Cat Years to Human Years Converter

"A meow massages the heart." - Stuart McMillan

How true! Indeed there are few other things that make you feel better after a long, tiring day, than a cat coming and purring gently, welcoming you home. All cat lovers will agree. Cats are wonderful animals (who seem to have a cleaning OCD) and there are so many different kinds of cats that are equally gorgeous! Have you ever wondered about how many cat years to human years is the right answer? Read this article, it might help you out.

Life Expectancy of Cats
In earlier times, cats had a very short life expectancy. They generally never lived longer than 4-6 years. However, nowadays, cats have longer life spans than before. There are many factors that have brought about this change. Given below are two of the most important factors that have resulted in cats having a longer life span.

• Indoor vs Outdoor: Where the cat lives, is a vital factor on which its life expectancy depends. A cat that lives indoors is much safer than a cat that lives on the streets. Indoor cats are less prone to diseases or traumas caused due to accidents. Outdoor cats are always in a danger of being hit by passing vehicles or falling prey to illnesses.
• Advancement in Medicine: Modern medicine has also played an important role in increasing the average life expectancy of cats. Various advancements in veterinary science have reduced the instances of death due to diseases. In addition to the indoor lifestyle of cats, medicine has improved cat health and helped to enable cats live longer lives. The oldest cat reported, died at an age of 34!

Ratio of Cat Years to Human Years
There have been several debates on what is the actual conversion of cat years to human years. Given below is an easy explanation of the same.

• A typical cat grows very quickly in the first year.
• It attains maturity within this first year itself.
• The level of maturity of a 1 year old cat is almost equal to the level of maturity of a 15-16 year old human being.
• So, 1 cat year = 15 human years.
• Now, in the second year, the cat grows at a fast pace, but slower than the first year. This is approximately around 8-9 human years for every cat year.
• So, a 2 year old cat can be said to be 24 years in human years.
• Gradually, this pace comes down to around 4 cat years for every human year. This means that an average, say, 7 year old cat can be said to be around 44 human years.

Cat Years to Human Years Chart
Given below is a chart that will help you convert cat years to human years.

Cat Years	Human Years
1 year	15 years
2 years	24 years
3 years	28 years
4 years	32 years
5 years	36 years
6 years	40 years
7 years	44 years
8 years	48 years
9 years	52 years
10 years	56 years

*Note 1: This chart is just an average on the basis of the above-mentioned method. There are other factors that affect the age of a cat, like breed, heredity, etc. So the conversion may vary form cat to cat.
*Note 2: Some cat breeds like Persians or Maine Coon take longer than 1 year to mature. And some breeds like the Siamese and Manx live up to an age of 20 years and above.

Now I am sure you have understood the theory behind cat years to human years comparison. A cat progresses through its life span pretty quickly. Hence, it is advised that mature/adult cats should be taken for regular health check ups to the veterinarian. This will help them to diagnose any ailment easily and promptly.