Why does a person need to know how old a selected kitten or an adult cat taken into the house is? It would seem that puzzling over determining the age of a cat is a waste of time. However, knowing the age of the foundling, the owner will be able to choose the most suitable diet, regulate the degree of physical activity and predict possible problems with health. After all, living conditions and lifestyle directly depend on the age of the pet.
You can very roughly determine the age of a cat by its appearance and level of activity. One-month-old kittens weigh about 0.5 kg, at two months the body weight reaches a kilogram, by six months - about three kilograms, and by two years the pet can weigh five kilograms or more. Wool little kitten very soft, plump, hair becomes coarser with age. Gray hairs appear in the coat by the age of five to seven years, but in some cats much earlier. Young animals are very active and curious, older animals move carefully, and a certain regularity and solidity appear. Cats mature by the age of two: “childish” features disappear, their shapes become rounded, and the scrotum is fully developed. Cats mature by seven months: estrus, interest in the opposite sex.
Condition of the dental system
Determine the pet's age only by external signs quite difficult, felinologists have developed a scheme for determining age based on the condition of the teeth. However, it is important to remember that lifestyle and heredity affect the condition of the dental system, and therefore this method is also not entirely accurate.
- Three to five weeks – baby teeth are visible;
- Six months – milk teeth are replaced by permanent ones;
- One and half year – the central incisors are slightly worn down lower jaw;
- Two to three years – erased central and middle incisors on the lower jaw;
- Three to four years – the central incisors on the upper jaw begin to wear off;
- Four to five years – the central incisors on the upper jaw are clearly worn out and the middle incisors are beginning to wear out;
- Five to six years – fangs begin to wear off;
- Six to seven years – abrasions on the fangs are clearly visible, the outer incisors on the upper jaw are worn away;
- Over seven years old – all the incisors are worn away, especially severely on the lower jaw, and abrasions on the fangs are clearly visible;
- Over ten years old – the incisors are heavily worn, several teeth are missing, some are loose;
- Over twelve years old – all or almost all of the incisors have fallen out.
Four-legged friends come to our house the most different ways. Someone purchases purebred kittens from breeders - in this case, all the details of their health status, as well as their exact age, are stored in the veterinary passport issued upon purchase. However, not all people go to professionals to buy a long-awaited pet. Owners of cats who purchased them at fairs, secondhand, or even picked them up on the street may not even be aware of the real age of their pet (especially if it found its home already in adulthood). We will talk about how to determine the age of a cat in this article.
The question of whether awareness is needed in a pet’s age is a logical question that has visited owners more than once. Whether we are dealing with a two-, four-, or six-year-old cat – does it matter? Indeed, some owners, regardless of the age of their pets, feed them the same food and do not change their caring habits for years.
Meanwhile, ignoring age leads to ignoring age characteristics and the inevitable changes in the body that occur in a cat’s body as it grows. The simplest example– with age, cats’ teeth wear down and turn yellow, which leads to the need to regulate the pet’s diet. It’s not for nothing that even the most budget-friendly foods have lines distributed by age.
What does the age of a cat affect?
Among the main reasons why you need to know the approximate age of a cat are the following:
- Knowing the age of your pet, you can distribute it more rationally physical exercise and make sure that the cat does not become overtired. Many inexperienced owners literally “flirt” with older cats, whose activity is significantly reduced compared to young cats. The opposite situation is also possible - kittens at a young age lack play activity, which provides an outlet for accumulated energy;
- The age of the cat must also be taken into account when monitoring its health. There are diseases that older cats are most susceptible to, such as cataracts. Caring for and maintaining the well-being of older and younger cats are fundamentally different;
Knowing the age of your pet will allow you to choose the best scheme nutrition that meets the needs of his body. As mentioned above, cats' teeth do not last forever, even with daily care. With age, the fangs wear down, the teeth turn yellow, acquiring stones and caries. Older individuals are very reluctant to eat dry food, since it is a real test for their teeth, while many young individuals can use it.
