How old is your dog or cat in human years?

Read time: 3 minutes

As an avid pet lover, you’ve likely long heard the popular saying that one year of a pet’s life is equal to seven human years.

But wait … this is a myth not supported by science.

It’s thought that the popular “one year to seven years” calculation came about to show that pets just age faster than us. Unfortunately, that saying (and myth) has stuck around.

Most experts agree a one-year-old kitten or puppy is about 15 years in human age. For year two, pets age about nine human years. And after that it varies by breed, but averages about four years each year thereafter.

For details about your pet and aging, take a look at these charts:

How old is my dog?

Size of Dog

Small
20 lbs or less

Medium
21 to 49 lbs

Large
50 lbs+

Dog’s Age

Age in
Human Years

Age in
Human Years

Age in
Human Years

1 15 15 15
2 24 24 24
3 28 28 28
4 32 32 32
5 36 36 36
6 40 42 45
7 44 47 45
8 48 51 55
9 52 56 61
10 56 60 66
11 60 65 72
12 64 69 77
13 68 74 82
14 72 78 88
15 76 83 93
16 80 87 120

How old is my cat?

Life
Stage

Cat Age

Human Age

Kitten, birth up to 1 year 1 month 1 year
3 months 4 years
6 months 10 years
Young adult, 1 to 6 years 1 year 15 years
2 years 24 years
3 years 28 years
4 years 32 years
5 years 36 years
6 years 40 years
Mature adult, 7 to 10 years 7 years 44 years
8 years 48 years
9 years 52 years
10 years 56 years
Seniors, 10+ years 11 years 60 years
12 years 60 years
12 years 64 years
13 years 68 years
14 years 72 years
15 years 76 years
16 years 80 years
17 years 84 years
18 years 88 years
19 years 92 years
20 years 96 years
21 years 100 years

Teeth tell a lot

Checking the teeth of both cats and dogs is a great way to estimate age. Both of these furry friends have similar aging signs when it comes to their teeth. Check out these bow-meow tips:

8 weeks: All baby teeth are in.

5-7 months: All permanent teeth are in.

1 to 2 years: Teeth may appear a little dull with some tartar buildup.

3 to 5 years: Teeth show more tartar buildup and some wear.

5-10 years: Teeth show increased wear and disease. Cats may show some pigment on gums.

10-15 years: Teeth are worn and show heavy buildup. Some teeth may be missing.

Help your pet age well! Work with your vet to maintain a proper diet for your beloved furry family member, make sure they get appropriate exercise. Plus, love them lots!

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