Veterinarians are reporting dogs and cats are living longer - some for more than 15 years. Dogs' longevity is directly related to breed size. Toy breeds live longest (12-14 years). Giant breeds live the shortest time (6-8 years). However, mixed breeds tend to live longer than pure breeds. In estimating a dog's age 1 dog year equals 12 people years, 2 dog years equal 24 people years and every dog year after that equals 4 people years. Thus a 12-year-old dog would be 64 people years. As for cats, any well-cared-for, indoor cat is likely to reach the late teens or early twenties - counting all 9 lives.
Unfortunately, veterinarians are also reporting they are treating an increasing number of dogs that have eaten xylitol. Xylitol is in the fibers of many fruits and vegetables - including various berries, corn husks, mushrooms and oats. It's a natural sugar alcohol used as a sugar substitute, especially in gum. Supposedly it's good for teeth, diabetes, osteoporosis and infection - but it's not good for pets. For pets it has a life-threatening toxicity that can cause liver failure. Symptoms of xylitol poisoning include vomiting and a weak, wobbly appearance, requiring immediate treatment. Obviously, pet owners should treat xylitol-containing products with dogged attention to avoid cat-astrophes.
To get the attention of pet owners a campaign by the Los Angeles County District attorney featured a picture of a dog in an oven. It's a reminder that it's against the law to leave animals in hot cars. A car's interior can reach 100 degrees when it's 72 degrees outside. Dogs have body temperatures of 101-102.5 degrees. Body temperatures of 107-108 degrees can cause brain damage and death. Leaving a pet in a hot car is a misdemeanor with up to 6 months in jail. If the pet dies, it's a felony with up to 3 years in state prison. This should be dogma.
And then there's Scarlett's Magic. She holds the Guinness Record as the world's tallest pet cat - 17.1 inches. SM, however, isn't an ordinary housecat. She's a F1 Savannah - a cross between a domesticated breed and an African Serval - a medium-sized wild cat sharing common traits with cheetahs. Although F1 Savannahs are the closest thing to wild cats allowed as pets in most states, SM's owners say she has the "charm of a domesticated cat". Because cubs cost $5,000-$50,000, F1 Savannah cats might not catapult to popularity immediately.
