How old is a 13 year old cat in human years

Cat Age Chart: How Old Is My Cat in Human Years?

Cat parents love to celebrate their furry companions birthday. After all, your cat is more than just a pettheyre part of your family. But a yearly celebration doesnt really match a cats aging process, which varies over their lifetime.

"Converting cat years to human years allows us to compare our cats aging process and our own, says Mary Gardner, DVM, a veterinarian and co-founder of Lap of Love Veterinary Hospice. When were in our senior years, we might have a difficult time getting around. A cat whos 11 years or olderwhich is 60 years in human yearsmay experience the same struggle.

So, how do you calculate your cats age in human years?

Key Takeaways

• Cats reach the equivalent of 15 human years in their first year of life.
• Cats age at a relatively similar rate no matter their breed.
• Veterinarians can use various health indicators to determine a rough estimate of age if a cats birthday is unknown.

How Many Cat Years Are in a Human Year?

Determining your cats age in human years isnt as simple as multiplying their age times seven.

According to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), cats reach the equivalent of 15 human years in their first year of life and 24 human years by their second. After their second birthday, our fur babies start to age about four human years for every cat year.

Cats age at a relatively similar rate no matter their breed.

How Old Is My Cat in Human Years?

Use the chart below to convert your cats age to human years.

How To Find Your Cats Age

When youve adopted a cat, you may celebrate their "gotcha day" rather than their birthday, since you typically dont have all the details of their past. However, your cat needs age-specific care, so its important for you and your veterinarian to have a rough idea of their age.

Fortunately, there are a few ways veterinarians can estimate your cats age. They may look at:

• Teeth. Cats begin developing baby teeth (deciduous teeth) at three to four weeks of age and have a full set of teeth by six to seven weeks, according to Advanced Animal Dentistry. At around three months, they lose their deciduous teeth. By six or seven months, they have 30 adult teeth. Dental development is the best way to determine age. However, your veterinarian can still use clues such as wear and tear and tartar buildup to estimate your cats age.
• Coat and skin health. Healthy aging may include a slight dullness of the coat and a decrease in skin elasticity. When older cats experience joint or dental pain, they may groom less frequently.
• Muscle condition. Cats lose muscle mass as they age, particularly along their spine, shoulder blades, and thighs. To estimate age-related muscle loss in cats, veterinarians often refer to the World Small Animal Veterinary Association (WSAVA) Muscle Condition Scoring Chart. Your veterinarian can also evaluate your cat for mobility issues or joint pain.
• Eye health. Your veterinarian may examine your cats eyes to help determine their age. You can determine their age by the lens in their eyes. Senior cats may also experience iris degeneration or develop a slight cloudiness in their eyes.

How Long Do Cats Live?

With advancements in medical care, improved nutrition, and the evolving bond between humans and cats, beloved feline companions are living longer than ever.

The average lifespan of a cat is about 12 to 15 years. On average, purebred cats live about 12.5 years and crossbred cats live a bit longer, about 14 years, Gardner explains.

Understanding your cats age allows you to give your fur baby great care at every stage in their life.

Featured Image: iStock/Drazen_

WRITTEN BY

Janelle Leeson

Freelance Writer

My cat is 13 years old. How old is he or she in cat years? Cat Age Calculator

My cat is 13 years old. How old is he or she in cat years? Cat Age Calculator

Cat versus humam age table

Graph of cat age versus human age

Approximate graph of cat age versus human age.

About cat years

This calculator is based on the average lifespan of a healthy cat. Experts say that a one year old cat has roughly the age of a 15 years old human and a two years old cat has the age of a 25 years old human. After two years old the cats mature slowly, so that a 15 year old cat is roughly comparable to a 76 year old human (see the graph below). Cats that live indoors can live longer than cats that live outside.

Note: There is no reliable method for calculating precisily how old your cat is in human years equivalent. So, it is possible to find calculators that show diferent values for the same human age. It is because there are different models to calculate the cats age.

Here you can find answers to questions like: My cat is 13 years old. How old is he or she in cat years? What is the cat years equivalent for a 13 years cat? 13 years are equivalent to how many cat years?

You can use the this Cat Age Calculator also known as Cat Years Calculator to find your cat's age in cat years (cat's relative age), as if he/she were a human, or your age in cat years.

