How old is my cat in human years?
A cat’s first two years count as 24 human years, and every year after that adds 4, so a 7-year-old cat is about 44. Enter your cat’s age to see its human age and life stage.
How cat years are counted
The cat charity International Cat Care uses one simple rule.
Human age = 24 + 4 × (cat age − 2), from age 2 onA 7-year-old cat: 24 + 4 × 5 = 44. A 15-year-old: 24 + 4 × 13 = 76.
- The first year is a sprintA 6-month-old kitten is about 10 in human years, and a 1-year-old cat is 15.
- The second year adds 9By 2 years a cat is 24, roughly a young adult person.
- Then 4 a yearEach year after 2 adds 4 human years. The chart runs to 25, which is 116.
The AVMA’s own “Pets age faster than people” chart lists the same numbers for cats aged 1 to 16. In the kitten months, International Cat Care lists 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 12 and 18 months; for ages between those rows, this calculator fills in on a straight line.
Why “times 7” doesn’t work for cats either
Times 7 is too low for young cats and too high for old ones.
| Cat age | Times 7 | International Cat Care chart |
|---|---|---|
| 1 year | 15 | |
| 2 years | 24 | |
| 5 years | 36 | |
| 10 years | 56 | |
| 15 years | 76 | |
| 20 years | 96 |
Times 7 calls a 1-year-old cat a 7-year-old child, when International Cat Care puts it at 15. It also calls a 20-year-old cat 140, when the chart says 96. The real pattern is fast growth in the first two years, then a steady 4 years per year.
Cat life stages
Two respected sources draw the lines a little differently.
| Cat age | International Cat Care | AAHA/AAFP 2021 guidelines |
|---|---|---|
| 0–6 months | Kitten | Kitten (birth up to 1 year) |
| 7–11 months | Junior | Kitten |
| 1–2 years | Junior | Young adult |
| 3–6 years | Adult | Young adult |
| 7–10 years | Mature | Mature adult |
| 11–14 years | Senior | Senior (over 10 years) |
| 15 years and up | Super senior | Senior |
The AAHA/AAFP guidelines add that these lines are not absolutes: a healthy older cat may be best treated as a mature adult, at your vet’s discretion. They recommend a checkup at least once a year for every cat, and at least every 6 months for seniors.
Questions people ask
- How old is a 1-year-old cat in human years?
- About 15. International Cat Care and the AVMA chart both put a 12-month-old cat at 15 human years.
- How old is a 10-year-old cat in human years?
- About 56: 24 for the first two years plus 4 for each of the next 8.
- At what age is a cat a senior?
- International Cat Care calls cats senior from 11 to 14 and super senior from 15. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines call cats over 10 senior, and the AVMA says cats are generally senior after 10.
- Is one cat year seven human years?
- No. A cat’s first year equals about 15 human years and its second about 9 more. After that each year is about 4 human years.
- Does a cat’s breed or size change the answer?
- The chart doesn’t split cats by breed or size. Individual cats age differently, so ask your vet how your own cat is doing.
- Is this veterinary advice?
- No. These are estimates from a published chart. Your vet can tell you how your own cat is aging.
Sources
Every number on this page comes from these, checked October 2, 2026. Human-age equivalents are estimates, not veterinary advice.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.