95% CI: 12.53–12.90) and French Bulldog (4.53 years; 95% CI: 4.14–5.01) had the longest and shortest life expectancy at age 0, respectively. Life tables generated by the current study allow a deeper understanding of the varied life trajectory across many types of dogs and offer novel insights and applications to improve canine health and welfare. The current study helps promote further understanding of life expectancy, which will benefit pet owners and the veterinary profession, along with many other sectors.

Objectives: The objective of the study was to investigate the associations of a nine-point body condition score (BCS) with survival time and lifespan in cats. Methods: Electronic patient records from a cat-dominant primary practice in metropolitan Sydney, Australia, where the body condition of cats was regularly recorded using a nine-point BCS scale were obtained. The maximum BCS of each cat during the visits was used as the primary exposure variable. Two survival analyses were conducted to evaluate the associations of BCS with cats’ survival and lifespan. Results: In total, 2609 cats met the selection criteria from 4020 cats screened. The median of the maximum BCS was 6 (interquartile range [IQR] 5–7). Compared with cats with a maximum BCS of 6, increased hazards of death were observed in cats with a maximum BCS of 3 (hazard ratio [HR] 4.67, 95% confidence interval [CI] 3.00–7.27), 4 (HR 2.61, 95% CI 1.95–3.49), 5 (HR 1.43, 95% CI 11.5–1.76) and 9 (HR 1.80, 95% CI 1.11–2.93). Median lifespan was 15.8 (IQR 13.5–17.6) years. Compared with cats reaching a maximum BCS of 6 in the same age group, cats reaching a maximum BCS of 4 (HR 4.15, 95% CI 1.26–13.67) or 5 (HR 1.75, 95% CI 1.07–2.85) between age 1 and 3 years, and a maximum BCS of 3 (HR 6.09, 95% CI 1.47–25.25) and 9 (HR 2.27, 95% CI 1.27–4.04) between the age of 3 and 11 years had shorter lifespans. Conclusions and relevance: There are significant associations of nine-point body condition scoring with survival and lifespan, and BCSs <5 and of 9 were found to be negatively associated with both. The study yielded information regarding a desirable BCS for cat longevity that veterinarians could consult with.

Currently, separate measures are used to estimate the impact of animal diseases on mortality and animal welfare. This article introduces a novel metric, the Welfare-Adjusted Life Year (WALY), to estimate disease impact by combining welfare compromise and premature death components. Adapting the Disability-Adjusted Life Year approach used in human health audits, we propose WALY as the sum of a) the years lived with impaired welfare due to a particular cause and b) the years of life lost due to the premature death from the same cause. The years lived with impaired welfare are the product of the average duration of each welfare impediment, reflecting the actual condition that compromises animal welfare, the probability of an incident case developing and impaired welfare weights, representing the degree of impaired welfare. The years of life lost are calculated using the standard expected lifespan at the time of premature death. To demonstrate the concept, we estimated WALYs for 10 common canine diseases, namely mitral valve disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, atopic dermatitis, splenic haemangiosarcoma, appendicular osteosarcoma, cranial cruciate ligament disease, thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease and cervical spondylomyelopathy. A survey of veterinarians (n = 61) was conducted to elicit impaired welfare weights for 35 welfare impediments. Paired comparison was the primary method to elicit weights, whereas visual analogue scale and time trade-off approaches rescaled these weights onto the desired scale, from 0 (the optimal welfare imaginable) to 1 (the worst welfare imaginable). WALYs for the 10 diseases were then estimated using the impaired welfare weights and published epidemiological data on disease impacts. Welfare impediment “amputation: one limb” and “respiratory distress” had the lowest and highest impaired welfare weights at 0.134 and 0.796, rescaled with a visual analogue scale, and 0.117 and 0.857, rescaled with time trade-off. Among the 10 diseases, thoracolumbar intervertebral disc disease and atopic dermatitis had the smallest and greatest adverse impact on dogs with WALYs at 2.83 (95% UI: 1.54–3.94) and 9.73 (95% uncertainty interval [UI]: 7.17–11.8), respectively. This study developed the WALY metric and demonstrated that it summarises welfare compromise as perceived by humans and total impact of diseases in individual animals. The WALY can potentially be used for prioritisation of disease eradication and control programs, quantification of population welfare and longitudinal surveillance of animal welfare in companion animals and may possibly be extended to production animals.