As already mentioned, one of the most common mistakes is ignoring the age of the cat when calculating its diet. Refusal of the same food, which an inattentive owner may take as a sign of capriciousness, ultimately often turns out to be an indirect request for a change in food. In addition, older cats lose their sense of smell, which prevents them from to the fullest smell food and develop an appetite. You can learn more about the specifics of feeding older pets below.
Determining the age of a cat by the condition of its teeth
A particularly effective method for determining a cat’s age is by looking at its teeth in the first months of their life, since the replacement of baby teeth with molars follows a fairly strict schedule. Subsequent changes in the condition of the enamel and the strength of the teeth themselves are also subject to certain rules, however, has its exceptions to the rules.
The fact is that in addition to the number of years spent in the cat’s jaw, the condition of the teeth is also influenced by such factors as:
The “life path” that each cat’s teeth go through is presented in the table below.
Table 1. Age-related changes in cat teeth
| Age | Dental condition |
|---|---|
| Three to five weeks | The first baby teeth appear |
| Six months | Baby teeth are completely replaced by molars |
| One year | At this age, your teeth are in the best possible condition. There are no tartar or yellow plaque |
| One and half year | On cat teeth the first, barely noticeable signs of wear appear, consisting of abrasion of the central incisors of the lower jaw |
| Two years | Tooth enamel begins to acquire a yellowish tint, tartar and other dental deposits gradually accumulate |
| Four to five years | The wear of the central incisors is pronounced; the middle incisors suffer the same fate. |
| Five to six years | Upon closer examination, abrasions on the fangs are visible. The outer incisors of the upper jaw are subject to wear. There are disruptions in the pigmentation of tooth enamel, resulting in yellowish and dark spots |
| Seven years | All existing incisors are worn out (some may have fallen out), and abrasions on the fangs are clearly visible |
| Ten years | The cat is experiencing gradual tooth loss. First, as a rule, the central incisors become unusable, then it comes to the middle and extreme ones. |
| Fifteen years | If a cat lives to this age, then she has to come to terms with the loss of fangs - one of the means of effective self-defense |
Learn more about maintaining dental health
As you can see, the age of a cat has a significant impact on the condition of its teeth. The lifestyle an animal can afford depends on the health of its teeth. Unfortunately, it is rare that an owner is puzzled by the condition of his pet’s teeth, wanting to choose the right type of food for him. Meanwhile, it is enough for the pet owner to show it to a specialist from time to time and consult about the condition of the animal’s teeth in order to avoid their premature wear.
To maintain strong teeth and a clean mouth, special “dragées” may be prescribed, which must be chewed thoroughly. In some cases, owners are advised to use a special toothpaste to prevent caries and stones.
Determining the age of a cat by appearance
The easiest way to identify a cat by age, the first one that comes to mind, is associated with an analysis of its external features. However, the results of such analysis are not always clear. Cats don't develop wrinkles as they age. characteristic of people, and changes in fur are not so striking. In addition, other factors may also influence the condition of a cat’s coat:
The owner's care for his pet again allows the cat to deceive time and look “younger” than he really is. However, not even the most well-groomed cat can stop the inevitable age-related changes, including appearance.
Wool condition
Of course, there is no exact time frame that would allow us to determine the age of a cat based on the impression of its fur. There are only a couple of generalized signs that can indicate the degree of maturity of an animal.
Table 2. Condition of a cat’s coat depending on age
| Age | Wool condition |
|---|---|
| The fur of young cats is soft and silky to the touch. Mats or bald spots are very rare and indicate possible diseases or immunodeficiency |
| Mature pets can also boast of the excellent condition of their fur coat. Smooth and fluffy, with proper care it retains that appearance. long years. Both the overall “pattern” and each individual hair can be clearly seen. No gray hair |
| In older cats, the fur loses its former softness and tends to form tangles that are difficult to comb. It is worth noting that this rule does not apply to all aging pets. Some animals, even at an advanced age, retain their coat in its original form, but gray hair makes itself felt, capturing entire segments of the coat |
The method of determining the age of a cat by its fur has a number of disadvantages. In addition to the inevitable errors, there are breeds to which the wool quality indicator simply does not apply. These breeds include all cats with no coat, or with very short and stiff guard hairs that do not allow detection age-related changes according to this criterion.
