How old is my cat in human years? (Cat age chart)

"How old is my cat in human years?" is one of the most common cat questions. The old "multiply by seven" rule doesn't work for cats: they grow up very fast, then age more slowly.

The formula

The approach used by International Cat Care and vets:

• The first year of a cat's life ≈ 15 human years.
• The second year adds about 9 more (so a 2-year-old cat ≈ 24).
• Every year after that ≈ 4 human years.

Quick calculation for cats over 2: 24 + (age − 2) × 4. A 12-year-old cat: 24 + 10 × 4 = 64 in human years.

Cat age chart

Cat age	Human age (approx.)
1 month	1 year
3 months	4 years
6 months	10 years
1 year	15
2 years	24
3 years	28
4 years	32
5 years	36
6 years	40
7 years	44
8 years	48
9 years	52
10 years	56
11 years	60
12 years	64
13 years	68
14 years	72
15 years	76
16 years	80
17 years	84
18 years	88
19 years	92
20 years	96

These are estimates: individual cats age differently depending on genetics, health and lifestyle.

The life stages

International Cat Care describes these stages:

• Kitten (up to 6 months): growing fast, learning everything.
• Junior (6 months to 2 years): a teenager, reaching full size.
• Prime (3 to 6 years): a young adult in their prime.
• Mature (7 to 10 years): equivalent to humans in their mid-40s to mid-50s.
• Senior (11 to 14 years): up to about 70 in human terms.
• Super senior (15 years and over): many cats reach this stage in good shape.

Why it matters

Cats rarely go grey and are experts at hiding pain, so they can look young on the outside while their body is ageing inside. Knowing your cat's "human age" helps you plan their care:

• Young adults: yearly vet check, vaccines as advised, weight control, lots of play.
• Mature cats: watch weight and teeth, keep playing, yearly check-ups.
• Seniors and super seniors: vet checks every six months are often recommended, including blood pressure and blood tests for kidney and thyroid problems. Watch for arthritis (see arthritis in cats), changes in drinking, weight loss and litter habits.

Don't forget the older cats

Senior cats are among the hardest to rehome, yet many are calm, affectionate and perfectly happy companions. If you're thinking of adopting, meet our cats, including the older ones.