Want to know how old your cat is?
Cat’s age faster than humans.
When a cat is one year old, they are about 16 years old in human years.
A two-year-old cat is equivalent to a 24-year-old human.
After the age of two, your cat’s age increases by about four human years every year. Your cat hits a mid-life crisis at nine years old when they hit the 50 years old human age mark.
In this article, I’ll give you more info on how to convert cat years to human years.
I’ll go through how to find your cat’s age with an easy-to-read conversion chart and give you tips for what this age means for your cat’s health.
Let’s get into the article.
My name is Derrick, and I write for Simply Cat Care. Our goal with this website is to help cat owners with their cat’s health. I am not a veterinarian and I recommend seeking the advice of a vet.
How Old Is My Cat?
Cat’s age faster than humans.
For every cat year, about four human years pass. The exception to this is in the first two years of life, where your cat rapidly goes through its ‘teenage’ years.
The chart below will help you find your cat’s age.
| Cat Age (years) | Human Age Equivalent (years) |
|---|---|
| 1 | 16 |
| 2 | 24 |
| 3 | 28 |
| 4 | 32 |
| 5 | 36 |
| 6 | 40 |
| 7 | 44 |
| 8 | 48 |
| 9 | 52 |
| 10 | 56 |
| 11 | 60 |
| 12 | 64 |
| 13 | 68 |
| 14 | 72 |
| 15 | 76 |
| 16 | 80 |
| 17 | 84 |
| 18 | 88 |
| 19 | 92 |
| 20 | 96 |
| 21 | 100 |
Why Do Cats Age Faster Than Humans?
Aging is a complicated science that is not completely understood.
The process of aging is accelerated and slowed in many species.
For example, mice only live for around two years, and flies live 28 days.
During the aging process, there are a variety of changes to physiology that indicate an equivalent level of aging between species.
How Do We Know How Old Cats Are?
Converting cat years to human years is based on comparing milestones between the two species.
The age at which cats tend to experience increased health complications (e.g. kidney, eyes, digestion) is different from other species, including humans.
Whilst there is no concrete way to get an exact biological age of cats, matching up milestones helps with identifying how mature a cat is.
This is useful for a veterinarian to adjust their care and expectations for a cat depending on their age.
The neurological and sexual development of a cat is much faster than a human.
Cats can get pregnant at 5-6 months old.
Based on calculations prepared by Cambridge, the following cat years chart shows the approximate age of your cat.
Note that after your cat reaches two years of age, it advances approximately four human years every year.
How Can I Calculate My Cats Age?
You can use an online calculator to find out your cat’s age.
This calculator from Purina will help you find out how old your cat is.
Remember, that finding your cat’s age isn’t an exact science.
When Does My Cat Become an Adult?
A young kitten becomes an adult human by the age of two when comparing cat years to human years.
When born, kittens are missing teeth.
They grow baby milk teeth which grow and the teeth fall out at around 4 months of age.
Adult teeth appear around seven months and there are 30 adult teeth.
A one-year-old cat is roughly a 16-year-old person.
Young kittens are well into their teenage years after they are one year old.
Your pet is at an adult human age somewhere around 15-18 months. I’ve put in a couple of examples below to solidify your understanding of cat age.
How Old Is a Seven-Year-Old Cat When Comparing Cat Years to Human Years?
A seven-year-old feline is about 44 in human years.
In other words, this is getting towards middle age!
How Old Is a 10-Year-Old Cat When Comparing Cat Years to Human Years?
A 10-year-old feline is now 56 years old in human terms.
At this point, your cat is nearing senior age.
Regular check-ups will start to be required to ensure your cat is well cared for at this life stage.
Learn more:
How Old Is ‘Too Old’ for a Cat?
The average lifespan of a cat is about 15 years.
This doesn’t mean a cat over the age of 15 is too old and ready to check out.
Many cats live up to and older than 20 years with good health.
Indoor cats have a better chance of surviving longer as opposed to outdoor cats.
Cats will (as with humans) experience a progressive deterioration in health and function.
Many things are manageable and treatable.
Advances in health and medicine may extend your cat’s life in the future.
Euthanisation is an option if the health conditions are unmanageable and are deteriorating an old cat to the point it has a very low quality of life.
Don’t assume poor health is ‘just aging’ because many problems can improve with good care to nutrition and your cat’s wellbeing.
Is 20 Old for a Cat?
A 20-year-old cat is almost 100 years in human comparison.
A cat reaches a centenarian status at the age of 21 human years which is ironic as humans celebrate 21 as a big coming of age year of life.
Sadly, a 100-year-old cat doesn’t get a letter from the queen, but I think everyone appreciates a long-lived cat.
What Is the Longest Living Cat?
The longest recorded life of a cat is 38 years.
According to the Guinness World Records, Creme Puff is the longest living verified cat.
She lived for 38 years, which is in the range of 168 years in human years.
What an amazing feat!
How Old Is a Cat Compared to a Dog?
Comparing cat to dog years is complicated since it depends on the size and breed of the dog.
A large dog’s lifespan is shorter than a cat’s.
A smaller dog (e.g. Jack Russell) ages at a similar rate to cats. You can use the cat years to human years chart to get an idea of how old a small dog is.
How Can I Help My Cat Live Longer?
Giving your cat a high-quality diet and regular veterinarian care helps your cat live longer.
In my guide on improving a cat’s longevity, I talk about many things that can give your pet the best chance of avoiding an early demise.
Indoor cats tend to live longer than outdoor cats related to lower exposure to road hazards and infections.
The breed of a cat influences age:
A Birman cat lives a robust 16.1 years for example.
A senior feline requires the proper amount of nutrition to maintain muscle mass and strength. If your cat has bad teeth, check out my guide to help with food choices.
As well as that, avoiding stress and keeping their lives comfortable is key to a happy cat.
Conclusion
Cat’s age faster than humans.
When a cat is one year old, they are about 16 years old in human years. A two-year-old cat is equivalent to a 24-year-old human.
You can use a cat age calculator as well if you want to get a precise number.
Young cats may begin to sexually mature around 5-6 months, grow in adult teeth at seven months, and reach adulthood before the age of 2 years old.
