Cat Age Calculator - Translate your cat's age to human's age
If you're a lucky owner of a cat, you are probably wondering whether your cat is still in his youth or maybe is going through his midlife crisis. Cat Age Calculator will give you all the information you need, converting between cat years and human years.
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Principles of Calculating Cat Years
A cat's life expectancy is dependent on a variety of factors, including its breed, sex, age, diet, and exercise. However, there is a general rule of thumb that states that a cat should live between 10 and 15 years. Kittens grow slowly while they are young, but as they get older, their growth slows down. Your cat is as old as a human child after one year, but for older cats, each year is equivalent to only four human years. Of course, not all cats reach the same age. An outdoor cat will live shorter than an indoor cat because they have to live in a colder environment.
Estimating a cat's age
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Cat's teeth
A kitten's teeth start to come in when they're about 2 weeks old, and finish when they're about 8 weeks old. Then, at around 4 months old, the baby teeth start to fall out, and adult teeth start growing. A cat should have all of their adult teeth by the time they're 7 months old.
If the cat's teeth are white, you could assume it's about a year old. A more yellowish color hints at the age of one to two years old, while tartar build-up or missing teeth indicate an even older cat. The more tartar that accumulates, the older the cat probably is. However, like people, some cats just have worse teeth than others. A young cat could exhibit lots of tartar, and an older one could have very little. Therefore, using tartar as the lone indicator of age is a lot less exact than many owners might hope.
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Cat's eyes
Young cats usually have bright, sparkling eyes. Around the age of 6 or 7, a cat's eye lenses become denser, not unlike what happens to humans around age 40. Some cloudiness might indicate that your cat is already 10 or more years old. As cats age into their senior years, their iris can show changes. The inside of the iris can break down so that your cat's pupil doesn't get as small as it used to. This is called iris atrophy.
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Cat's coat
Cats are very meticulous when it comes to grooming, and most younger cats will keep their coats looking pristine. However, once cats reach a certain age, they might not be as thorough with their grooming as they once were.
A kitten's fur is soft and fine, while older cats tend to have a coarser coat. If you find some patches of gray or white, the cat might already be senior.
What age can a cat become pregnant?
Cats reach sexual maturity at four months. This means that cats as young as four or five can get pregnant. However, early pregnancy is definitely not recommended for kittens. Make sure your cat is sterilized to avoid any potential pregnancies and more stray cats. But in case you do decide to become a cat grandparent, you can always use our Cat Pregnancy Calculator to estimate when your cat is due, or to estimate the mating date based on the due date.