Overweight and obesity (O&O) is a risk factor for several health conditions and can result in a shorter lifespan for cats. The objectives of this study were to investigate (a) cat owners’ attitudes towards feline O&O and their associations with O&O in their cats; and (b) the risk factors for feline O&O and underweight, particularly those involving owner practice. An online survey comprising questions related to cat owners’ attitudes towards feline O&O, owner-reported body weight and body condition of their cat, and potential risk factors for feline O&O was conducted. Primarily targeting the Australian population, the survey attracted 1,390 valid responses. In response to ten attitude-related questions, more participants (percentage range among the ten questions: 39.1–76.6%) held a disapproving attitude towards feline O&O than a neutral (17.1–31.9%) or approving attitude (3.9–27.7%). A greater proportion of participants had a more disapproving attitude towards obesity than towards overweight. Cats belonging to owners with an approving attitude towards O&O were more likely to be overweight or obese than cats belonging to owners with a disapproving attitude towards O&O. The cats had particularly high odds of overweight or obesity if their owner agreed that ‘being chubby says that the cat has a quality life’ (OR: 3.75, 95% CI: 2.41–5.82) and ‘being fat says that the cat has a quality life’ (OR: 4.98, 95%CI: 2.79–8.91). This study revealed, for the first time, that begging for food was a risk factor for O&O in cats. Other important feline risk factors for O&O identified included being middle-aged, being mixed-breed, dry food as the major diet, the amount of feed not being quantified, and frequently spending time indoors. Being over 11 years, receiving no dry food and receiving measured amounts of feed were associated with an increased odds of underweight in cats. As specific attitudes often lead to certain behaviours, reducing approving attitudes towards feline O&O may potentially reduce the frequency of O&O and the risks of O&O-related disorders in cats.

Objectives: The aims of the present study were to generate the first life tables for the UK companion cat population overall as well as broken down by sex and breed status, and to quantify associations between mortality and traits such as sex, neuter status, breed status and body weight in relation to mortality. Methods: Life table construction and modelling included data on 7936 confirmed deaths in cats under primary veterinary care at clinics participating in the VetCompass Programme in 2019. The life tables were built for cats overall, female and male cats, and crossbred and purebred cats. Multivariable generalised linear regression models were generated to explore the risk factors for a shortened lifespan. Results: Life expectancy at age 0 for UK companion cats overall was 11.74 years (95% confidence interval [CI] 11.61−11.87). The probability of death at each year interval increased with age from year interval 3–4, with the probability value not exceeding 0.05 before year 9. Female cats (12.51 years; 95% CI 12.32–12.69) had a 1.33-year longer life expectancy than male cats (11.18 years; 95% CI 11.01–11.38) at age 0. Among the 12 breeds (including crossbred) analysed, Burmese and Birman had the longest life expectancy at year 0, showing 14.42 years (95% CI 12.91–15.93) and 14.39 years (95% CI 12.87–15.91), respectively. Sphynx had the shortest life expectancy at year 0 among the analysed breeds at 6.68 years (95% CI 4.53–8.83). Being entire, purebred and with a non-ideal body weight were significantly linked to a decreased lifespan. Conclusions and relevance: The life tables presented here for companion cats in the UK overall, by sex, and by crossbred and purebred cats can contribute to a better understanding of the life trajectory of cats, helping with evidence-based decision-making for cat owners and the veterinary profession. We have also provided an updated life expectancy at age 0 for various cat breeds for 2019 and showed evidence of the association between non-ideal weight and a decreased lifespan.