A Guide to Determining Your Pet’s ‘Human Age’  

 

We believe that only humans age. Every pet owner knows better. As much as we want to keep our pets for the longest time possible, they age too and they age differently compared to us. If you are curious about your pet’s ‘human age’, the rule of thumb is to multiply its actual years by seven. For example, a three-year old cat is equivalent to a twenty one year old human. A ten year old dog is equivalent to a thirty year old human.

However, that is not always the case. Dogs have different aging process. For dogs, the maturity hits during the first few years but it recedes after that. The breed actually plays a role in the lifespan of dogs. Small dogs live longer compared to their medium and large-sized counterparts.

Pet Health Network Chart

The Pet Health Network designed a chart that pet owners can refer when determining the ‘human age’ of their pets. Like humans, pets will go through being an adult (ages four to seven), senior (ages eight to fifteen) and geriatric (ages fifteen onwards). The age will also depend on the weight of the pet.

Pedigree

The Pedigree website also features another way of calculating the pet’s ‘human age’. Pet owners simply refer to their website and from the drop-down menu, select the pet’s age and breed. If you really want the help of vets, you should go to one and discover aging issues of your pet.

International Cat Care

For your feline pet, there is also another way of determining their age. The International Cat Care gave a version of age chart. The chart tackles about the life stages of cat from kitten (birth to six months) to junior (seven months to two years), prime (three years to six years), mature (seven years to ten years), senior (eleven years to fourteen years) and geriatric (fifteen years onwards).

Here in Singapore, pets are welcome distractions. They improve the wellness of many and they should never be underestimated. The least that we can do is take care of our pets and treat them kindly. If we notice a change in their mood or health, it is time that we bring them to vets for check-ups.

Caring for the pet transcends to more than providing a shelter and medical care for them. Your pets need your time and your presence. Your pets, like any other humans, age. Might as well spend more time with them while they are alive or forever regret the lost times.