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What Are Cat Years Compared To Human Years

How To Keep Your Cat Young

Lifestyle and dietary factors greatly impact an animals health and their chances of living well into old age. Thats why Dr. McGonigle emphasizes preventative care for cats of all ages.

Disease prevention, a balanced diet and routine vet visitsall of those things can keep cats healthy for as long as their genetics allow, she says. Here are some tips:

  • Be proactive. Preventative treatments for such parasites as heartworms, fleas and ticks are important. Why? Because fleas and ticks carry diseases, Dr. McGonigle says.
  • Focus on diet. Though she doesnt endorse a particular brand of cat food, Dr. McGonigle recommends a premium, balanced diet that keeps in mind a cats unique nutritional needs.
  • Go for regular checkups. As a general rule, cats should visit the vet once a year up to the age of seven, and twice a year for cats past that age. We can help extend their lives and keep up the quality of their lives, Dr. McGonigle says.
  • Brush your cats teeth. This can be tricky, so its best to get them used to a toothbrush while theyre young. Dr. McGonigle says its for a good reason: Good dental health is associated with better overall health outcomes for cats. Learn how to brush your cats teeth here.

Cats should eat and drink regularly throughout their lives, Dr. McGonigle says. Abnormal food or water intake, especially if accompanied by weight loss, should prompt a visit to the vet.

Read more:

How Old Is Your Cat

You can calculate the age of your cat, in human years, as well as your age in cat years with the Cat Age Calculator. Cats develop particularly quickly in the first few years of their life and then more slowly once they reach maturity. The first year of a cat´s life is equivalent to 15 human years whilst the second year is only equivalent to 10 human years. When a cat has fully grown into an adult, each cat year is equivalent to 4 human years.

How Many Years Is A Cat Year

Cats experience life at a much more accelerated rate than people do. In comparison, a cat reaches sexual maturity at five months and can become pregnant with a litter before there is time to spay or neuter.

 

Likely the most use that the cat years to human years calculation can serve, is that it helps veterinarians determine which of the six life stages a cat is in, amongst them: kitten, adolescent, or senior. Other factors play an important role in determining age too, not only a cats human age.

 

Cat Years Vs Dog Years

We already know that cats and dogs have their differences. However, this applies to their ages too. Yep, you heard us. Dog years and cat years are calculated differently. 

Funnily enough, the way that you calculate your cat’s age is closer to the 7-year myth than with dogs. Generally speaking, 1 cat year equates to 6-7 human years. Remember, there isn’t a scientific way to figure this out, but this can be used as a benchmark. 

It’s important to remember that our pawsome pets’ age milestones happen at various stages compared to us hoomans. For instance, the first two years of a cat’s life are more or less equal to the first 25 human years. On top of that, the aging process for cats is dissimilar to that of dogs. 

Working out dog and cat years should be done with a full understanding of our pets’ age benchmarks and milestones. Then, of course, their breeds come into play here too. For doggos, the bigger the breed, the younger they are. Smaller dogs tend to “mature” faster, but they often live longer. To help you understand this, you can read our dog years vs. human years article here

World Oldest Cat Ever

Comparison chart of cat and human years  Stock Photo ...

Creme Puff was born in August 1967 and lived until August 2005 in Texas USA

As humans, we love anthropomorphizing cats. However, giving human years to our cats is not as whimsical as it sounds at first. In fact, it is quite helpful. Knowing our cats age in the calendar or human years helps us determine their life stage and therefore understand their needs and provide life-stage specific care.

Signs Of A Senior Cat

Just like in humans, there are some tell-tale signs of senior status among cats. While senior cats are often still healthy and full of life, they may begin to slow down a little. As your cat transitions into senior status, itâs important to take note of any changes as drastic shifts could be indicative of serious health conditions.  

Senior cats may exhibit:

  • Weight loss and loss of muscle tone
  • Frequent urination
  • Confusion or disorientation

Beyond physical decline, senior cats may also exhibit dementia. Some include frequent meowing, disorientation, and excessive sleeping.

Senior cats can still have many wonderful years ahead of them, so donât be discouraged or distraught if your cat is starting to slow down. Simple lifestyle tweaks, such as specially formulated food can help your senior cat make the most of their twilight years.

Not Sure Of Your Pets Age

If you adopted or rescued your pet and arent exactly sure of their real age, veterinary professionals have a variety of means they can use to estimate this.  As always, you should consider consulting your veterinarian and clinic staff for help with calculating your pets age, their predisposition to certain diseases, and for healthy aging care and tips for your pet.

Cat Years To Human Years

Converting between cat years and human years isn’t as simple as using a factor of 7 . The main reason is that cats mature quickly in the first couple of years of life.