Condition of the musculoskeletal system
Skeletal changes are not the first sign that comes to mind. Moreover, with proper distribution of physical activity, cats are able to maintain ease of movement and agility until a very old age. Despite this, it is the musculoskeletal system that is one of the most reliable indicators of the degree of maturity of an animal.
The strong joints of young individuals allow them to do a variety of “tricks” without harm to health
The kitten's skeleton develops unevenly, due to the rapid development of the body, which is difficult to keep up with. The kitten gains several grams per day, which leads to an increase in the load on the joints (considering the kitten’s initial weight). In this regard, a teenage cat has the following physiological characteristics:
- Disproportionately elongated paws, giving the impression of “stilts”;
- Large ears, compared to the ears of more mature individuals of the same breed (there are exception breeds for which large ears are the norm, for example, the Oriental cat);
- The young pet's body is awkward and lanky, giving the impression that it has not fully undergone the transformation into its final state.
Disproportional features are a natural consequence of a rapidly growing organism
Young and mature individuals develop muscles, thanks to which the body begins to appear proportional and graceful. At the end of puberty and puberty, the cat acquires features characteristic of its breed. Other manifestations of animal skeletal maturity include the following:
- The appearance of muscle relief;
- Ease and grace of movements;
- Ability to overcome various obstacles and make long distance jumps.
Elderly animals, even if they maintain their dashing prowess, by the age of seven or eight years, one way or another, show the first signs of aging, which are not so noticeable at first. Such manifestations include:
- A “failed” spine and protruding shoulder blades;
- The gait loses its former lightness. Some movements seem to be difficult for an older cat;
- The muscles become decrepit, and their overall volume decreases.
All these signs are clearly visible if they are accompanied by thinness, which is often characteristic of aging individuals. If the body of an elderly cat has excess fat, all the criteria mentioned above are smoothed out (except for the difficulty of movement - with excess weight this is the first thing to appear).
Determining the age of a cat by its eyes
The legend is that with age, cats lose the “sparkle” in their eyes and the characteristic shine, indicating an excess of curiosity and vitality, remains a legend. Unfortunately, age-related changes affect a much more prosaic side of the issue.
The years a cat has lived affect the degree of cloudiness of the transparent lens of the animal's eye. The iris also fades, losing its former brightness. Sometimes dark blotches and spots appear on it. All of the listed changes are so detailed that even examination cat eye under a magnifying glass will not always give a definite answer to the question about the pet’s age. About that and what possible pathologies vision problems for pets, you can read more on our portal.
The following tips will help you roughly determine the maturity of your cat based on the condition of its eyes:
- Examine your cat's eyes for cloudiness. At the same time, keep in mind that cloudiness is not always a clear sign of aging. Whitish spots may be the first signs of cataracts, which in rare cases also affects young individuals. The prevalence of the disease depends mainly on heredity and is unpredictable. If the opacities are point-like and do not affect the pet’s movement, most likely, this is an elderly cat;
- Take a closer look at the iris. The iris is the diaphragm of the eye, surrounding the pupil on all sides. Its colors are varied and depend on the breed. Indoor cats, as a rule, have a brown iris. The appearance of lines, spots and irregularities on the iris often indicates the advanced age of the animal, while its rich color and sharp contour are characteristic of young individuals;
- Remember how often a cat experiences discharge from the eyes or increased tearfulness. For older cats, such work of the mucous membrane of the eye may be a manifestation of the need to maintain the pet’s vision at a good level. If such symptoms appear in young individuals, there is a high probability of having eye pathologies. If such manifestations are detected the best solution There will be a visit to the veterinarian, who will solve two problems at once: help with determining the age and examine the pet for possible diseases.
