How old is a 14-year-old cat in human years?

A 14-year-old cat is about 72 in human years on International Cat Care’s chart. Its life stage is senior. The AVMA’s “Pets age faster than people” chart gives the same number.

Patient recordCat
Age
14 years
Stage span
11–14 years

Human age

72years

International Cat Care chart

Vet guideline stageAAHA/AAFPSenior
“Times 7” rulewhy it’s wrong98

First two years count as 24 human years, then 4 for every year after. The AVMA chart gives the same number.

Life stage (International Cat Care)

  • Kitten
  • Junior
  • Adult
  • Mature
  • Senior (this stage)
  • Super senior

AVMA calls cats senior after about 10 years. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines add that some healthy older cats are best treated as mature adults.

For years and months, use the cat age calculator.

The math

24 + 4 × (14 − 2) = 24 + 48 = 7224 for the first two years, then 4 for each of the next 12.

Times 7 would say 98, which is 26 years too high next to the chart.

Life stage at 14 years

International Cat Care: Senior (11–14 years). 2021 AAHA/AAFP guidelines: senior. From 11, International Cat Care calls cats senior; the AAHA/AAFP guidelines recommend checkups at least every 6 months for senior cats.

Nearby ages

Cat ageHuman yearsLife stageTimes 7
11 years60Senior77
12 years64Senior84
13 years68Senior91
14 years72Senior98
15 years76Super senior105
16 years80Super senior112
17 years84Super senior119

See all ages in the cat years chart, or compare a 14-year-old dog.

Sources

  1. International Cat Care, “How to tell your cat’s age in human years.” The cat age chart (to 25 years) and its six life stages.
  2. 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines. Kitten up to 1 year, young adult 1 to 6, mature adult 7 to 10, senior over 10.
  3. AVMA, “Pets age faster than people” (PDF). Dog column for a medium-size dog of 21 to 50 lb, ages 1 to 16; cat column, ages 1 to 16. AVMA adds that pet ages are approximate and that weight and breed may influence aging.
  4. AVMA, “Caring for senior cats and dogs.” Dog size groups by weight, the age each group becomes senior, cats senior after about 10, and the statement that dogs don’t age 7 human years per year.