Explanation of a Comparison of Animal Ages - Succeed with Healthy Animals. Also refer to diet, exercise, cats, kittens, dogs, productive years, elderly, mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, Ron Kurtus, School for Champions. Copyright © Restrictions
Comparison of Animal Ages
by Ron Kurtus (1 February 2005)
Most animals age more rapidly than humans. Just as humans need different nutrition, exercise and health care at the various phases in their lives, so too do your pets need different care as they age. Older animals suffer from the same ailments as elderly people, such as arthritis and loss of hearing and vision. A comparison of the actual age of the pet and the corresponding of a human can give you a good idea of how to take care of your pet and also to understand its behavior.
Questions you may have include:
- What are the age phases in a cat?
- What are the age phases in a dog?
- What is the life span of other animals?
This lesson will answer those questions. There is a mini-quiz near the end of the lesson. Animal Health Disclaimer
Ages of cats
Cats need different care in the various phases of their lives. Small cats tend to live longer than larger cats, although the difference is not as noticeable as it is in dogs.
The following chart shows the phase in the cat's life, cat years and the equivalent human years.
| Phase | Cat Years | Human Years |
| Kitten | 3 months |
5 years |
| Adolescent | 6 months |
10 years |
| 1 year |
15 years | |
| Productive Years | 2 years |
24 years |
| 3 years |
28 years | |
| 4 years |
32 years | |
| 5 years |
36 years | |
| 6 years |
40 years | |
| 7 years |
44 years | |
| Middle Age | 8 years |
48 years |
| 9 years |
52 years | |
| 10 years |
56 years | |
| 11 years |
60 years | |
| Senior Citizen | 12 years |
64 years |
| 13 years |
68 years | |
| 14 years |
72 years | |
| 15 years |
76 years | |
| Elderly | 16 years |
80 years |
| 17 years | 84 years | |
| 18 years |
88 years | |
| 19 years |
92 years | |
| Extremely Elderly | 20 years |
96 years |
| 21 years | 100 years |
Ages of dogs
Since dogs can vary from weighing only a few pounds to over 100 pounds, size is a major factor in the animal's longevity.
| Age | 2-20 pounds | 20-50 pounds | 50-90 pounds | >90 pounds | |
| Pup | 1-11 months | Juvenile | Juvenile | Juvenile | Juvenile |
| 1 year | 12 years | 12 years | 16 years | 20 years | |
| Productive Years | 2 years | 19 years | 21 years | 23 years | 26 years |
| 3 years | 25 years | 25 years | 29 years | 34 years | |
| 4 years | 32 years | 32 years | 35 years | 42 years | |
| 5 years | 35 years | 36 years | 39 years | 50 years | |
| 6 years | 40 years | 42 years | 45 years | 56 years | |
| 7 years | 44 years | 48 years | 50 years | 62 years | |
| 8 years | 48 | 53 | 56 | 68 | |
| 9 years | 53 | 58 | 62 | 74 | |
| 10 years | 57 | 62 | 67 | 80 | |
| Middle Age | 11 years | 63 | 66 | 72 | 86 |
| 12 years | 67 | 70 | 77 | 93 | |
| 13 years | 70 | 74 | 82 | 101 | |
| 14 years | 73 | 78 | 88 | 108 | |
| 15 years | 76 | 83 | 93 | 115 | |
| 16 years | 80 | 87 | 99 | 123 | |
| Elderly | 17 years | 84 | 92 | 104 | |
| 18 years | 88 | 96 | 109 | ||
| 19 years | 92 | 101 | 115 | ||
| 20 years | 96 | 105 | 123 | ||
| 21 years | 99 | 109 | |||
| 22 years | 102 | 113 | |||
| 23 years | 104 | 117 | |||
| 24 years | 107 | ||||
| 25 years | 109 | ||||
| 26 years | 112 |
Longevity of other animals
The longevity of other animals ranges from about 193 years to 6 months.
| Animal | Typical Maximum Life span | |
| Mammals | ||
| Elephant | 70 years | |
| Camel | 50 years | |
| Donkey | 45 years | |
| Horse | 40 years | |
| Lion | 35 years | |
| Deer | 35 years | |
| Bull | 28 years | |
| Pig, wild | 25 years | |
| Cat | 23 years | |
| Tiger | 22 years | |
| Cow | 22 years | |
| Ox | 20 years | |
| Wolf | 18 years | |
| Dog, small | 17 years | |
| Sheep | 15 years | |
| Goat | 15 years | |
| Fox | 14 years | |
| Dog, large | 12 years | |
| Rabbit | 9 years | |
| Mouse | 4 years | |
| Birds | ||
| Amazon Parrot | 80 years | |
| Macaw | 50 years | |
| Pigeon | 26 years | |
| Blackbird | 18 years | |
| Chicken | 15 years | |
| Reptiles | ||
| Galapagos Land Tortoise | 193 years | |
| American Box Turtle | 123 years | |
| Crocodile | 45 years | |
| Rattlesnake | 22 years | |
| Insects | ||
| Ant, queen | 3 years | |
| Ant, worker | 0.5 year | |
| Bee, queen | 5 years | |
| Bee, worker | 1 year | |
Summary
Most pets and other animals have a shorter life span that humans. With dogs and cats, a relationship between their age and the equivalent human age has been estimated. As they age, they require different care, as do humans when they age.
Live a long and fruitful life
Resources
The following are resources on this subject.
Websites
Westonka Animal Hospital - Pet ages
Central Dakota Humane Society - Dog ages
Books
Mini-quiz to check your understanding
If you got all three correct, you are on your way to becoming a Champion in Animal Health. If you had problems, you had better look over the material again.
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Comparison of Animal Ages