A cat goes through six life stages. They begin as a kitten, move onto their junior year after six months, enter their adult years at two years old, become mature at seven years old, turn into seniors at ten years old, and reach the super senior stage after sixteen years.
There’s a reason behind this 6-stage division in a cat’s life. Similar to humans, cats change throughout their lives: their interests, level of physical activity, and nutritional needs will become different with each passing stage.
- Kitten cats (0-6 months): The very first few days of a cat. At this stage, their ears will unfold and their eyes will open. Slowly but surely, they’ll make their way into the world in so many ways. Somewhere along the line, they will begin to walk, meow, and more.
- Junior cats (6 months – 2 years): A cat life goes through a lot of changes in this stage, similar to a human’s teen years. Their bodies will grow, their eye color will probably change, and they will develop better teeth. Junior cats need plenty of food!
- Adult cats (2-7 years): This 5-year stage is the best a cat has in terms of physical and mental fitness. It can also be called the prime years’ stage. At this point, a cat has reached maturity in all aspects and has peaked.
- Mature cats (7-10 years): After the peak comes maturity. This stage is similar to the 40s and 50s for humans. Even though there’s no steep decline, the best years of a cat are behind it – but that doesn’t mean life’s over for a cat at this stage. It’s not even close to an end!
- Senior cats (10-16 years): A cat officially reaches old age at this stage. Their fur color changes and so does their eye color. Cats need to start taking it easier than before – and they probably will. There’s a notable change in their nutritional needs and overall living here.
- Super senior cats (16+ years): Even though this is the oldest a cat is ever going to get, many cats do not show their age at super senior. With the right nutrition, plenty of rest, and enough physical activity, a cat will live the last years of its life with grace and comfort.
How do cats age compared to humans?
Cats age at different speeds compared to human years. The first cat year is worth fifteen human years and the second cat year, ten human years. After a cat is two years old, each year that goes by is equal to four human years.
Simply put, a one-year-old cat is, roughly, fifteen years old in human terms. At two years old, a cat could be thought of as having 25 human years. That’s based on the fact that cats are considered kittens before six months of age, begin developing after that, and reach adulthood at two years old.
This is a rough estimate based on moments that both humans and cats have to go by throughout their life. That doesn’t mean a two-year-old cat is equal to a 25-year-old man in all aspects but some.
How do cats age compared to dogs?
Considering that one human year is worth seven dog years, we could say the first cat year is worth two dog years, the second cat year is worth roughly one and a half year, and every cat year after that is worth half a dog year, give or take.
On the other hand, if you compare life stages, dogs and cats are pretty much the same. Both dogs and cats reach adulthood at two years old, become mature animals at seven, and achieve seniority at ten.
Even though a cat’s life expectancy is a little longer than a dog’s, they live for, more-or-less, the same time: between 10 to 20 years.
How can you determine a cat’s age?
If you don’t know how old a cat is, you can roughly estimate its age by checking its teeth, fur coat, eyes, and muscle and bone density. This method won’t give you an exact number – but it will definitely help you ballpark a cat’s life stage.
To determine a cat’s age, look at the:
- Teeth: A cat’s first teeth appear when they’re two weeks old (kittens) and change at four months (juniors) old. Yellow stains build up at around two years of age (adulthood). Missing teeth usually start to happen at ten years old (seniority).
- Eyes: Blue eyes are usually a sign of a young kitten who is yet to be older than six months old. On the rare occasions that a cat has blue eyes after reaching adulthood, you can check their eyes to see if they are cloudy. At twelve years old, most cats start to show some cloudiness in their eyes, no matter their eye color.
- Fur coat: Young cats have soft fur all around their body. As they grow old, the fur coat becomes thicker and stronger. The older a cat gets, the higher the chance it has of developing gray patches of hair throughout its fur.
- Muscle and bone density: Kitten, junior, and adult cats love to play, climb, and move around all the time. The older a cat gets, the harder it is for them to keep the same routine all the time. With less physical activity comes lesser-defined muscles. Older cats usually have less muscle and bone density to show.
Which cats live the longest?
Most cats have the same lifespan. Some people believe certain cat breeds tend to live longer than others, though. According to several sources, the Siamese cat, the Burmese cat, and the Balinese cat usually live longer than any other domestic cat.
Keep in mind a cat’s longevity is determined by its nutrition, physical activity, and genetics. Cat breeds do play a part in a cat’s expected lifespan – but it’s not as influential as one may think.
The oldest cats in the world are all from different cat breeds. There’s no cat breed that will assure you a cat will live for more than twenty years.
Oddly enough, the cats who lived the longest (for more than 30 years in some cases) are all tabby cats – and tabby cats aren’t defined by their breed but by their type of fur coat. Maybe there’s something in that M mark we don’t know about!
What’s the average age for a cat to live?
On average, cats tend to live for 10 to 20 years. Cats can reach the super seniority stage and live comfortably until they are close to 20 years old. The right diet and stress-free life will get any cat to test the limits of its life expectancy.
Cats are extremely resilient. They can last for long on their own. With the help of a human owner who provides the right tools, a cat can last for twice as much – and sometimes even more than that.
The right conditions have to be met for a cat to reach the two-decade landmark, though. Good nutrition, regular visits to the vet, plenty of toys to play with, and a good owner to cuddle with!
How long do indoor cats live?
Indoor cats usually live for as long as their life expectancy allows them to. Usually, this number is around 10 to 20 years. That’s not to say indoor cats only live to 20 years old, though. Some indoor cats will be lucky enough to go way past that number!
Even though most cats love to be outside chasing birds, jumping around, climbing trees, and doing other fun stuff, being indoors can save their life. In fact, being indoors is the one thing that keeps most cats alive.
Car accidents, wild animals, poisonous stuff, getting lost, fighting with other cats, and many more threats are out there waiting for cats to go outdoors – and that’s why you should keep your cat indoors. By keeping your cat away from the outdoor world, you’re probably saving its life.
How long do outdoor cats live?
Unfortunately, most outdoor cats see their lives cut short before they are 5 years old. On average, outdoor cats live between 3 to 5 years. This is because of the many dangers that domestic cats tend to face outside their home – and many of them could prove fatal.
Once you know how dangerous outdoor living could be for cats, you begin to understand why cats should stay indoors. With enough mental and physical stimulation inside the house, cats do not need to go past the door.
If your cat loves being outdoors, you can allow it to go outside as long as someone is keeping an eye on your cat. Plenty of owners opt for the leash strategy: they put a leash on their cat (as dog owners do with their dogs) and let their cat roam around.
While this isn’t the complete freedom a cat would probably expect, it’s a great compromise for them to go outside and enjoy a controlled adventure!