Eye Tears And Infections
A cat’s eye may change in color and look cloudy as they age. This can be due to many reasons, including the humid environment cats are commonly kept in that will lead their eyes to tear more often or an infection such as conjunctivitis. It is also possible for a cat with no other symptoms besides this type of cloudiness around their eyes not to have anything wrong at all, but what you’re seeing could be old age catching up.
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.
According to the site icatcare.org, there are 6 life stages for cats:
- Kitten the young cat is growing rapidly and is usually not quite sexually mature
- the cat reaches full size and learns about life and how to survive it
- Prime 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 the cat is what we call ‘Mature’, equivalent to humans in their mid-40s to mid-50s
- Senior
The Problem With The Seven
The seven-year rule is a simple one. But thats part of the problem it’s too straightforward.
Not only do cats and dogs age differently than humans, they also age differently from one another.
Factors such as the breed and size determine the speed at which an animal ages. Broadly speaking, larger pets tend to have a shorter life span than smaller pets.
This doesnt have a huge bearing on cats as they tend not to vary greatly in size. However with dogs, the size and life expectancy can vary enormously. You only need to think about the size difference between a Chihuahua and an Irish Wolfhound and the seven-year rule suddenly seems a long way from exact science.
From a veterinary or insurance for pets perspective, dogs and cats are split into six different life stage categories:
Heres a little more information about how to calculate the age of your pets.
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How Old Is My Cat In Cat Years How Do I Calculate My Cats Age
The image above is an approximate calculation of how many years a cat would be if it were human.One of the important issues to keep in mind are the life stages of the kittens. During the first two years, cats become adults, so their first two years would be like our 24 years.
From there, the most common equivalence is to think that each year of the cat equals 4 human years. With this you can get the answer for your question how old is my cat. And also you will get the cat years chart too.
Cat To Human Age Chart
When creating a warrior, it is important to know what their age is. In real life, free-roaming cats like the warrior Clans in Erin Hunter’s books are expected to live to only three years. Now this cannot work in Erin’s books because then we wouldn’t have any elders, and the Clans have amazing healthcare. This is where we have have sex to bend the facts of reality a bit to fit in with the books. In real life the average house cat lives from 15 to 18 years. So what I did to get a reasonable life expectancy for the cats in the books is I subtracted 3 from 15 and got 12. So we will say that in the Warriors series, the average cat can live to be 10 years. Why ten? Because these warriors are also going through battles, leaf-bare, green-cough, etc. The extra 2 can be if they retire to the elders den and don’t catch green-cough, etc.
Loners and Rogues apply more to the Real Life expectancy of 3 years but for the sake of the books, we will say they can live to 6 years. Clan cats can live longer since they work together to survive, and they have nice healthcare. Strength in numbers. Strength with doctors. Kittypets will most likely apply to the real life expectancy of 18 yearsMrrowWhen comparing human age to cat age, we know a cat’s top age can be 12. And a human’s top age can be 100. Thus we have the formula:
100 = 12.
To calculate cat age, you simply place the human age over 100 and create a formula like this:
Then Solve for x.
Thus the result is 2.4 years.
| Human Years |
|---|
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So How Long Is A Cat Year In Human Years
Once you know roughly how old your kitty is, you can compare her age to your own. It turns out that the ratio of cat years to human years isn’t as simple as a single conversion rate cats develop the fastest during their first two years of life and then slow down. So at the end of her first year, your cat is approximately at the same developmental stage as a human that is 10 or 15 years old, and by age two, your cat will be around 25 in human years. After that, cats tend to develop more slowly, Barrack said, aging about four or five human years every 12 months.
Putting your pets age in human terms not only helps you empathize with your cat, it also show the importance of regular veterinary checkups. A year time frame in a cats life is significant, Mears says. Things can change dramatically. If an adult cat year is equivalent to four or five human years, its easy to see how arthritis could develop, organ function could decrease and neurologic changes might develop is such a seemingly short period of time.
How To Calculate Cat Years To Human Years
- First two years of the Cat = 25 years of a human
- Then every year of human is equal to 4 Cat Years. However, this depends on how active your Cat is, and use our cat years calculator to convert their age. This calculator will give you a rough estimate of cats age to human years.
