Individual animal’s lifespans, like human’s, often are a combination of luck, diet, exercise, medical care and love.
Longevity is relative but I’ve had a couple of very large dogs ( St. Bernard/Tall Dark and Sneaky Stranger mix ) live to be 15 yrs. and 16 yrs. respectively; a cat that lived over 23 years; and a cutting horse that lived to be 35 ! No matter how long we have our pet family with us, the pain of losing them is still acute and often lingers longer than the loss of a human.
Longevity is relative but I’ve had a couple of very large dogs ( St. Bernard/Tall Dark and Sneaky Stranger mix ) live to be 15 yrs. and 16 yrs. respectively; a cat that lived over 23 years; and a cutting horse that lived to be 35 ! No matter how long we have our pet family with us, the pain of losing them is still acute and often lingers longer than the loss of a human.