Cat Years

[Miss Chicken]

When I was growing up I was told the you determined a cat age in 'cat years" by multiplying their age by seven. I used this system for years until one day I was told a veternarian assistant that better why was multiply by 11 for the first two years of life and then by 5 for every year after that.

My eldest cat is 10 years old. Under the 7 times system she would by 70 in cat years but under the 11/5 system she would be 62 in cat years.

When she reaches 15 human years she will be 105 under the 7 times system and 87 under the 11/5 system. If hse reaches 18 she would be 126 years under the 7 times system and 102 under the 11/5 system.

So I am asking people what system do you use and which system so you think is best.

People can also tell me if they use the 7 year system for their dog or some other system to determine "dog years".

 

[Aurian]

Never heard how to count cat years, but the 7-year rule applies to dogs

 

[Ar-Pharazon]

I think, on average, cats live longer than dogs, so a lower ratio might be more accurate.

That said, I always heard the 7 year rule for cats.

 

[ShamelessMcBundy]

i still haven't been able to determine a good system for cats. All i know is that my oldest cat is around 6. And he's a sweet heart and a cat you don't mess with.

I've heard of a cat that lived to be 35 ...

 

[Australis]

I used to think it was 7 years, until I too heard there was a different rule. Our cat passed away a few months ago, and we'd had her 15 years but she never seemed 105. So I think the other rule makes more sense.

 

[Scout101]

the second rule makes more sense. My 14 year old cat sure as hell isn't moving like a 98 year old, so the 7 year rule isn't quite right. 82 even seems a little high, but probably closer.

 

[Jadzia]

I find all of these age scaling systems to be rather fake. There's no reason to think an animal's lifespan should scale up to match the human equation.

It's better to learn about the species own longevity, the natural variations of it, and their specific developmental stages, such as the typical age of fertility, the age when they stop growing, the typical age of onset of geriatric problems, like chronic arthritis, lack of energy, heart weakness, etc.

It is the stages of health and vitality which have meaning, not age.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Yup. Even the dog thing is a bit off the mark.

Smaller dogs live longer than bigger ones. In some breeds, the difference is rather substantial. In such a case it's hard to put a "number" on it.

 

[RoJoHen]

Smaller dogs live longer than bigger ones.

Do they? How odd.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Not always, of course, but I think the average life-span of a large dog is about 14 years, whereas, small ones usually live about 17 or 18 years.

 

[Scout101]

Smaller dogs live longer than bigger ones.

Do they? How odd.

Not that odd. A lot more strain on the system to keep pumping blood farther distances to larger organs.

Plus, larger dogs are a little more active than the ones that ride around in purses as their primary means of getting around

 

[RoJoHen]

Smaller dogs live longer than bigger ones.

Do they? How odd.

Not that odd. A lot more strain on the system to keep pumping blood farther distances to larger organs.

Plus, larger dogs are a little more active than the ones that ride around in purses as their primary means of getting around

Perhaps. It's just that, typically, larger animals tend to have longer lifespans than small ones.

 

[Scout101]

tough to compare, as environmental concerns (and the genetic selection that goes along with that) are a big part of that. Cats and dogs are easier to compare to each other, as they've been pretty much removed from evolution and selectively bred for a very long time, and kept in the same "captive" environment. Harder to compare to animals in the wild, IMO.

You'd have to compare animals in the same species, at that, if you want to talk big dogs and small dogs. Do ponies outlive horses, on average, for example? (not sure, I'm asking, as it seemed a good comparison)

 

[nevermore]

So I am asking people what system do you use and which system so you think is best.

I don't use any system; by that 7 year thing, my mother's cat lived to be 154, by the other system, 122. It's just pointless.

My cats are 11, 9 and 6. Average indoor cat lifespan is about 15-20 years. That's all one really needs to know, other than just paying attention to the health of the critters themselves as they get older.

 

[Kirk's_Tights]

http://npwm.com/petagecalculator.htm

This is straight from my vet's page.

 

[Miss Chicken]

Not always, of course, but I think the average life-span of a large dog is about 14 years, whereas, small ones usually live about 17 or 18 years.

The lifespan of a Malamute is 8 to 14 years. My neighbour's malamute died in his sleep aged ten and he definitely seemed elderly. \

The Great Dane has a lifespan of 8 to 12 years, A St Bernards lifespan is even shorter 8 to 10 years.

Perhaps. It's just that, typically, larger animals tend to have longer lifespans than small ones.

A better way of determining lifespan is litter size rather than physical size.

Bats, which are rather small animals, by neccessity have small litters - usually only one infant but in some species twins and I think one species has up to four. These small litters are neccessary because tjhe mother needs to be able to fly during the pregnancy and in many species she flies with the baby attached to her.

Bats are very long lived compared with other species of the same size.

 

[btflash]

http://npwm.com/petagecalculator.htm

This is straight from my vet's page.

wow. that is very interesting . thank you for posting that link.

 

[Da'an]

There's no such thing as "cat years". It goes: Baby kitten - Big kitten - Elderly kitten.

At least, that's the method I've always used.

 

[McCoy]

http://npwm.com/petagecalculator.htm

This is straight from my vet's page.

Hm, that doesn't seem right. It says my 2-yr old cat is the equivalent of 36 years old. Middle-aged at 2? I don't think so.

The 7-yr rule would make her a teenager, which is more accurate.

The 11/5 rule would make her a young adult, and would also make more sense as years go by.

Yeah I think that last one is probably the closest.