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 appropriate veterinary care they receive.

  The rule of thumb is that at about age 7, a cat is considered to be middle-aged. At age 10 and above, a cat is considered to be a senior citizen.

 

    CAT'S AGE                                                 HUMAN AGE EQUIVALENT   

        6 months............................................................................ 10 years

        8 months ........................................................................... 13 years

        10 months .......................................................................... 14 years  

         1 year  .............................................................................. 15 yearsNo Description

        18 months .......................................................................... 20 years 

         2 years  ............................................................................ 24 years

         4 years ............................................................................. 32 years

         6 years ............................................................................. 40 years

         7 years ..............................................................................44 years

         8 years ..............................................................................48 years

        10 years ..............................................................................56 years

        14 years ..............................................................................72 years    

        16 years ..............................................................................80 years

        18 years ..............................................................................88 years

        20 years ..............................................................................96 years

        21 years ............................................................................100 years

        

As you can see, a seven year old cat is well into his 'forties'. And since one year for a cat is equivalent to 4+ 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 now recommend twice yearly physical exams plus appropriate blood work on all cats who are 5 years old or above.

The Fox Valley Cat Clinic recommends a physical exam every 6 months with one of those exams incorporated into our Senior Health Screen. This work-up is a comprehensive set of tests that includes
    
*blood pressure
*urine analysis
*thyroid function test
*fecal exam for parasites
*complete blood count
*complete chemistry profile

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.