That old chestnut about one cat year being the equivalent of seven human years is just plain wrong. For example, a six-month-old human is a babe in arms, whilst a six-month-old cat can look after themselves and have kittens of their own. Converting cat years to human years is complex because our feline friends age rapidly in their first couple of years and then slow up.
But more important is knowing your cats life stage. This matters because the organs work differently as the body ages. When you adjust their diet to put a minimum strain on their kidneys, this helps extend the average lifespan of a cat.
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What Happens When A 2 Year Old Cat Becomes An Adult
Imagine, at two years old shell have reached her social maturity. Behavioral changes are common at this time. Cuddly kittens may turn into I-want-to-be-alone divas or once unaffectionate kittens may cling to your lap. Multi-cat house? Just as kids vie for your attention as they age, cats may compete for alpha status as they grow up.
How To Calculate Dog Years
As with cats, dogs also mature quickly in the first two years of their life. However as mentioned, the rate at which that happens depends on their size and breed.
Larger breeds of dogs such as St Bernards mature faster than other smaller breeds. They are classed as seniors by the time they are around six or seven years. As a result, they have a shorter lifespan. By comparison, small- and medium-sized dogs are classed as seniors by the time they are nine years old.
Meanwhile, a large breed of dog will enter the geriatric age bracket by the time it is 10, while in smaller breeds that will be between 12 and 14 years.
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Changes In Weight Or Body Condition
When you see your pet every day, subtle changes in their weight or body condition are not always immediately obvious. Aging can cause both weight loss and gain they may be getting less exercise, but they could also have a smaller appetite or problems with digestion.
Equally, aging can mean your dog or cat is more prone to certain conditions and diseases for example, arthritis, dental disease or cancer.
To keep your pet fitter for longer, you can give them pet food specifically designed for older animals and make regular visits to the vet.
When Cats Reach Maturity
Most cats begin to settle down after about age three. Cats are considered to be in their prime from about three to six years of age . They are active and athletic and, even though they seem to sleep 22 hours a day, are in good physical condition.
A cat is considered to be a mature cat from about age seven through age 10 . This is where age-related changes in behavior are more noticeable, like slowing down and becoming less active. They still love to play, though. Getting out the feather wand, catnip mice or teaser toy is good fun for human and kitty alike.
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How To Calculate Cat Age In Human Years
Itâs commonly stated that one human year is the equivalent of 7 cat years. This is an effort to demonstrate that cats age more quickly than humans. However, they do not age proportionately.
Cats reach maturity at a much faster rate than humans in the beginning of their lives. Once they reach adulthood, their aging slows down.
Itâs difficult to draw a direct comparison between a catâs age and its human equivalent, but the general consensus is that a cat ages the equivalent of 15 human years in the first year of their life.
From 2 years on, experts believe cats age at a rate of approximately 4 human years per cat year.
Cat Aging: How Do Cats Age
There was a myth that one year of cat life is equal to seven years, but as you see, this ratio is very misleading. Cats experience the fastest aging process during their first two years of life, and a slow and steady rate follows this after that.
Cat aging depends on her health, activity level, and environment. Physical changes occur as cats mature. For instance, they have stronger teeth when they are young kittens than an older cat that may not be able to chew up tough meat or bones anymore because of tooth decay or gum disease.
The common belief that cats are old souls with many years of wisdom and experience behind them has been proven true. This is because one-year-old felines have the same physiology as an average 15-year-old human, which may explain why a kitty always seems intelligent at that age.
When it comes to the aging of pets, cats are different from dogs. There is less variation in different breeds as compared to dogs.
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How Long Your Cat Can Live For
Up until six months old, your pet is considered a kitten. Then, it goes from kitten to junior up to two years old. Around three to six, your cat enters its prime years of development, before moving into the mature stage of life, around seven to 10 years old. When your cat finally reaches its senior age , care begins to change more dramatically. In fact, your cat’s life begins to change even more so during the geriatric stage, when reaching a whopping 15 years of age and older.
