How old is my cat in human years?
Updated By PetymFacts checked against official sources on
Quick answer
International Cat Care counts a cat's first year as 15 human years and its second as 9 more, so a 2-year-old cat is about 24. After that each cat year adds about 4: a 5-year-old is 36, a 10-year-old 56 and a 15-year-old 76. The calculator also shows your cat's life stage.
Cat age calculator
Cat years to human years from International Cat Care's chart, with the life stage.
Free, no sign-up
Your cat
Enter your cat's age in years and months to see the human-equivalent age and life stage.
How does the cat age calculator work?
It reads your cat's age off International Cat Care's published chart and fills in the months between the rows.
International Cat Care (ICC), the UK feline welfare charity, publishes a chart that matches each age of a cat to a human age. A kitten grows up fast: by 6 months it is roughly a 10-year-old child, at 1 year it is about 15, and at 2 years about 24. From then on the chart adds 4 human years for every cat year, so a 10-year-old cat is about 56 and a 20-year-old about 96.
Enter your cat's age in years and months. Where your cat's age falls between two rows, the calculator works out the point in between. For a cat older than 25, the last row in the chart, it shows the chart's top figure and says so rather than stretching the rule further.
The old idea that one cat year equals seven human years does not fit: a 1-year-old cat can have kittens of its own and is closer to a teenager than to a 7-year-old child. That is why the first two years count for so much more.
What does the cat age chart say?
The key rows of ICC's chart, with the life stage ICC gives each age.
| What | The rule | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 3 months (kitten) | 4 human years | International Cat Care |
| 6 months (kitten) | 10 human years | International Cat Care |
| 1 year (junior) | 15 human years | International Cat Care |
| 2 years (junior) | 24 human years | International Cat Care |
| 4 years (adult) | 32 human years | International Cat Care |
| 7 years (mature) | 44 human years | International Cat Care |
| 10 years (mature) | 56 human years | International Cat Care |
| 12 years (senior) | 64 human years | International Cat Care |
| 15 years (super senior) | 76 human years | International Cat Care |
| 18 years (super senior) | 88 human years | International Cat Care |
| 21 years (super senior) | 100 human years | International Cat Care |
What life stage is my cat in?
Two bodies name the stages slightly differently. ICC splits them more finely; the vets' guideline groups them for check-ups.
| International Cat Care | AAHA/AAFP 2021 guideline | |
|---|---|---|
| Birth to 6 months International Cat Care | Kitten | Kitten (birth up to 1 year) |
| 7 months to 2 years International Cat Care | Junior | Kitten to 1 year, then young adult |
| 3 to 6 years AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021) | Adult | Young adult (1 through 6 years) |
| 7 to 10 years AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021) | Mature | Mature adult (7 to 10 years) |
| 11 to 14 years AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021) | Senior | Senior (over 10 years) |
| 15 years and over International Cat Care | Super senior | Senior (over 10 years) |
The AAHA/AAFP guideline calls its stages arbitrary points on a spectrum, not absolutes, and adds an end-of-life stage that can come at any age.
What does each life stage mean for care at home?
The number is a talking point. The stage is what changes how you look after your cat.
Kitten, up to 1 year
The fastest-changing year: by ICC's chart a kitten goes from a newborn to about 15 in human years. Ask your vet to plan its first-year care, and keep balconies and windows netted. International Cat Care
Young adult, 1 to 6 years
At least one vet examination a year, the AAHA/AAFP guideline says, for every cat, with more visits as its own needs require. AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021)
Mature adult, 7 to 10 years
Still at least yearly examinations. Tell your vet about any change you notice in your cat's eating, drinking, weight or habits. AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021)
Senior, over 10 years
The guideline advises a vet visit at least every 6 months, and more often for cats with long-term conditions. AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021)
End of life, any age
The guideline treats this as its own stage, focused on comfort and quality of life, decided with your vet. AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021)
Is one cat year really seven human years?