Determining age by puberty
It should be borne in mind that puberty precedes physiological maturation. Physiological maturation is completed only by one and a half years. In general, signs of puberty rarely provide comprehensive information about the age of an animal.
Some pets begin to demonstrate behavior characteristic of sexual hunting by five to six months, while others exhibit sexual instinct several months later. Large breeds, as a rule, lag behind their compact relatives by a couple of months in sexual development. In addition, the first estrus in females can occur in the absence of pronounced “symptoms”.
How to find a partner depends on individual characteristics pet and can vary significantly from individual to individual. The unambiguous signs of the awakening of the sexual instinct include the following actions:
- The pet begins to actively mark its territory. If previously your four-legged friend always relieved himself in the litter box, then during puberty he may begin to pointedly ignore it. The point is not about the harmfulness of the animal, but about the need to place “landmarks” so that the partner can find the individual by smell. In addition, through marking, our pets make it clear to competitors that the territory is occupied;
- Calling cries. The persistent meow that accompanies sexual heat has little in common with the ordinary “language” that your pet spoke to you earlier. The calling cry is distinguished by the predominance of guttural sounds, previously unknown to the animal;
- Ignoring food. During the period of sexual heat, the animal's goals shift, so it may not finish eating for days, leaving a full bowl of food unattended. If fasting is accompanied by other signs of sexual readiness, do not sound the alarm and run to the veterinarian. A decrease in appetite is typical for animals during the period of sexual hunting;
- General changes in behavior. Cats looking for a partner for mating experience anxiety and often rush around the apartment, not finding a place for themselves. It is common for excited pets to try to get outside by hook or by crook in order to cover up the females. Cats waiting for a partner will often roll around on the floor and fawn over people or pieces of furniture. When trying to stroke the pet or lightly press on the lower back, it arches into a position typical for mating.
There are no particular problems in identifying signs of sexual arousal in a pet, since its manifestations are quite colorful. However, the fact that animals enter sex life can give some useful information only if there is a kitten in front of you. Then his age can, with a stretch, be defined as six months.
If in front of you is an adult, then manifestations of sexual heat can hardly provide information about the number of years it has lived. Both male and female cats can mate into old age, producing healthy offspring.
Correlation between human and cat ages
The desire to convert human years into cat years has probably driven man for more than a hundred years. Since it is hardly possible to draw an unambiguous analogy between the age of a person and the age of a cat, people resort to various tricks in order to identify a scheme by which it would be possible to approximately calculate the age of a cat.
The most common scheme allows you to calculate the age of a cat by multiplying the number of light years it has lived by 7. Of course, such a calculation system has errors and does not suit many people.
Problems of transferring human standards
The question of how legitimate the ambitious desire to calculate the exact age of a cat by human standards remains open. It is important to remember that cats develop in ways that are fundamentally different from humans.
Yes, cats go through phases of “infancy”, “childhood”, “adolescence”, “youth” and “maturity”. Blooming and fading are characteristic of them in the same way as other living organisms. Meanwhile, one can hardly derive any practical benefit from the assumption that Nikolai the cat is 35 cat years old. However, such methods of calculation allow the owner to “bring the animal closer” to himself and make it more understandable from a human point of view.
We should not forget that attempts to transfer the features of emotional perception, thinking and other psychological characteristics of a person onto a cat are only a projection that has a distant relationship to reality.
A comprehensive ratio of cat and human ages is shown in the table below.
How long do domestic cats live?
average life expectancy domestic cat is 15-16 years, provided that the pet is cared for, monitored and promptly shown to the veterinarian. When compared with stray cats, who live an average of 5-7 years, domestic cats turn out to be real long-livers.
The following conditions contribute to the longevity of a pet:
Video - what affects a cat's life expectancy?
