My house is full of cats on every spectrum of cat age, from not-quite-a-kitten (now a human 2-year-old) to “super seniors” (defined as cats aged 15 or older).
I think we’ve mastered the How Cats Age stuff, but I will draw on several websites written by people smarter than me. The blog will end with a chart that will tell you how to define your cat in terms of human years.
And before we get into the mundane stuff of “facts,” let me just say that I love cats. I love every age of cats. I love kittens, teens, adults and geriatrics. They are all precious creatures.
Six Stages Of Aging
This site gives a short and sweet version of the six stages of aging. Cats, like humans, age at various rates depending on their health and environment. This is a general guideline. The chart at the end of the blog gives specific information about the ages of each stage.
Kitten: During the kitten stage, your cat will go through more physical and mental changes than at any other point in his life. With so much happening so quickly, it is important to focus on these things to ensure you have a well-balanced, friendly and confident adult cat:
- Nutrition: Kittens have special dietary needs. Feeding high-quality nutrient-rich kitten food is recommended to help them grow into healthy adults. Kittens can be finicky so it is recommended different textures of food be used if they stop eating a food type they previously enjoyed.
- Socialization: Exposing your kitten to different people and situations is necessary for them to grow into well-balanced adults and set a behavioral foundation. Desensitization to cars, vet exams and handling will prevent these situations from causing major stress in the future. Kittens often play rough and it is recommended to adopt them in pairs as their rough play can be too much for adult cats, dogs and humans.
- Litterbox: Kittens should be trained to use a litterbox.
Junior (reproductively mature but still growing): Just like with humans, adolescence, or the junior stage, can be a challenging time for cats. Cats reach full size and have learned about life and how to survive in their environment. Many cats in the junior stage will experience:
- Wandering: Junior cats who are not spayed/neutered have a tendency to wander as they search for a mate. Ideally, a cat is spayed or neutered as a kitten, but ensuring your cat is spayed/neutered by this stage will help prevent him from running away.
- Litterbox: Now that the cat is full grown, it is important to ensure the litterbox is the appropriate size and being used properly. Any issues with proper use of the litterbox should be addressed immediately to prevent ongoing issues in the future.
Adult or Prime: Adult cats have established their basic temperament and personality. They don’t require as much time and supervision as a kitten. Still, there are a couple important considerations for an adult cat:
- Behavior and activities: Your cat will not be quite as active as when he was a kitten, but he still needs enrichment in the form of regular exercise, mental stimulation and socialization.
- Medical needs: Adult cats benefit from yearly veterinary visits. Special attention to proper weight and dental hygiene is needed to prevent problems as they age.
Mature: Cats in the mature stage are the human equivalent of 40-50 years old. Mature cats tend to be less active than adult cats. They may need special considerations based on physical issues. Yearly veterinary exams will help identify arthritis, weight or dental issues, which are more common in mature cats.
Senior: In their golden years, cats often sleep more, eat less and are not as active. Pay attention to these special considerations:
- Medical needs: Lab work is typically done at the yearly veterinary visit. It will help the vet identify any underlying issues and maintain a baseline for your pet’s health.
- Diet: Senior cats need fewer calories and less fat. Discuss dietary changes with your veterinarian.
- Activity: Senior pets may need help getting around, especially accessing litterboxes so the height of the box may need to be adjusted. Challenges with sight and hearing are not uncommon.
Super Senior or Geriatric: Geriatric cats inevitably encounter medical issues. Veterinary exams two times a year are recommended at this stage. Keeping your pet as comfortable and healthy as possible is of upmost importance. While the geriatric stage can last years, be prepared to make difficult decisions about when it is time to say goodbye. Giving your pet the best care also means recognizing when he is suffering and putting his needs above your own to end that suffering.
The Everything Chart
I merge information from two websites, HERE and HERE that also outline the six life stages of cats.
I keep this age chart (comparing cat ages to human ages) handy all the time. It can be very illustrative.
Kitten 0 – 6 months: Your cat is full kitten, not sexually mature, and trying to process the massive amounts of information he’s taking in about the world. It’s a lot to deal with. All your kitten seems to want to do is play.
- 0-1 month 0-1 year
- 2 months 2 years
- 3 months 4 years
- 4 months 6 years
- 5 months 8 years
- 6 months 10 years
Junior or Teen 7 months – 1 year: The terrible “teens” of cat-hood. During this stage, your kitten is a full on nightmare, mouthing and grabbing at everything he can, challenging the humans in the house for dominance, and generally trying to show everyone he’s the boss of everything (an attitude he will probably maintain throughout his life, regardless of how dominant he proves to be).
- 7 months 12 years
Adult 1 year – 2 years: By one, your cat is entering adulthood and developing all kinds of lifelong cat behaviors, like kneading, hissing, and hiding. He’s calming down a little from his full-on kitten stage, but he’s still got plenty of energy. He’s learning a lot right now and settling into his cat life.
- 12 months 15 years
- 18 months 21 years
- 2 years 24 years
Prime Maturity 3 years – 6 years: From ages 3-6, your cat is in his prime. He’s learned the basics of catting and he’s settled into the personality and energy level that feel right for him.
- 3 years 28 years
- 4 years 32 years
- 5 years 36 years
- 6 years 40 years
Mature or Middle Age 7 years – 10 years: At this point, your cat has entered the kitty equivalent of middle age. He’s still got energy, but not quite as much as he did in his prime. You may notice that your cat starts to become particularly set in his ways—he might be much more resistant to any changes and might experience anxiety more often than he did in the past.
- 7 years 44 years
- 8 years 48 years
- 9 years 52 years
- 10 years 56 years
Senior 11 years – 14 years: Now, your cat is officially a senior citizen. He will likely start to experience a decline in health, including deteriorating vision and hearing and possible cognitive decline. Like older humans, your cat might be prone to “grumpiness,” and you might notice he gets irritated more easily than he used to.
- 11 years 60 years
- 12 years 64 years
- 13 years 68 years
- 14 years 72 years
Super Senior or Geriatric 15 years and older: After 15, cats are categorized as geriatric and need a lot more attention. Any behavioral changes will warrant a vet trip at this point and you can expect extreme lethargy and lots of naps.
- 15 years 76 years
- 16 years 80 years
- 17 years 84 years
- 18 years 88 years
- 19 years 92 years
- 20 years 96 years
- 21 years 100 years
- 22 years 104 years
- 23 years 108 years
- 24 years 112 years
- 25 years 116 years
In Closing
Love your cats for life.