Your cat can live for a long time, depending on lifestyle. Consider if your cat is an indoor or outdoor cat, for instance. Some wild cats live for about four to five years, while many indoor cats live for about 13 to 17 years. Despite this, it’s not unusual for an indoor cat to live up to a long 20 years. If your cat is overweight, however, they are likely to live between 12 and 15 years old.
Busting Cat Age Myths
A popular misconception is that 1 year of a cats life is equivalent to 7 years of a humans life.
This is actually unlikely considering a 1 old year cat is more mature and developed than a 7 year old human.
A 1 year old cat is considered a full-grown adult.
Cats mature and develop more rapidly than humans. A lot happens in the first year of a cats life!
At one year old, cats have reached sexual maturity and are able to reproduce.
They also develop mannerisms and social behavior that will be with them for the rest of their adult lives.
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How To Make Your Cat Live Longer
Naturally, we all want our pets to live forever. While we canât promise this, there are simple things you can do to help ensure your cat lives a long and fruitful life.
Just as with humans, diet and exercise are a big part of your catâs longevity. They are also two of the few aspects you have control over.
Feeding your cat a high-quality, balanced diet will help them stay healthy and happy throughout each stage of their life. And keep in mind that as cats age, their dietary needs change. So speak to your vet about how to provide the best nutrition for your cat in their current life stage.
Moreover, physical activity is also essential for good feline health. You may decide to let your cat outside for this reason. In this case, a Tractive GPS cat tracker can be a lifesaver. The cat tracker not only shows you where your cat is at all times, but also allows you to see how much physical activity they get. These insights can help you notice any changes in your catâs habits, allowing you to swiftly address abnormal behavior and make any necessary lifestyle tweaks.
With these tips, youâll be able to determine your catâs age and provide them with everything they need to thrive during this stage in their life.
How Do I Calculate My Cats Age In Human Years
So, if youre asking How old is my cat in human years? the calculation is fairly simple. Compared to dogs, which have greater variation based on size and breed, the method to calculate a cats age is pretty standard.
According to the American Animal Hospital Association , these age guidelines have been created and agreed upon by the AAHA, the Feline Advisory Bureau , and the American Association of Feline Practitioners :
- The first year of a cats life is equal to approximately 15 human years.
- The second year of a cats life is equal to an additional nine years.
- After the second year of a cats life, each additional year is equal to about four human years.
So, how old is your cat in human years? You can use our cat age to human years chart below to find out!
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How To Convert Cat Years To Human Years
Cats are much older than they look. The general rule of working out a cats human age depends on the growth, development and life stage she is in.
If youre still wondering how old your healthy cat is, a rough equivalent of cat years to human years is calculated as 15 human years for cats that are 12 months and younger, then go up 9 years to work out kittys second birthday, and finally each cat year after two is an additional three or four human years.
How Does The Cat Age Calculator Work
You simply need to enter the age of your cat into the Cat Age Calculator. Once you press the calculate button, you´ll see your cat´s age in human years straight away!
More of a dog person? If you´d like to find out the age of your dog in human years, our selection of Animal Calculators includes a Dog Age Calculator.
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How Do Indoor And Outdoor Cats Age
Another factor that may play a role in how cats age is the amount of time they spend outside. According to AAHA, this topic is very controversial and needs more research but it appears that cats who live indoors are more likely to stay safe and healthy. With less exposure to the outdoors, cats living inside have a greater chance at longer lifespans without all of the risks of being outside.
Living indoors is better for your cat’s health than outdoor life because they’re not exposed to many diseases or dangers like traffic accidents. That means indoor cats can enjoy a happier, healthier life while playing and snuggling on their owners’ lap – which we know makes them some very happy felines.
However, being inside too often can be bad for your cat’s health. This is because, unlike their outdoor counterparts, who have more space and exposure, indoor kitties lack the necessary environment needed to maintain good immune systems that may otherwise come from essential factors such as physical activity or sunlight.
Cats deserve to live outdoors, but the dangers are real. In many cases, cats can be traumatized by their surroundings too much- they’re relying on instinct alone and no longer have human contact as a source of comfort.
Outdoor cats also don’t always get medical care when needed because accidents happen outside of doors. The chances are that there are no humans around in an emergency, even if it’s just one door away from where your house is, and a cat needs help there.