Influence of breed on lifespan
It is difficult to speak with certainty about a clear connection between breed and life expectancy. There are lists that allow you to correlate the breed and the approximate number of years to which its representative will live, but there is no need to talk about exact data. Among the long-livers are the following breeds:
- Australian Smoky Cat;
- Japanese Bobtail;
- Neva masquerade cat;
- Maine Coon;
- Siamese cat;
- American Shorthair;
- Manx.
Among the cat breeds whose life expectancy is quite short are the following:
- Snowshoe;
- Bombay cat;
- Russian blue cat;
- Abyssinian cat;
- Ural rex.
It is worth considering that life expectancy is influenced not only by the breed, but also by the genetics passed on to your pet by its descendants. If the cat is predisposed to a number of serious illnesses, then even belonging to long-lived breeds will not save her from an earlier death. Conversely, representatives of the breed, which do not have much time allotted, can live much longer than the “norm” with proper care and good heredity.
By the way! The oldest cat today is the Rubble cat, originally from the UK. At the beginning of the summer of 2018, she celebrated her thirtieth birthday. The long-lived woman belongs to the Maine Coon breed. The record for the longest life lived belongs to Cream Puff the Cat, who died in 2005 at the age of 38.
Conclusion
Determining the age of a cat at home, in the absence of even superficial knowledge cat anatomy, is a difficult task to accomplish. If you want to practice your deductive skills, then using the criteria presented in this article, this can be easily done.
However, if you need an exact result that you want to use in the future in drawing up a treatment or nutritional regimen, then the only advice may be to visit a veterinarian. Only a specialist after examining the pet will be able to determine its age.
Is it so important to the owner pet know the age of your animal?
Based on how old the cat is, a caring owner creates a suitable diet for the animal, calculates physical activity and can anticipate possible health problems. It’s easy to remember your pet’s date of birth when he moved into your home at a very young age. But if there is an adult cat in the family, its age can be determined by certain physiological signs.
Puberty will tell your cat's age
Having adopted a kitten from a breeder, it is easy to find out the date of birth of your new pupil. But if you pick up a kitten on the street, you won’t be able to get such information from anyone. It is difficult to determine this by the size of the animal. But you can focus on the manifestations of puberty.
As a rule, the first signs of heat begin in a young cat at the age of 6-9 months. When the animal first begins to make characteristic guttural sounds and assume positions for mating - this date can be considered the starting date to determine the approximate month of birth of your pet.
You can tell a cat's age by its teeth
More precise method, which allows you to find out the age - both of a kitten and an adult - is the condition of the animal’s teeth. First of all, they look at their number and color. Kittens grow 13 pairs of baby teeth, while an adult cat grows 15. Baby teeth are not lost White color, permanent ones acquire a yellow tint.
In addition, they keep a record of when teeth change:
milk teeth erupt at 1 month of age and grow until 8 weeks;
From 2 to 6 months, baby teeth are replaced with permanent ones.
Presence of tartar
The permanent teeth that replace the baby teeth are initially pure white. A change in the shade of the enamel and a yellow plaque indicate the appearance of tartar. This is typical for animals over 1 year of age.
Teeth wear
An analysis of the degree of tooth wear helps determine the age of an adult cat. On average, an animal begins to wear off:
lower jaw incisors – from 1.5 years;
maxillary incisors – from 3.5 years;
fangs – from 5 years;
Loss of incisors begins to occur at age 10.
You can also determine the age of a cat by the appearance of its fur.
The younger the cat, the softer its coat and, as a rule, the darker its color. With age, the pile becomes tougher, and the coat becomes smoother and denser. Aging animals begin to turn gray.
Owners often note that in long-haired breeds, tangles form more often over time. This is due to the fact that an aging animal copes increasingly poorly with caring for its fur. That's why appearance cats generally become less tidy.
Eye condition
The young animal is different with clear eyes and clear eyes. In adult cats, clouding of the cornea and changes in the color of the iris often occur. The problem of old animals is often inflammation of the eyelids due to the fact that the eyes begin to water.
