How Old Is My Cat in Human Years?

CatChannel veterinary expert, Arnold Plotnick, DVM, provides a chart for estimating a cat's age as it compares to a person's age.

By Arnold Plotnick, DVM

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Cats age fastest when they're young. This slows down the older they are.

Q: Do cats age the same way as dogs? For example, our cat, Bob, is 2 years old. Does that mean that he is 14 years old in cat years? 

A: The notion that dogs and cats age seven years for every one year is a myth that's stuck around for years. If you think about it, some cats can live to be 18 or 19 years old. If they aged seven years for every one year, an 18-year-old cat would be equivalent to a 126-year-old person, clearly not very likely. In my practice, we have at least 10 cats who are over 20 years old, but there are certainly no 140-year-old people. The seven to one rule is just not true.

Cats age faster when they're younger, but this slows down as they get older. At 6 months of age, a female cat already can reproduce. At 1 year of age, cat bones fully stop growing. This occurs in people at approximately 24 years of age, give or take a few years. So, a 1-year-old cat is roughly equivalent to a 24-year-old person. From that point on, cats age approximately four years for every one year. While this is certainly not an exact science, the table below should offer a reasonable guideline as to how cats age compared to humans.

Cat Age     Human Age

6 months     15 years
1 year           24 years
2 years         28 years
3 years         32 years
4 years         36 years
5 years         40 years
6 years         44 years
7 years         48 years
8 years         52 years  
9 years         56 years
10 years       60 years
11 years       64 years
12 years       68 years
13 years       72 years
14 years       76 years
15 years       80 years
16 years       84 years
17 years       88 years
18 years       92 years
19 years       96 years
20 years       100 years

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How Old Is My Cat in Human Years?

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Tonya    Chattanooga, TN 5/22/2013 10:45:05 PM My cat will be 20 in July. I got her at about 10 weeks old in 1993. I was 22 then so we've pretty much grown old together. It's going to take a long time adjusting to her absence when she passes someday. She's very needy always wants to be held. She's only on Cosequin supplements and tearing through the house with our younger cat but you can tell she's feeling it later because she'll be hobbling around like myself the day after a 12 hour shift. Her symptoms of old age is selective hearing, her eyes aren't emerald green anymore. They've changed to a sort of bronze color with very little green left. Her hips bother her and her paws are more sensitive. I have to really keep up with brushing especially around her hip area as her fur will matt real quick. Her stool smells terrible but that's my fault because she gets handouts from my own food which can't be avoided. I'd like to see anyone try to stop her. She's twitchy sometimes for about a second. Her teeth are fine but she could use enzymes for her breath. She didn't like the treats with enzymes but I'll find one she'll eat. That's all I can think of for the old age symptoms. The older she gets, the more human she becomes bless her heart. Sorry, I could go on and on about her. I think I did, ha! Jenny    Monticello, MN 5/21/2013 2:54:52 PM My cats are turning 2 years old on May 22, how old would they be turning in human years? Cat Editor    Irvine, CA 5/16/2013 11:40:31 AM Jack: According to the latest guidelines from the American Association of Feline Practitioners (catvets.com) and the American Animal Hospital Association (aahanet.org) your cat would be equivalent to a 76-year-old human. Your cat is considered geriatric, but with love and great care, your cat could live much longer. Good luck! Jack    International 5/15/2013 11:11:47 AM If there's anyone with a good idea as for a cats' age; My one cat was borm back in 1998. How old would they be now in feline years?