Why?
As outlined in Table 1 - Cat Compared to Human Years, in the first two years of a cats’ life so much physical growth happens that a cat is though to age approximately 15 cat years to our 1 Human year, then 15 + 9 = 24 years to our 2 Human Years and for each Human year thereafter, a cat is thought to age another 4 years.
We know that as us Cat Parents age, we become at higher risk of developing certain diseases due to the deterioration of our body systems and subsequently their functioning.
Converting a cats age into ‘human years’ allows their physical growth and bodily changes (including deterioration of body systems) to be aligned with when it happens to Cat Parents.
If we are aware of this, we can be on the lookout for signs of age related disease as part of a preventative health checks; and being aware of where a cat is in their lifecycle is essential (e.g. a geriatric cat will need a different play routine than say for a kitten).
Like with humans, factors other than age can affect a cats’ physical
condition. These include: Genetics, Diet, Preventative and Reactive
Health Care or Whether the Cat resides Indoors / Outdoors.
Table 1 - Cat Compared to Human Years
* The American Association of Feline Practitioners and the American Animal Hospital Association - Feline Lifestyle Guideline Chart