Cat paws
The condition of a cat's claws and paw pads can tell a lot about a cat's age. To examine claws, gently squeeze the animal's pads:
the older the cat gets, the more fragile and brittle the claws become;
the absence of several claws is characteristic of old animals - they lose the ability to replace them with new ones.
Take a closer look at your pet's pads. Their skin in kittens is soft and silky. Over the years, the pads become coarser, wrinkles, cracks, and growths appear on the paws.
Age of cats by human standards
Pet owners often wonder how old their pets might be by human standards. At the same time, in order to compare human and cat lives, they use a common misconception, multiplying the age of their pet by 7. According to felinologists - specialists in the field of anatomy and physiology of domestic cats - calculations should be done differently. Each month and year of a cat’s life in relation to a human has its own coefficient.
Cat age – Human age
1 month – 6 months
3 months – 2 years
6 months – 15 years
1 year – 18 years
2 years – 25 years
3 years – 30 years
4 years – 35 years
5 years – 40 years
6 years – 43 years
7 years – 45 years
8 years – 50 years
9 years – 55 years
10 years – 60 years
11 years – 62 years
12 years – 65 years
13 years – 68 years
14 years – 72 years
15 years – 75 years
20 years – 100 years
Cats' childhood passes extremely quickly. The animal reaches sexual maturity very early, but over time, maturation and old age slow down.
The average lifespan of cats is about 15 years. This figure can vary greatly depending on conditions, breed, past diseases and other factors.
In history, there are cases of long-lived cats who celebrated their 30th anniversary.
If you don't know why cats sleep in public,
If you are an exemplary owner and take care of your pet, then the question of how to find out how old a cat is should not interest you, you already know this.
Well, if for some reason it happened that this information passed you by, then you will be wondering how the age of cats is calculated.
This is not about you being an irresponsible owner or anything else, things happen different situations, and you, for example, could pick up a kitten on the street, or a fluffy asshole could bump into you when you were returning home from the store or work.
Anything can happen and no one is immune from it. In such cases, there are a number of factors based on which you can predict at least the approximate age of the pet.
By the way, the most well-known ways to extend the life of your pet are: proper care for cats, and also for her.
How to determine a cat's age by its teeth
Carrying out such an experiment will not be easy, since an adult pet is unlikely to allow you to admire its mouth for a long time.
The method allows you to determine the age of a cat with an accuracy of up to two months.
- At the age of 1 month, a small kitten begins to develop milk teeth.
- A 5 month old pet's teeth are changing.
- If the central incisors are worn out, this means the approximate age is 1.5 years.
- When the middle incisors are worn out, the cat is already about 2.5 years old.
- At 5 years of age, fangs usually wear out.
- At 6 years old upper jaw undergoes changes as the incisors begin to wear off.
- The rubbing surfaces of the jaw change between the ages of 7 and 9 years.
- If the incisors begin to fall out, this may indicate an age of 10 to 15 years.
There is no point in sticking to a measuring scale, since each cat has a different lifestyle.
For example, if the cat’s food was of poor quality, then the teeth begin to deteriorate earlier.
Puberty of cats
This method is only applicable for small kittens. The age of puberty in cats can range from 7 to 9 months.
However, due to the characteristics of the breed and its lifestyle, this age may occur either earlier or later.
This means that if you are hoping to accurately determine the age of a cat, then this method is not for you.
Under the best circumstances, the error will be 1 month; under the worst circumstances, it will reach 4 months.
Moreover, if you consider that cat years are different by human standards, then such uncertainty will not give you anything.
Cat's age based on fur
This method, like the previous ones, does not provide a 100% guarantee, but many rely on it.
So, if a cat has soft fur, then it is likely that she is not yet a year old.
But there is such a flaw that with proper care of the pet, it always has soft fur, so it is stupid to focus on such an indicator.
In addition, depending on the breed, it turns out that it is generally impossible to determine age by wool, since there are those whose hair is hard from birth.
