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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 of course the veterinary care he or she receives.
The rule of thumb is that at about age 7, a cat is considered to be middle-aged. Cats aged 8 to 14 are senior, and cats aged 15 and older are geriatric.
| CATS AGE to HUMAN EQUIVALENT |
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6 months........10 years
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8 months........13 years
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10 months........14 years
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1 year........15 years
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18 months........20 years
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2 years........24 years
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4 years........32 years
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6 years........40 years
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7 years........44 years
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8 years........48 years
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10 years........56 years
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14 years........72 years
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16 years........80 years
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18 years........88 years
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20 years........96 years
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21 years........100 years
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As you can see, a seven year old cat is well into his 'forties'. And 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 and FVMA now recommend twice yearly physical exams on all cats, plus appropriate screening blood work.
Riverside Cat Hospital recommends a physical exam every 6 months for all of our patients, as well as annual screening bloodwork to check for early signs of kidney disease, thyroid disease, diabetes, and other common cat ailments. With this program, many health problems which are not readily detected in other ways can be caught early on and appropriate steps taken to ensure continued well-being and a longer life for your cat.
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