To convert cat age to an equivalent human age, an accepted method is to add 15 years for the first year of life. Then add 10 years for the second year of life. After that, add 4 years for every cat year. This means that by year two, a cat has matured to about the same as a 25 year old human.

Not everyone agrees on the same conversion formula. For a slightly different calculation, the Cat Bible, a book by Tracie Hotchner, provides the following list:

  • 1-month-old kitten = 6-month-old human baby 
  • 3-month-old kitten = 4-year-old child 
  • 6-month-old kitten = 10 human years old 
  • 8-month-old kitten = 15-year-old human 
  • 1-year-old cat  = adulthood, the equivalent of 18 human years 
  • 2 human years = 24 cat years 
  • 4 human years = 35 cat years 
  • 6 human years = 42 cat years 
  • 8 human years = 50 cat years 
  • 10 human years = 60 cat years 
  • 12 human years = 70 cat years 
  • 14 human years = 80 cat years
  • 16 human years = 84 cat years 

Two Ways To Look At Age

Though the common perspective on cat years and human years is trying to figure out how old our cats are in human years, that conversion can be applied both ways.

That is to say, if you consider the maximum age of a human to be 100 years, then, based on the Cat Calculator, the maximum age of a cat is 20.8 years. On the other side of the coin, if you consider that, as The Cat Bible suggests, 16 human years is comparable to 84 cat years, then a 100-year-old human could be said to be the equivalent of 525 cat years.

Though this is a generally less practical way to consider the relative aging rate, it does serve as an important reminder The way we experience time, the length of our human years, and the meaning we assign to certain-numbered years , is a matter of perspective. Some other oft-quoted ideas come to mind: Its not the years in your life, but the life in your years and Youre only as old as you feel.

How old is your cat according to this formula? Or perhaps I should ask, how old are YOU in cat years?

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How To Calculate Cat Age In Human Years

Itâs commonly stated that one human year is the equivalent of 7 cat years. This is an effort to demonstrate that cats age more quickly than humans. However, they do not age proportionately.

Cats reach maturity at a much faster rate than humans in the beginning of their lives. Once they reach adulthood, their aging slows down.

Itâs difficult to draw a direct comparison between a catâs age and its human equivalent, but the general consensus is that a cat ages the equivalent of 15 human years in the first year of their life.

From 2 years on, experts believe cats age at a rate of approximately 4 human years per cat year. 

Making A Rough Calculation

A mistake that people often make is believing that both dogs and cats age seven years for every human calendar year. However, this is not the case and cats age faster in their earlier years than they do later in their life.

In its first year, a cat ages fifteen human years and 24 years by the time they have reached the age of two in human years. For every year after that, a cat will age approximately four cat years for every human year.

How Long Can Cats Live How Long Do Cats Live On Average

Cats have an average life expectancy of 16 to 18 years, though some cats may live even longer. In fact, according to the Cornell Feline Health Center, many cats live to be 20 or 21. 

Certain cat breeds are known to have notably long life expectancies while some are more susceptible to certain health issues than others. For instance, both Siamese and Savannah cats are said to have a life span as long as 20 years. Meanwhile, Ragdoll and Persian cats are both susceptible to Polycystic Kidney Disease

According to the UC Davis Department of Veterinary Medicine, indoor cats are expected to live much longer than outdoor cats. This is largely because indoor cats face fewer hazards than cats who live outdoors. Outdoor cats are vulnerable to threats like predators, traffic, toxins, and diseases from other animals that indoor cats may never come into contact with. Keep outdoor cats safe with these tips.

Of course, nothing is ever guaranteed. Even indoor cats that are extremely well cared for may fall ill unexpectedly, while breeds that are highly prone to certain health afflictions may never be affected by them. As frustrating as it may be, thereâs just no way of knowing how long your cat will live. 

Feeding your cat a balanced diet and ensuring they maintain a healthy body weight can help increase your catâs life expectancy and keep them agile and active well into old age.  

Calculate Your Cats Age

Ages and Stages

Want to quickly calculate your cats age in human years? Use the dropdown box below to select your cats current age and then the box below will tell you how old your cat is in human years!

Note that is is an approximation only.

Nutmeg was from the UK and he led a really happy and uneventful life with a wonderful couple, Liz and Ian Finlay, who considered him their son. It wasnt until 2015 that he suffered a serious seizure and stroke. Nutmeg was treated by Westway Veterinary Centre in Newcastle and they helped him bounce back from the incident. Sadly, his health made a turn for the worse during the summer and he passed away on August 29, 2017. The Finlay family is completely heartbroken and do not plan to get another cat.

Do you have a cat that has lived a really long and vibrant life? Be sure you tell us about it in the comments or on Facebook!