These include:
- American Wirehair cat;
- Bohemian Rex;
- Dutch Rex and others.
If you notice that your cat's fur is falling out in clumps, this is a clear sign illness and it is better to consult a veterinarian.
Is it possible to tell the age of a cat by its eyes?
The older the cat, the more likely it is that its eyes will see worse and this will appear outwardly blurred.
These cloudy areas are visible to the human eye, so if you notice the appearance of such areas, it is better to see a veterinarian.
It is difficult to determine how old a cat is based on this sign, but it does exist.
However, the appearance of a cloudy look may well tell us not only about old age, but also about such a disease as blindness.
How many years do cats live at home?
The limit is different for many breeds, the most common are presented below:
It is difficult to say definitively how long cats live at home, since each breed has its own life period.
The ratio of the age of a cat and a person is often interpreted differently, but this does not mean that you cannot take a closer look at it.
If we do not take this ratio into account, then normal age for a cat this is 70-90 years, which by human standards equates to approximately 17-20 years.
If the pet lived less, most likely there were health problems.
If you don’t take into account cat age, but only human age, then 18 years in our world is very short.
How old is a cat by human standards: table
Lifespan of a cat
We have already figured out how to find out how old a cat is. Now you need to determine how long the pet will live approximately based on its routine and the owner’s care for it.
There are 6 rules that, if followed, will allow your pet to live happily ever after:
- Balanced diet. The absence of this directly leads to a deterioration in the quality of life and, as a consequence, a reduction in its duration.
- Free your cat from stress. On the background psychological problems Household members may develop various diseases.
- Cats need freedom. There is no need to lock your family member in a tight cage - this violates his freedom. In addition, he may even be older than you, if you remember that a cat’s age by human standards is much higher, then you should understand that at 7-8 cat years a pet is, in principle, considered a bit old.
- Visit your veterinarian regularly. This precaution will protect your pet from unexpected infections. It is recommended to vaccinate cats according to age in order to ensure a decent and healthy life.
- Love the cat. Weasel has never caused harm, but has always done only good.
- Make sure that castration is timely, since if you delay this matter, you can injure the cat’s psyche.
Don’t know how to determine the age of a kitten and think that only experienced specialists can do this? It's not difficult at all!
It is enough to find out some information, have some time, and even the owners of the very first animal in their lives will be able to do this without difficulty.
Fluffy and smooth-haired, big-eyed and not so big-eyed, large and miniature - kittens are different.
But they are all charming, no matter what breed they belong to, no matter what appearance and character they have.
However, it also happens that these sweetest creatures end up on the street.
Kind people pick up babies, after which one of the first questions is: “What age is my new pet?”
Of course, you can find out from familiar specialists or consult a veterinarian.
But the easiest way is to try to determine the age of the kitten at home.
You can easily determine the age category of any kitten at home.
Signs by which you can determine the age of a kitten
So, you've made time, your pet is next to you.
By what signs can you determine the number of months of a pet?
As a rule, there are five of them in total:
- Size and build
- Eye color and ears
- Behavior
Size and build
Undoubtedly, different cat breeds are different because they have their own characteristics.
Nine months is the stage when the development and growth of a given animal ends and the pet becomes an adult.
Important! How larger breed, the longer the kitten grows. The growth period also depends on the gender of the baby: for a cat it takes several weeks longer.
Much depends on the breed characteristics of the animal
Eye color and ears
All kittens are born blind.
The normal time to start opening them is 2 weeks from birth, although some babies manage this from 10 days.
Many cat owners don't know that all kittens are born with cloudy blue eyes.
Between the second and third months of life, the iris of the eye changes color, but in some breeds it remains blue or acquires a darker, blue tint.
Thus, if the animal’s eyes are open, have a gray-blue or just a dull blue color, then the baby’s age is less than 2 months.
As for the ears, they can also serve as an important factor in determining the age of the kitten.
As a rule, all newborn cats have ears pressed to their heads.
This is explained by the fact that at birth and until 5-8 days the ear canals are closed.