You may have read
One cat year equals seven human years.
Myth
What the sources say
ICC's chart puts a 1-year-old cat at about 15 human years and a 2-year-old at about 24, then adds about 4 for each year after. International Cat Care
You may have read
An older cat only needs the vet when it is ill.
Myth
What the sources say
The AAHA/AAFP guideline advises at least yearly checks for every cat and at least every 6 months for seniors. AAHA/AAFP (Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 2021)
What are the limits of a cat age chart?
A chart gives one human age for every cat of the same age. Real cats differ: breed, body weight, neutering, indoor or outdoor life and illness all change how a cat ages. A lean, healthy 12-year-old indoor cat and an overweight 12-year-old with kidney trouble share a row in the chart but not a care plan.
ICC's chart is a simple rule turned into a table, and the AAHA/AAFP guideline does not convert ages into human years at all. Treat the human age as a way to picture your cat's stage of life, and lean on the life stage and your vet for decisions.
What should Indian cat owners keep in mind?
No Indian study we could find gives age-conversion figures for Indian cats, so the calculator applies ICC's chart to every cat, including the Indian domestic cat and street cats you have adopted. Many adopted cats have no known birthday: your vet can estimate age from teeth and body condition, and an estimate is fine to enter here.
In an Indian summer, keep fresh water and a cool, shaded resting spot within easy reach of an older cat. If you travel, a mature or senior cat on medicines often copes better at home with visits from a sitter than in a new place; write its routine and medicines on a care sheet before you go.
Going away soon? Tell us your dates.
A checked local sitter feeds, walks and keeps your pet company at home, follows your care sheet to the letter and sends a photo every day. Petym is opening city by city: send your dates and we will tell you when a sitter can take them.
- Meet your sitter first, free
- PAN-checked, first-aid trained
- A photo every day
- Pay through Petym, never cash
Questions owners ask
How old is my cat in human years?
- By International Cat Care's chart, a 1-year-old cat is about 15 in human years, a 2-year-old about 24, a 5-year-old 36, a 10-year-old 56 and a 15-year-old 76. After age 2, add about 4 human years for each cat year.
How do I calculate my cat's age in human years myself?
- Count the first two years as 24 human years together, then add 4 for every year after that. A 9-year-old cat is 24 plus 7 times 4, which is 52. This is the rule International Cat Care's chart is built on.
At what age is a cat a senior?
- The 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines call a cat senior when it is over 10 years old, and advise a vet visit at least every 6 months from then. International Cat Care's chart uses senior for 11 to 14 years and super senior from 15.
Is a 1-year-old cat still a kitten?
- Nearly. The AAHA/AAFP guideline counts the kitten stage from birth up to 1 year. On International Cat Care's chart a 1-year-old cat is about 15 in human years, a junior that is close to adult size.
How long do cats live?
- International Cat Care's chart runs to 25 years, about 116 in human years, and cats aged 15 and over are called super seniors. How long your own cat lives depends on its health, weight and care, so ask your vet how it is ageing.
Does the calculator work for Indian cats and street cats?
- Yes. It uses the same published chart for every cat, because no Indian study we could find gives separate figures. If you do not know your cat's birthday, ask your vet to estimate its age from its teeth and body, then enter that.
More free tools
- Can my dog eat this?Roti, curd, mango, chai and 55 more foods, each with a sourced verdict.
- Cat food calculatorDaily calories from weight and life stage, as grams of dry or wet food from the pack's kcal.
- Dog food calculatorDaily calories from weight and life stage, turned into grams from your pack's kcal per kg.
- Dog walk plannerDaily exercise for your dog's breed, and when it is too hot to walk.
- Going-away checklistA dated countdown for your trip, for dogs, cats, small pets and birds.
- Care plan builderAdd up the visits, walks and nights your trip needs. No prices yet.
Keep exploring
Sources
Each source was opened and read on the date shown. How Petym checks its sources