Feline Aging

Cats usually live longer than most dogs, and it is no longer unusual for them to live until age 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 he/she receives.

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 in old age.

CAT'S AGE	HUMAN AGE EQUIVALENT
6 months	10 years
8 months	13 years
10 months	14 years
1 year	15 years
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 four 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 recommends twice yearly physical exams, plus appropriate blood work on all cats who are 5 years old or above.

Just For Cats Veterinary Hospital recommends a physical exam every 6 months, with one of those exams incorporated into our Golden Years Work-Up. 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
                    *blood 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.

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