From cat years to human years
Written by Anne |
Many cat lovers sometimes wonder: how old is my cat in human years? It may sound like a simple question, but converting cat years to human years is a bit more complicated than you might think. In this blog, we explain exactly how to calculate cat years, why a cat ages faster during the first years of life, and how to better estimate your cat’s age.
Why cats age differently than humans
Cats go through their life stages at a different pace than humans. A young cat grows very quickly during its first year, comparable to the development of a child into a young adult. After that, ageing becomes somewhat more gradual, but it is still faster than in humans. This is why it is not correct to simply say that 1 human year equals 7 cat years, as is often assumed for dogs.
How does the calculation from cat years to human years work?
To make an accurate estimate of your cat’s age in human years, you can use the following guideline:
- 1 cat year = approximately 15 human years
- 2 cat years = approximately 24 human years
- After that, add about 4 human years for each additional cat year
This means that a 5-year-old cat is comparable to a human of about 36 years old.
| Cat age | Age in human years |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 15 years |
| 2 years | 24 years |
| 3 years | 28 years |
| 4 years | 32 years |
| 5 years | 36 years |
| 10 years | 56 years |
| 15 years | 76 years |
| 20 years | 96 years |
