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Pretty soon we are going to see cats and dogs with walking canes.

Here at RocketNews24, we know that the average population in Japan is continuing to rise. This is why we try to report on all the news that is hip for the young crowd; we are staving off old age! At least we know that if we reach the elderly stage, we can expect our loyal pets to grow old right along with us.

14384801914_ffce3d8cb2_kFlickr/CATXALOT

According to a survey conducted by the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, the average life expectancy of cats and dog are at an all-time high. Currently, the average lifespan of a dog is 13.2 years, which is 1.5 times the length of the average lifespan 25 years ago. Cats seem to be exploiting their nine lives as they are living 2.3 times longer than 25 years ago, with an average lifespan of 11.9 years.

The survey results suggest pets are living so much longer due to the increase of indoor pets and the improvements of pet food and medical care. With the added rise of inoculations, this trend is likely to continue for the foreseeable future.

12696967525_de2c03f5b9_kFlickr/Roman Boed

In addition to this, a survey in 2014 found that over half the pets in Japan were seven years or older, which roughly translates to about 40 years old. That number is not too far off from the estimated median age of a Japanese citizen at 46.5 years old. Just like the aging population of humans, the increase in older pets is spurning the development of roken homes (literally “old dog homes”) and the need for people with the experience to care for them, such as in-home animal nurses. These nurses will have the proper training and specialized knowledge necessary to care for people’s aging pets.

16915177327_0f06dbe97d_kFlickr/Ben Salter

If you have a pet that is approaching old age, you might want to consider moving to Japan in order to get them special care. Just be aware of the lengthy quarantine process for entry!

Source: Irorio
Featured image: ©RocketNews24