Age Of The Cat In Human Age How To Do The Calculation

But how old is my cat really? Many owners ask themselves this question, wondering if, as we say for the dog, it is enough to multiply the age of his cat by a number to obtain his human age. Well no ! Here's how to calculate your cat's age in human equivalent, knowing that you have to take into account certain factors such as lifestyle, health, etc.

How to know the average age of your cat and by how much to multiply the age of a cat?

It is customary to say that to know the age of the dog, you have to multiply by 7. And we transpose this calculation to know the age of the cat , which is totally false! It is a received idea that has a hard life. 

The cat does not have regular growth. He does not develop in the same way as a human being. The first two years, he grows very quickly. So at 2 years, it corresponds to 24 years in human age. He was therefore of an adult age.

And from the age of 10, he ages about 4 years in human age each year. At 10, he is therefore 56 years old and will reach the age of 61 in human equivalent at 11 years old.

At 20, it's a record for us since it corresponds to him at 96! We can then truly consider it to be almost a century old.

These equivalences are given as an indication, because the lifespan of a cat varies a lot, according to its living conditions, its health, its breed and its diet. These figures are therefore only approximate as they must take into account many factors.

Correspondence between the age of the cat and the human age: how to calculate and convert the real age of a cat?

This correspondence table helps you  calculate the real age of your cat : 

cat's age	human age
1 month	6 months
between 2 and 3 months	between 2 and 5 years
4 months	between 6 and 8 years old
6 months	10 years
7 months	12 years
12 months	between 15 and 16 years old
18 months	between 20 and 21 years old
2 years	24 years
3 years	28 years
4 years	32 years old
5 years	36 years
6 years	40 years
7 years	44 years
8 years	48 years old
9 years	52 years
10 years	56 years old
11 years old	61 years old
12 years	64 years old
13 years	68 years old
14 years old	72 years old
15 years old	76 years old
16 years old	80 years old
17 years	84 years old
18 years old	88 years old
19 years old	92 years old
20 years	96 years old

What is the life expectancy of a cat?

The average lifespan of a domestic cat is today, on average between 12 and 14 years. However, it is not uncommon for some cats to exceed 15 years of age when properly cared for. 

The lengthening of the life expectancy of our cats is explained by the fact that, on the one hand, the living conditions have improved a lot and, on the other hand, that veterinary medicine has made enormous progress. .

Lifespan: differences in longevity depending on the breed...

It is true that purebred cats live less long than crossbred cats, which are also called “ alley cats ”. This is often because of their fragility due to their selection. Some breeds still break records, such as the Sacred Birman, whose life expectancy is 16 years, which is equivalent in human age to 80 years!

The Siamese , the Persian come in behind with a life expectancy of 14 years. The Main Coon , a popular breed, has an average lifespan of 11 years.

… and their place and way of life

Let's face it, your cat's lifespan depends a lot on the care you give it and its lifestyle. A cat that lives in a house or apartment, which is fed and cared for, has a longer life expectancy than a cat that lives outside, which seeks its food and risks being run over by a vehicle at any time. Trauma is also the most frequent cause of death for cats under 5 years old. A cat lives longer than a male, two years on average. 

Longevity record

Some cats live up to 20 years or even much more! Regularly, cats enter the Guinness Book of Records by breaking longevity records. Cream Puff, a tabby cat died at the age of 38 , a record recorded in Texas in 2005! Another cat named Poppy entered Guinness before her at the age of 24. 

How can I increase my cat's life expectancy?

To ensure that your companion lives a long life and maintains good physical shape,  take care of him . For this, several things to watch out for:

- In older cats , kidney failure is one of the main causes of death. If he drinks more than usual and often, take him to an appointment with your veterinarian.

- Watch its weight: being overweight in cats reduces its life expectancy . You can vary the croquettes with wet food, it brings volume in the stomach and therefore a feeling of satiety. It is important to give the cat a healthy and balanced diet. 

- The cat is senior from 10/11 years old . It is therefore necessary to take it once or twice a year by making an appointment with the veterinarian for a complete check-up and regular monitoring.

- Have it sterilized : male or female, sterilization or castration increases your cat's life expectancy by several years (less risk of tumors in females, transmission of diseases during mating, risk of accident to satisfy his instincts). Sterilization and/or castration also reduces the risk of running away, fighting, injury...

To get the age of your cat in human age, do not multiply by 7 as you do for the dog. In the cat which ages very quickly the first 24 months, the calculation is much more learned! You will see that cats have a sometimes surprising life expectancy. And if, finally as the legend says, the cat would have 7 lives?