How long do cats live on average?

What are the facts on cats longevity? The ideal cat can or may live to 20 years and older. On average, wild, homeless, and feral cats live dramatically shorter lives than domestic cats. Outdoor cat lifespan ranges widely, anywhere from three to 10 years. Indoor cats live nearly three times as long as outdoor cats. The numbers varied widely ranging from 14 to 20 years. source: http://www.catster.com/lifestyle/how-long-do-cats-live-cat-health-facts.

Cat life stages chart

According to the site icatcare.org, there are 6 life stages for cats:

• Kitten (0-6 months) the young cat is growing rapidly and is usually not quite sexually mature
• Junior (6 months-2 years) the cat reaches full size and learns about life and how to survive it
• Prime (3-6 years) the cat is mature physically and behaviourally, and is still usually healthy and active, looking sleek and shiny and making the best of life
• Mature (7-10 years) the cat is what we call 'Mature', equivalent to humans in their mid-40s to mid-50s
• Senior (11-14 years) takes the cat up to the equivalent of about 70 human years.
• Geriatric (15 years and over) many cats do reach this stage, some not showing any signs of being geriatric at all!

Sample Cat Years Calculations.

Disclaimer

While every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided on this website, neither this website nor its authors are responsible for any errors or omissions. Therefore, the contents of this site are not suitable for any use involving risk to health, finances or property.

Cat Age Calculator

It's a common misconception that one year in a cat's life is equivalent to seven human years. In reality, the cat years calculation is a bit more complicated. Kittens grow fast while they're still young, but the older they are, the slower the aging process becomes. It means that your cat is as old as a seven-year-old human child after one year, but for older cats, each year is equivalent to only four human years.

Naturally, not all cats age alike. A cat that lives outdoors will generally have a shorter life than an indoor cat. Additionally, while typical felines live about 10-15 years, certain breeds age slower or faster. Still, this cat age calculator should give you a good idea of the seniority of your cat.

Dog Age Chart: How Old is My Dog in Human Years?

How old is your dog in human years? We used to simply multiply a dogs age by seven.However, thiscalculation isnt socut-and-dried.See our dog age calculator and chart to discover your dogsage.

Do Dogs Age 7 Years to Our 1Year?

The easy way to calculate a dogs age is to take 1 dog year and multiply it by 7 years. This is based on the assumption that dogs live to about 10 and humans live to about 70, on average. For example, a dog that is 5 years old is 35 human years.

Contrary to common belief, dogs do not age at a rate of 7 human years for each year in dog years.The number of human years piles onto a dogs life more quickly during the dogs rapid growth to maturity.

That said, this isnt a bad way to go from a health perspective because it helps us humans realize that our dogs arent the same aschildren.

As pets get older, they need extra care and attention. Small dogs are generally considered senior at seven years of age.Larger breeds are often senior when they are 5 to 6 years ofage.

Be aware of arthritis and related discomfort or irritability, weight control, sight and hearing issues, and any changes in behavior or activity that could indicate more seriousissues.

Visit your vet for exams regularly; adjustments can be made to give your pets a more comfortable, longer, healthierlife.

How to Calculate a Dogs AgeProperly

Statistics from pet insurance companies, breed club surveys, and veterinary hospitals have helped us learn more about how dogs age. According to the American Veterinary MedicalAssociation:

• The first year of a medium-sized dogs life equals approximately 15 years of a humanslife.
• The second year of a dogs life equals about nine years for ahuman.
• After that, every human year equals approximately four or five years for adog.

Dog Age Calculator: Dog Years to HumanYears

If we think like a dog, heres how a dogs age compares to a humans age! Note that this is still not a perfect calculator. There are many variations based on a dogs breed, their background, and their size.Note that this calculator is for a medium-sizedbreed of dog. Consult the chart below to see the differences between dogs of different sizes(small, medium, large, giant). Itshould give you a good sense of where your dog is in the development/agingprocess.

• Small Dog: 20 pounds orless
• Medium Dog: 21 to 50pounds
• Large Dog: 51 pounds to 100pounds
• Giant Dog: Over 100pounds

Source: AKC, How to Calculate Dog Years to Human Years

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How old is your canine companion? Tell us in the commentsbelow!

