The average life expectancy for a domestic cat is approximately 14-15 years, though the maximum is 22 years and one domestic cat reportedly made it to 34 years. Cat owners who know how to convert cat years to human years gain a better understanding of their cat’s development. Of course, just like humans, there are a number of factors that can affect a cat’s lifespan, some within the owner’s control and others that aren’t. These include:
- Intelligence
- Environment
- Nutrition
- Heredity
- Physical/medical care
Converting Cat Years to Human Years
This guide should assist owners in determining their cat’s age in relation to human years, though some breeds may reach maturity a little later than others, and of course, all cats are individuals.
Cats generally reach sexual maturity at 1 year, and reach the young adult stage at 18-24 months. So a one-year-old cat is equivalent to a 15-16 year old human. One more calendar year adds an extra 6-8 ‘cat years’, making the cat about 22-24. For each calendar year after this, cat owners add 4 cat years, so a 10-year-old cat would be about the same age as a 54-56 year old person. Below is a cat to human year chart for quick reference for cat owners to work out their cat’s approximate age:
Human Years to Cat’s Age Reference Chart
- 1 human years = 16 cat years
- 2 human years = 24 cat years
- 3 human years = 28 cat years
- 4 human years = 32 cat years
- 5 human years = 36 cat years
- 6 human years = 40 cat years
- 7 human years = 44 cat years
- 8 human years = 48 cat years
- 9 human years = 52 cat years
- 10 human years = 56 cat years
- 11 human years = 60 cat years
- 12 human years = 64 cat years
- 13 human years = 68 cat years
- 14 human years = 72 cat years
- 15 human years = 76 cat years
- 16 human years = 80 cat years
- 17 human years = 84 cat years
- 18 human years = 88 cat years
- 19 human years = 92 cat years
Things Owners can do to Maximize Cat Years
While things such as heredity and intelligence are out of the owners’ control, there are some things they can do to hopefully extend their cat’s years.
Diet – Feeding a premium diet throughout the cat’s life will ensure their cat gets all the nutrients it requires as well as minimizing the risk of dental disease (if feeding premium dry food). Also feeding a prescription diet if the cat has a medical condition that would benefit from a special diet.
Spaying/Neutering – Neutered male cats tend to wander less, making them less likely to fight and get into road accidents. For both male and female cats, neutering or spaying reduces the risk of certain types of cancer (eg: breast).
Medical Care – Providing proper medical care such as vaccinations and prevention of intestinal worms and heartworm as well as dealing with any medical issues that arise is the best thing owners can do for their pets.
Cat owners can do a lot to provide a healthy lifestyle for their cat, but cats are individuals and there are no guarantees for life expectancy. Either way, understanding cat years helps owners to understand that while their cat may only be 15 in human years, it is actually closer to 78 years old in cat years. You may also be interested in reading How Old is my Dog?
Reference: Purina and Kruszelnicki, K, 20048, ‘Cat Years’ in Great Mythconceptions, ed. Harper Collins Publishers, Sydney, NSW.
Roberta Goli - Roberta has a Bachelor of Science Degree (Zoology), has worked with animals for over 10 years and enjoys writing short stories and flash ...
