I think Gary is right. It all depends on the cat's genes. I do know that indoor only cats have a tendency to live longer because they're not exposed to the elements.

On the otherhand, there are the two girls I feed every morning that come in our yard, Fluffy and Midnight. Believe it or not, both have been living outdoors their entire lives. Midnight, the mama of Fluffy, is 16 years old. Fluffy is around 15. So go figure. I've been trying to get pictures of them and will try again this weekend if the weather is nice.

So, I think that proves Gary's theory that it has to do with genes.

According to the Guinness Book of Records, the oldest living cat is 29 years old. Here's the link:

http://www.petplace.com/Articles/artShow.asp?artID=3032

The oldest recorded cat of all time was 34 years old and died in 1957.