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Comparison of Cat Ages
by Ron Kurtus (updated 18 January 2022)
Cats age more rapidly than humans. One year for a cat is equivalent to over five years of human life.
In the various phases of its life, a cat has different nutritional and health care needs. Older cats suffer from the same ailments as elderly people, such as arthritis and loss of hearing and vision. A comparison of the actual age of your cat and the corresponding age of a human can give you a good idea of how to take care of your pet and also to understand its behavior.
The same is true for dogs and other animals.
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. 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 phases in a 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
See: Comparison of Dog Ages.
Ages of various animals
See: Comparison of Animals Ages.
Summary
Most cats have a shorter life span that humans. With cats, a relationship between their age and the equivalent human age has been estimated as about five years. As they age, cats require different care, as do humans when they age.
Take good care of your cat
Resources and references
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Top-rated books on Caring for an Older Cat
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animal_ages_cats.htm
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Comparison of Cat Ages