Treating a cat's fever

How To Know The Age Of A Cat

Max. D Gray
By Max. D Gray. Updated: January 16, 2017
How To Know The Age Of A Cat

It is very important to know the age of your cat to give your pussy the care it needs. Often the date of birth of a pet is not known because it has not been with us since birth. If you do not know when the pussy cat was born, you have to approximately calculate the cat's age through certain observations. Even the best cat experts may get it wrong, so it is quite complex to determine a pussy's age. In this fascinating article, we explain on OneHowTo.com how to know the age of a cat.

You may also be interested in: At what age should I sterilise my cat
Steps to follow:
1

The best way to tell the age of a cat is by looking at the pussy's teeth. This is considered the most reliable method to estimating a cat's age. To look at the teeth, you have to lift up the pussy's lips gently.

Young cats have 26 temporary teeth which are like the milk teeth in humans. They will have 14 teeth in the upper jaw and 12 below. At birth, cats have teeth which start appearing within two weeks of birth but they can take up to four weeks to appear.

How To Know The Age Of A Cat - Step 1
2

Between two and four weeks, the first incisors appear and these will grow until they are clearly visible. After three weeks approximately, the canines start coming through. In the first month and a half of a kitten's life, the premolars in the lower jaw will come out. Just before the kitten turns two months of age, it may have already grown all 26 teeth in full. Temporary or milk teeth are replaced by permanent teeth. In three or four months, the permanent incisors will come out and the process will be repeated. At six months, your pet cat will have its adult teeth.

3

From this point on calculating the age of your cat is a bit more complicated, and we must pay attention to the condition of the teeth. Normally, a cat older than one year will have white, healthy and clean teeth. Up to two years of age, the cat's teeth may start to look more opaque, yellowish with some tartar especially on the rear teeth. Between three and five years of age, the scale will have spread more and some wear will be observed. After five to ten years, your cat is an adult, the teeth present further deterioration and the gums change color. After ten years of life, your cat has reached old age. Your pet will have the very worn teeth, which are heavily scaled. The cat may have lost some teeth.

How To Know The Age Of A Cat - Step 3
4

Although the growth and tooth wear is a great help to know the cat's age, it will never be an exact calculation because there are many variables that affect the state of the cat's teeth. Lifestyle, food, hygiene, health, and even the state of the cat's nature affect the cat's mouth. If your cat has had a wild life, it is normal that the teeth present a state of increased wear than if your cat, by contrast, has always been a home bird. The life of your cat is essential to estimate the age and you must take this into account when you observe your pussy's teeth.

5

Another way to estimate the age of your cat is by examining the eyes. When they are new-borns, the kittens' eyes are closed and week by week the eyelids begin to open more frequently. Roughly two weeks or sooner, kittens fully open their eyes, but do not dilate their pupils. At six weeks, you will notice one of the most significant changes: the color of the eyes changes. They are no longer blue. At that time, your cat will already have their final eye color. The iris of a small cat is smooth, but as the cat grows they become more irregular. If your cat has a clouding of the lens, they may have cataracts. If this is the case, your pet may be reaching old age and is more than 10 years old.

The hair on your cat can also give you a rough idea of the pussy's age. A very young cat has short and thick fur. When it grows older, the coat becomes thinner and softer until the cat gets old and then his fur becomes dense, thick and grey in areas.

How To Know The Age Of A Cat - Step 5
6

One way to know how old your pet is, is to observe and feel the cat's muscles. Caress your pussy to determine how thin or muscular it is. Normally, older cats have saggy skin and protruding shoulder blades. When a cat is young, it is usually more toned and fit.

Finally, we recommend you observe the cat's habits. Typically, young cats are more playful and more willing to have physical activity. An adult cat will be more likely to spend the day sleeping and pay less attention to toys. This is not a clear indication of a cat's age, but can give you a hint of the cat's vital cycle.

How To Know The Age Of A Cat - Step 6

If you want to read similar articles to How To Know The Age Of A Cat, we recommend you visit our Pets category.

Write a comment

What did you think of this article?
3 comments
Rating:
Julie Blom
I am unable to determine how old my rescue kitty is.
Rating:
gail browning
i dont know how old she is she came to me and was starving i have had her now for two years she still has a beautiful coat which is thick and gets brushed everyday her appetite is still good she seems to still have a lot of teeth which are white but i think she might have had a litter of kittens somewhere along the way she wont let me touch her belly at all i know she does have some age on her but i dont know how much ...she still loves to play games and loves her toys she is very affectionate and sleeps only with me every night if im not here she walks through the house crying ...my sister looks after her when i go to the shops ...i dont know anything about her or her history i know we are very close how can i tell how old my beautiful girl is ??
OneHowTo Editor
There's no surefire way, but you can make a good approximation using the tips in the article.
Rating:
S.Ramesh
Thank you, It was very important Advice every one should know.
1 of 5
How To Know The Age Of A Cat