Chestnut Hill Cat Clinic

Celebrating 26 years of caring for cats


  Aging and your cat


Cats usually live longer than most dogs and it is no longer unusual for them to live until 20 or beyond. How long an individual cat will live depends on many factors such as genetics, whether kept indoors or not, type of diet and the veterinary care he or she receives.

The general rule is that at about age 7, a cat is considered to be middle-aged. At age 10 and above, a cat is considered to be a mature cat.

    

CAT'S AGE 

HUMAN AGE EQUIVALENT

6 months 10 years
8 months  13 years
10 months  14 years
1 year  15 years
18 months  20 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
10 years  56 years
12 years  64 years
14 years  72 years 
16 years  80 years
18 years  88 years
20 years  96 years

        

As you can see, a seven year old cat is well into his 'forties'.  Since one year for a cat is equivalent to about four human years, many changes can take place in what for us is a fairly short period of time. That is why the American Veterinary Medical Association as well as the American Animal Hospital Association now recommend twice yearly physical exams plus appropriate blood work on all cats who are 5 years old or above.

The Chestnut Hill Cat Clinic recommends a physical exam every 6 months with one of those exams incorporated into our Mature Cat Work-Up. This work-up is a comprehensive set of tests that includes:
    
   *blood pressure
   *urine analysis
   *thyroid function test
   *fecal exam for parasites
   *complete blood count
   *blood profile

Bundled together as the Mature Cat Work-Up means we can offer these tests for much less than they would cost if charged individually.

With this program, many health problems can be caught early and you can take the appropriate steps to ensure continued well-being and a longer life for your cat.