Kittens' auditory locators expand more slowly than their eyes open, so only in the second or third week will the ears fully expand.
And not in vain, because many pets also change their milk teeth for molars, like people, at a certain period of life.
It is by this important factor that you can easily determine the age category of your four-legged friend.
A newborn kitten has no teeth. The baby gets its first milk teeth at two to three weeks.
The front incisors appear first.
At three to eight weeks, the animal’s primary canines erupt (they are located on the sides of the incisors).
The sides of the jaws filled with teeth and the appearance of small molars indicate an age of five to six weeks.
In total, kittens have 26 milk teeth, including 4 canines, 12 incisors and 10 small molars.
Important! If you can't see the teeth of a small kitten, try gently touching the gums.
Molars have more dark color than dairy
Starting from the age of four months, baby teeth fall out.
The incisors are the first to be replaced by molars.
Up to six months, the pet acquires molars, and after that - molars (distant molars) and premolars (they are located between the molars and canines).
As soon as you notice that all of your pet’s teeth have been replaced by molars, this can mean one thing: the pet’s age exceeds 7 months.
A cat has 30 molars: 4 molars, 10 premolars, 4 canines and 12 incisors.
The baby's behavior is an important factor in determining the age category
Behavior
Finally, you can try to determine the age of the kitten by its behavior.
However, it is very important to know that each cat has its own individual character.
That is why a factor such as behavior can bring an erroneous result.
Nevertheless, let’s consider the main points inherent in certain age periods of a kitten.
If the baby does not react or reacts weakly to external stimuli, does not rise to its feet and crawls, feel free to note to yourself that the little pet is not even three weeks old.
Upon reaching this age, the pet begins to stand firmly on its paws, learns to land on them, and observes its surroundings with interest.
At one month, the baby walks confidently, he has a desire and desire to explore the world, the animal shows interest in games.
Five weeks of age brings with it the ability to run.
Confidence in actions appears, coordination improves, and activity increases.
The seventh and eighth weeks of life are manifested in courage and great interest in what is happening.
The baby runs, plays a lot, jumps, and often tries to actively communicate with the residents: people, other animals.
Puberty in cats brings with it big behavioral changes.
At the age of five months, your pet's behavior may change somewhat.
The kitten may meow loudly and try to crawl outside.
This is the first sign of puberty.
In the period from five to six to seven months, changes occur in the appearance, behavior and body of the pet.
Right now the animal can bite, so you should treat it with caution.
By seven months of its life, the pet reaches sexual maturity.
Even if you were able to determine your pet’s age on your own, you should consult a doctor.
Who can confirm our assumptions?
If you are not an expert, or at least have not had cats in your home before, it is very important to verify your assumptions about the age of your pet.
There are two ways out:
- Contact the breeder
The former owner or breeder has been watching your new friend since his birth.
Therefore, the first owner will probably advise you accurately at the age of the kitten.
However, what to do if your pet is found on the street?
- Let's go to the veterinarian
Of course, it is an experienced specialist, and especially a specialist in small animals, who can easily but accurately tell you the age period of a young four-legged pet.
Additionally, even if you have dealt with cats before, help veterinarian can never be superfluous.
Sexual characteristics appear in cats from birth.
At what age can you determine the sex of a kitten?
In fact, the question of the age period at which the sex of a kitten can be determined is quite common.
So when is it possible to determine whether you have a cat or a female cat?
The answer is simple: kittens develop sexual characteristics from birth, which means that from two weeks of life (it is not recommended to pick up babies less than half a month old) it is possible to determine the gender of a pet.
Remember that a pet of any age will be happiest with proper care.
The baby will certainly give all his love in exchange for your care.
How to determine the age of a kitten: Useful tips for the owners
Don’t know how to determine the age of a kitten and think that only experienced specialists can do this? It's not difficult at all! It is enough to find out some information, have some time, and even the owners of the very first animal in their lives will be able to do this without difficulty.
