this thread is depressing i always thought bengals lived like 16+ yrs.....now im hearing only 12

Its the same with people -who knows? Its great when they have a long healthy life but sometimes just doesn't work out like that. I have a Persian who is 16 this year and we were told life expectancy 12years

I think that "average" if you were to be completely accurate is probably a lot lower than we would think.
I think life "expectancy" is a better way of putting it.
I very much doubt that 16-18 years would be "average", it is the kind of age that you hear about, but I would guess the majority of cats are long since dead by that age.

A bit like saying we "expect" to live to 100 and some do, but so many have dropped like flies, well before then.

Here in the US it seems that the life expectancy is higher for all domestic cats that live indoors only. I've been told 15-20 years is the norm as long as they're disease free. Outdoor cats live to be significantly less at 10-12 years.

I saw a Bengal on a breeders website last year who was over 20, can't remember which site though and I've heard of quite a few who are in the 16-17 age range. One of my kittens now lives with a 16 year old Bengal. My first cat, a giant moggie black and white fluff ball lived to 13 and Dans two cats Tom, a moggie (and female ) and Jerry a British blue, lived until 15 and 16 and died within weeks of each other. I don't think healthy, active Bengals really have a shorter life span than other cats unless they meet with and unfortunate accident.

Merlin is 13 in a couple of weeks.

My Nan had an old dockyard moggie called Boomer, who we lost sadly a few years ago, at the grand old age of 23! He was actually older than the vet who treated his arthritis the last time!

My Bengal will be 16 this weekend. She still plays like a kitten- high leaps if I wave feathers above her. Very communicative. She has had reconstructive knee surgery, but other than that has been very healthy. She has a cat door to a screened patio (in Florida so the weather is good all year round) so she can go outside and chase lizards in the flower beds that are inside the screen and growl at birds through the screens. Other than a little grey around the muzzle, she hasn't changed a bit!

My beautiful Bengal girl Rani is sweet 16 today, still very healthy, silky coat, clear eyes, active and very happy. She has slight arthritis in one joint but it is managed with a natural product and she is as spritely now as she was 10 years ago...

My Charlie was 18 in April! He is now eighteen and a half! I dread saying goodbye

Hestia was 7 when she was diagnosed with kidney failure, However, her brother Zeus is 10 1/2 now, he is thin, very bony at his back end, his muscles have thinned, but he is still very energetic especially with the girls Mitzy and Daisy, who are now 5 1/2 yrs old...

I took Zeus to the vets to have his bloods taken to check his kidneys, he cried like a baby, so had to take him back again, it failed again, even having 4 people try yo pin him down. they didn't want to sedate him as it would mess the results up, I eventually made the appointment to take him back to have it done under anaesthetic but last minute never bothered..he isn't really showing the signs of kidney failure just 'old age '.

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Hestia Gone but not forgotten, RIP sweet princess.
Zeus Gone but not forgotten, RIP big fella, our Nookie bear.

My first Bengal just died Sunday. My Jeckles was 18 and a half.

So sorry to hear that. You must be missing Jeckles

Sorry to hear about Jeckles.
Rest well and play hard at Rainbows Bridge, little one.