How to Tell Your Cats Age in Human Years (With Chart)

Nearly 43 million American households¹ have at least one cat. Its easy to see why they are so popular. Felines are more independent than dogs, making them less work, especially for working families. However, that doesnt mean they dont require attention.

Age is a critical factor in many of the health decisions youll make. Comparing your pets age to human years puts it into a better perspective. However, its not a simple formula. Instead, its a dynamic quality that changes throughout your cats lifetime.

Kitten to Human Years Age Chart

Age becomes relevant even before you bring your pet home. One of the first decisions youll make is when that happens. It can mean the difference between a cat that handles the transition well to one that is nervous with behavioral issues. The next milestone is the time that you spay or neuter your pet. That can differ with the varying development of cat breeds.

Another critical decision involves your pets diet. Kittens and adult cats dont have the same nutritional needs. For example, a younger pet must get more protein, calcium, and other nutrients to support its development. Likewise, a senior pet has differing requirements, too. All animalsincluding peopleslow down as they age. That means dietary changes.

Not a One-Size-Fits-All Formula

Often pet owners believe the adage that one year of their cat or dogs life equals seven in them. Unfortunately, thats too simplistic. A cat becomes sexually mature around 6 months, depending on the breed. By that formula, a kitten is 3.5 years, which shoots holes into that 7-year theory. Instead, youll find its quite variable.

For one thing, its essential to consider your cats age in months when its under 1 year old. Then, figures also vary, depending on the animals life stage. Diet and health can play a role, too. Bear in mind that a felines lifespan isnt necessarily the same as humans, either.

Cat Age Chart in Human Years

Source: https://icatcare.org/advice/how-to-tell-your-cats-age-in-human-years/

Do Indoor and Outdoor Cats Age at the Same Rate?

Indoor and outdoor cats may age the same physically, but that only scratches the surface. The first factor is lifespan. You can expect a pet kept indoors to live up to 15 years or more. A cat that lives outside live up to 5 yearsif it can dodge the dangers of cars, predators, and disease.

Diet also becomes a part of the aging issues, especially for cats that fend for themselves by hunting. That adds a host of potential risks, including poisoning, internal or external parasites, and conflicts with the conservation of vulnerable species. The fact remains that cats adapt well to indoor life without any problem.

Signs of Aging in Senior Cats

A cat enters the senior life stage at about 11 years old. A pet may develop chronic health conditions at this time, such as arthritis and dental disease. These two issues, in particular, can cause other complications that can affect a cats lifespan.

A feline typically starts to slow down as she ages. She may lose muscle mass that can make getting around more difficult. She may develop arthritis. These conditions mean that you should feed your cat less and switch to a senior diet to prevent obesity. That can directly impact her quality of life and longevity.

Dental disease can bring on another set of equally disconcerting problems. If it hurts your cat to eat, she may go off of her food. That can, in turn, cause weight loss and nutritional deficiencies. An inadequate diet also puts your pet at risk for parasites and disease.

Other signs of aging include:

• Hearing loss
• Cataracts and vision loss
• Cancer
• Diabetes
• Kidney disease

The risk of these conditions increases with age. Therefore, regular veterinary care is imperative for your cats health.

Which Cat Breeds Live Longest?

Interestingly, the research shows that mixed or crossbred cats are more long-lived than their purebred counterparts. A review of the oldest felines according to the Guinness Book of World Records supports these findings. You might wonder, why is that true?

Perhaps the critical factor is breeding. If cats are inbred, there is a greater risk that the offspring will inherit an unwanted trait, such as deafness. If both related parents have a gene that codes for a disease, the chances are higher that the kittens will get the bad copy from both of them. On the other hand, mixed-breed cats that arent related will likely have healthier young.

A cat that is 15 years old has lived a long life. The fact remains that some animals can even live into their 30s with proper care and diet.

Conclusion: How Old Is My Cat

Understanding how your cat ages can go a long way to ensuring a good quality of life. Itll help you choose an appropriate diet and provide the best care, no matter what her life stage. The essential thing to remember is that your pet isnt a little human. She has her unique physiology that determines her lifespan. Knowing what to expect as your pet ages is vital for her health.

Featured image: Kutikova Ekaterina, Shuterstock