How Long Do Cats Live On Average

What are the facts on cats longevity? The ideal cat can or may live to 20 years and older. On average, wild, homeless, and feral cats live dramatically shorter lives than domestic cats. Outdoor cat lifespan ranges widely, anywhere from three to 10 years. Indoor cats live nearly three times as long as outdoor cats. The numbers varied widely ranging from 14 to 20 years.

According to the site icatcare.org, there are 6 life stages for cats:

  • Kitten the young cat is growing rapidly and is usually not quite sexually mature
  • Junior the cat reaches full size and learns about life and how to survive it
  • Prime the cat is mature physically and behaviourally, and is still usually healthy and active, looking sleek and shiny and making the best of life
  • Mature the cat is what we call ‘Mature’, equivalent to humans in their mid-40s to mid-50s
  • Senior

How Do Cats Age

As you can see, the common 1:7 ratio is very misleading cats age much more quickly in their first two years of life and then the aging process slows down and continues more steadily after that.

How did veterinarians settle on this cat age to human age calculation?

When it comes down to it, the AAHA states that their guidelines are based on the physical and behavioral changes that occur at different stages of a cats life and then these stages are matched to stages of human life.

In other words, a one-year-old cat is physiologically similar to a 15-year-old human in their own respective ways, both the cat and the human are at similar stages of growth and development.

Of course, as with humans , there will be some variation in the way your individual cat ages. But unlike dogs, there seems to be much less variation with different cat breeds and the way they age. With dogs, youre much more likely to see smaller breeds live longer. Even when we look at cats by breed, the variations dont seem large enough to contribute to these kinds of age differences.

Adolescent Cat Age In Human Years

This is the stage that cats begin to mature regarding sexuality and behavior until they reach two years old. Below is the explanation:

  • Seven to twelve months in your cats age represents twelve to fifteen years of human age.
  • Twelve to eighteen months for your cat represents seventeen to twenty years for humans.
  • Two years for cats is equivalent to 24 years for humans.

Caring For A Senior Cat

The age that a cat is considered a senior depends on several factors, including size, but in general, cats enter their senior years around age 12, according to Cornell Universitys College of Veterinary Medicine. They tend to slow down and sleep even more .

You can be sure they still love to eat, and this is where its important to watch for weight issues. With less activity and more sleep, you might need to cut back on their food or change to a product formulated especially for older cats.

This is also the life stage where age-related ailments tend to start to appear and regular vet checks are even more important. Some common issues seen in senior cats include:

  • Arthritis
  • Matted fur
  • Confusion related to senility

But every cat is individual, and you shouldnt ever assume that a cats change in behavior is age-related without checking with a veterinarian first.

How Do I Calculate My Cats Age In Human Years

So, if youre asking How old is my cat in human years? the calculation is fairly simple. Compared to dogs, which have greater variation based on size and breed, the method to calculate a cats age is pretty standard.

According to the American Animal Hospital Association , these age guidelines have been created and agreed upon by the AAHA, the Feline Advisory Bureau , and the American Association of Feline Practitioners :

  • The first year of a cats life is equal to approximately 15 human years.
  • The second year of a cats life is equal to an additional nine years.
  • After the second year of a cats life, each additional year is equal to about four human years. 

So, how old is your cat in human years? You can use our cat age to human years chart below to find out!

What Is A Pet Year

Dogs and cats age more rapidly than humans. At one time or another weve all heard the expression dog years, but most of us are unaware of how the relative age and weight of our pets is calculated by veterinarians and others in the pet health field.

For cats, one human year is roughly equal to 6 – 7 cat years.

For dogs, its slightly more complicated, as size and weight also has an impact. Generally, the heavier and larger the dog, the more swiftly they age.

How Many Years Do Cats Live On Average

It’s common to see a cat reach 20 years old these days, Becker says, so it’s safe to assume a healthy cat will make it within a few years of that. Recently, the world’s oldest a cat made it all the way to 31 years old

We can’t guarantee your feline pal will make it into a third decade, but there are a few things you can do to elongate your cat’s life. Becker lists three main factors that determine your cat’s longevity: heredity, environment, and nutrition.

There’s not much you can do about heredity once you bring home your cat, Becker says. But you can do your best to make her environment safe. That means limiting time outsidewhere dangers like predators, vehicles, and could injure your cat. That’s why outdoor cats generally don’t live as long as their indoor counterparts. 

The third factor is , so you’ll want to work with your veterinarian to make sure your kitty stays as close to her healthy weight as possible. Cats at or near their ideal body weight will live longer than those who aren’t, Becker says.

Life Expectancy Of Cats

How to tell your cat

In earlier times, cats had a very short life expectancy. They generally never lived longer than 4-6 years. However, nowadays, cats have longer life spans than before. There are many factors that have brought about this change. Given below are two of the most important factors that have resulted in cats having a longer life span.

