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What Is My Cat’s Age in Human Years?
You’ve probably heard the old adage that one year for you is seven for your pet. While there is some truth that our pets age much faster than we do, converting human years to cat years is slightly more complicated than that.
We’ve discussed before how being able to tell how big your cat will be is important when choosing a long-term pet door. But knowing the lifespan of a cat and how old they are now will help you to ensure that you are prepared for the next stage of your cat’s life as they age from a feisty kitten to a grumpy old cat.
In this article, you’ll find:
- Human Years to Cat Years Chart
- How to Calculate Cat Years to Human Years
- How to Ensure Your Cat Lives a Long Life
Human Years to Cat Years Chart
If you want to know what your cat’s age would be in human years, you can refer to this helpful chart:
Click here to download the PDF version of the chart!
This chart uses information gathered by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAFP) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAHA) to determine cat life expectancy and the rate of maturity for cats.
How to Calculate Cat Years to Human Years
As you can see in the cat age chart, your cat’s age is not as simple as a 1 to 7 ratio. However, while other pets like dogs mature differently depending on their breed’s characteristics, cat lifespans and maturity rates stay consistent across the species. Typically:
- The first year of a cat’s life is equal to fifteen human years.
- The second year is equal to an additional 9.
- Every cat year after that is an additional 4 human years.
According to International Cat Care, there are six main stages of a cat’s life:
- Kitten (birth to 6 months). This is when your cat grows the most, though they are still a child at this stage of life and do not exhibit main behaviors common among adult cats. While not unheard of, many shelters will not allow you to adopt kittens when they are this young as they are still reliant on their mother.
- Junior (7 months to 2 years). This is when your cat reaches adolescence. This is when they will grow into the full size and begin demonstrating the personality traits that will last for the rest of their lives.
- Prime (3 years to 6 years). Often referred to as the prime of your cat’s life, this is when they are the most active and healthy.
- Mature (7 years to 10 years). While still in the prime of their lives, your cat is now at the equivalent age of a human adult in their 50s. They may start slowing down a little or show small signs of aging.
- Senior (11 years to 14 years). As your cat gets older, they may show advanced signs of aging, including weight loss/gain, graying fur, yellowing teeth, cloudy eyes, lack of energy, and increased confusion.
- Geriatric (15 years and above). Cats are known to live longer than dogs, having lifespans that last between 20 and 25 years. In fact, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, the oldest cat ever was named Creme Puff and lived to be 38 years old (that’s 168 human years).
Cats age rapidly within the first few years of their lives, reaching the human equivalent of mid-adolescence by the end of their first year.
How to Make Sure My Cat Lives A Long and Happy Life
We all want our pets to live a long life, and we want them to be happy living that life with us. Cats are capable of living for a very long time, so make sure you give them every opportunity to do so.
You should:
- Feed your cat a healthy, carnivorous diet
- Make sure they get enough exercise
- Provide plenty of enrichment (especially if your indoor cat used to be an outdoor cat)
- Take them to their yearly check-up with a veterinarian
- Supervise them whenever they play outside
- Stay up to date on their shots
- Be on the lookout for any unusual behavior indicative of disease
And most importantly, make sure that your cat knows that they’re loved. There’s nothing that makes a cat’s life richer than having an owner who loves them (though we don’t recommend hugging your cat).
You should also be on the lookout for when your cat’s seasonal allergies begin, as well as have a plan ready to keep your pet safe during a fire.
Copy Editor
DOG PERSON🐶
Pets: I have a fluffy, 14 year old chow-collie mix with red fur named Rosso. He's very stubborn and has the standoffish personality of a cat.
Fun stuff: I am a hot chocolate connoisseur.
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I found this information really great. Bella, our cat, is a 2.5 years old tortoise shell shorthaired domestic cat (indoor cat) and we love her to bits. Your article helped me understand cat talk much better.
i have a cat named luna and shes so cute but she gets the zoomies.