A Cats' Normal Life Span and Age in Human Years

The fact that cats develop and age so rapidly in a short time is both fascinating and sad to the people who love them. Kittens develop to the age of a 15 year old human child in just the first year of their lives. An adult cat in the prime of his life at 32 human years is only four years old. Shocking, isn't it?

The reality is that even relatively long-lived cats don't live as long as we'd like. On the plus side the relative age of cats can differ when factors such as heredity, diet, lifestyle, and veterinary care come into play. Although we can't do a lot about heredity, we can somewhat control the other factors.

Question:How, exactly, is a cat's approximate age determined? We took in a stray cat that we'd been feeding for several weeks, and we are curious how old he is. I know that something about cats' teeth is a clue, but I don't know what to look for, exactly. What are the guidelines for telling your cat's age?

Answer: Because I am not a veterinarian, I can only respond in broad, general terms. While teeth are sometimes a good indicator, they are not foolproof. For that reason, veterinarians prefer to examine the whole cat. Here are a few of the feline organs veterinarians check to determine the age of a cat. . . .read the rest of my response More ?

You will be able to understand your cat's development more easily if you have a general idea of his age in human years. This method and the accompanying age chart will point the way for you.

Keep in mind that variable factors, such as heredity, diet, environment, and physical and medical care may affect your cat's comparative age to that of a human. Although you probably don't have any control over heredity, you do have options for controlling the other factors which control your cat's aging process.

Billy, my "middle cat," pictured here, was about 24 in human years when this photo was taken. More ?

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