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You may have heard that one cat year equals seven human years. This rule is simple, but not accurate because cats age more rapidly during the first two years of their life. A two-year-old cat is almost twenty-five in human years! The formula to calculate your cat’s age in human years is really simple and can be helpful to understanding what your cat needs at every age.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP), the first year of a cat’s life is equal to approximately 15 human years. The second year of a cat’s life is equal to an additional nine years. After the second year of a cat’s life, each additional year is equal to about four human years. As such, a two-year-old cat is almost twenty-five in human years, and a three-year-old cat is twenty-nine in human years.
You can download the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stages Guidelines here. The reference chart shows all the life stages of a cat and the equivalent human age.
You may be wondering why the need to know a cat’s life stages and the corresponding human age. These stages allow us to appreciate how old the cat is inside. This is often not obvious from the outside, as cats seldom go grey, and they are very good at hiding signs of physical pain or illnesses. It is a cat's instinct to hide or mask its pain.
Kittens’ growth happens mostly in the first six months. They will put on a lot of weight, gain muscle mass, and their bones will lengthen at a rapid rate. Kittens can eat as much as they want at this stage because they need the nutrients to build proper bone and muscle structure. For healthy growth, choose a nutrient-dense kitten food like ORIJEN Grain Free Cat & Kitten Dry Cat Food. This cat food is made of 85% whole-prey fresh or raw meat, organs, edible bone and cartilage. It is exactly what your kitten will need to support his exponential growth.
Their growth rate will gradually slow down after the initial 6 months, and most cats will be fully grown after a year. Your kitten should stop gaining weight when she’s done growing. If you have been weighing your kitten regularly, you’ll notice his weight reaches a plateau at around the 12th month. The weight plateau indicates that he has fully grown.
Once he is fully grown, your cat is no longer a kitten and is now considered a young adult. In human years, your cat is now a fifteen-year-old teenager. Just like a human teenager, kitty may be physically matured but his mental maturity is still developing. Mental maturity will continue throughout his second year. By the end of the second year (twenty-five human years old), kitty will reach full mental maturity.
Cats are considered senior when they are at about 11 years. This is the equivalent to about 60 human years. Like people, senior cats are often faced with a wide variety of age-related health issues. Common health issues amongst senior cats are obesity and arthritis.
Pay close attention to your cat’s nutrition when it comes to senior cat care and weight management. Choose a lower calorie, protein-dense cat food like Schesir Senior Chicken Fillets with Aloe in Jelly Wet Cat Food. Compared to dry kibble, wet food is also easier for many senior cats to manage, and the increased moisture content is important for digestion and kidney health as well.
For arthritic management, a joint supplement or medication may be necessary. Discuss with your veterinarian for the best arthritic treatment for your senior cat. The NaturVet ArthriSoothe GOLD (Level 3) Advanced Care Soft Chew Cat & Dog Supplement is one of the most complete arthritis supplement for cats and dogs. It contains Glucosamine, MSM, Chondroitin and Hyaluronic Acid, all the necessary ingredients to maintain joint flexibility and alleviate joint aches.
If you’ve adopted a stray, you may need to use other clues to estimate the age of your new feline friend. These physical characteristics serves only as an estimate and may vary between cats depending on their previous care and circumstances. For best advice, consult a veterinarian.
Cat’s teeth
In general, the older the cat, the more stained the teeth. Pearly white teeth means that the cat is probably still a kitten, younger than 1 year. This is also the best time to start familiarising your new kitten to an oral care routine. The first step in taking care of your kitten's oral health is daily brushing with a cat toothbrush. If brushing is a challenge with your new kitten, there are other non-brushing dental care alternatives like this Tropiclean Fresh Breath - No Brushing Clean Teeth Gel for Cats.
If there is slight yellowing, the cat might be between 1 and 2 years. If you notice brownish stain and tarter build-up on most teeth, the stray is probably between the ages of 3 to 5. Keep in mind that the cat’s diet can influence the amount of tartar build-up, and clean teeth and gums may be indicative of previous dental care. Missing teeth usually means that the cat is well into its senior years.
Cat’s coat
In general, senior cats will usually have thicker, coarser coat. They may have patches of white or grey though it might not be obvious in some cats. Keep in mind that the cat’s skin health will be greatly influenced by his diet and nutritional status. A nutritionally starved young cat can have very poor skin health.
One of the best ways to improve a cat’s skin and coat is to feed a better diet, especially one that is specially designed for skin and coat. Stella & Chewy's Stella's Solutions (Skin & Coat) Duck & Salmon Freeze-Dried Raw Cat Food is one of the best cat food for better skin health. It can be rehydrated with water or broth and fed on its own or used as a topper for your fur kid’s dry kibble.
Cat’s muscle tone
Younger cats are more muscular and toned, while older cats often are bonier with some sagging skin. The shoulder bone of senior cats may protrude more and are more visible compared to a younger cat.
Cat’s eyes
Young cats have very bright, clear eyes, usually without any discharge. A senior cat’s eyes may be cloudy, and the irises may appear jagged. Take note as well that certain health conditions may cause cloudiness in the eyes and will need a veterinarian’s attention as soon as possible.
The average lifespan for a pet cat is probably around 13 to 14 years. However, a well-cared-for cat will commonly live to 15 or beyond. Some may even pass 25 or 30 years of age. There are a few things pet parents can do to help their feline kids live a longer and healthier life. That's creating a safe, healthy environment, and feeding a balanced, species-appropriate nutrition.
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