  • Indoor vs Outdoor: Where the cat lives is a vital factor on which its life expectancy depends. A cat that lives indoors is much safer than a cat that lives on the streets. Indoor cats are less prone to diseases or traumas caused due to accidents. Outdoor cats are always in a danger of being hit by passing vehicles or falling prey to illnesses.
  • Advancement in Medicine: Modern medicine has also played an important role in increasing the average life expectancy of cats. Various advancements in veterinary science have reduced the instances of death due to diseases. In addition to the indoor lifestyle of cats, medicine has improved cat health and helped to enable cats live longer lives. The oldest cat reported, died at the age of 34.

How To Convert Cat Years To Human Years

Cats are much older than they look. The general rule of working out a cats human age depends on the growth, development and life stage she is in.

 

If youre still wondering how old your healthy cat is, a rough equivalent of cat years to human years is calculated as 15 human years for cats that are 12 months and younger, then go up 9 years to work out kittys second birthday, and finally each cat year after two is an additional three or four human years.

 

 

The Real Way To Calculate Your Cats Age In Human Years

Rebecca Hart

Cat owners across the country are known for treating their cats just like their human offspring, so it’s natural to complete the process by figuring out how old our cats are in human years.

Luckily, it’s pretty easy to do, says Marty Becker, DVM and founder of Fear Free Pets. But if math isn’t your thing, feel free to simply scroll down to the handy-dandy chart below. We won’t mind!

Convert Your Cat’s Age To Human Years

There are several methods that allow cat owners to convert their pet’s age, and the following process utilizes averages. In other words, development changes from cat to cat. Some purebred cats, like the Maine Coon, mature much slower than others and don’t reach full development for three or four years. Like humans, cats age in relation to genetics, diet, exercise, care at home, and veterinary care. For example, a kitten can be six or seven weeks old but appear to be far more advanced physically over a human baby of the same age.

Regardless of the chart’s averages, it’s worth it to get an idea of how old your beloved cat truly is in human years:

  • First, allow 15 human years for the first year of your cat’s life.
  • Then, add 9 years for the second year. For instance, a 2-year-old cat will be approximately 24 human years.
  • Next, add 4 human years for each successive year of your cat’s life.
  • Finally, refer to the accompanying cat-age-to-human-age chart to double check your calculation.
  • Outdoor Cats Life Expectancy How Long Do Outdoor Cats Live In Cat Years

    Outdoor cats can have a significantly shorter life span then indoor-only cats, often living only two to five years. Pet parents in urban and suburban areas are strongly encouraged to keep their cats indoors.

    Tell us: How old is your cat in cat years? How old is your cat in human years?

    This piece was originally published in 2017. 

    How Long Your Cat Can Live For

    Up until six months old, your pet is considered a kitten. Then, it goes from kitten to junior up to two years old. Around three to six, your cat enters its prime years of development, before moving into the mature stage of life, around seven to 10 years old. When your cat finally reaches its senior age , care begins to change more dramatically. In fact, your cat’s life begins to change even more so during the geriatric stage, when reaching a whopping 15 years of age and older.

    Your cat can live for a long time, depending on lifestyle. Consider if your cat is an indoor or outdoor cat, for instance. Some wild cats live for about four to five years, while many indoor cats live for about 13 to 17 years. Despite this, it’s not unusual for an indoor cat to live up to a long 20 years. If your cat is overweight, however, they are likely to live between 12 and 15 years old.

    There Are 6 Life Stages For Cats:

    • Kitten 06 months
    • takes the cat up to the equivalent of about 70 human years
    • Super Senior 15 years and overmany cats do reach this stage, some not showing any signs of being so senior in age

    The table below shows all of the stages and also the equivalent human age. What these stages let us do is to appreciate how old the cat is inside, since, as has been pointed out, this is often not very obvious from the outside, as cats seldom go grey or show outward signs of pain or illnesses such as arthritis.

    International Cat Care has set up a preventative healthcare initiative called Cat Care for Life. The programme looks at the health checks your cat should be having dependant on its age and what age-related changes you can expect to see in your cat.

    For full details please visit the Cat Care for Life website.

    Cat Years To Human Years In Detail

    Have you ever wondered how old your cat is compared to human years? Cats age way faster than humans, even though they may still look young, they tend to age pretty quickly. Depending on if your cat lives indoors or outdoors that significantly changes her lifespan.Theres a common misconception that one cat year is equivalent to seven human years. Thats not correct. You can check a more appropriate comparison on the table below.

    Important Note: You should also know that an outdoor cat ages way faster than cats that live indoors. The lifespan of cats that live outdoors is an average of only 2 to 6 years. They can live longer, but due to all the dangers they face, their lifespan becomes significantly reduced in comparison to cats that live indoors.

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