How can you tell how old a cat is?

From the teeth, eyes, coat, muscle and claws. Clean white teeth suggest a young adult; tartar and wear suggest an older cat; a hazy lens or ragged iris, a coarser or unkempt coat, bony shoulders and spine, and thick overgrown claws all point to a senior. A veterinarian can narrow the range.

How old is a stray cat likely to be?

It cannot be told from size once a cat is fully grown, at around one year. Outdoor life ages teeth and coat, so strays often look older than they are. A vet exam gives the best estimate.

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How old is my cat?

A stray or a rescue rarely comes with a birthday. Vets estimate age from signs you can check at home. Answer five questions for a rough range.

Teeth

If your cat allows it, lift the lip and look at the back teeth.

Eyes

Look at the colored part of the eye and the pupil in good light.

Coat

Muscle

Run a hand along the spine and over the shoulders.

Claws and movement

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Choose one answer in each group. The result appears here.

This tool organizes what you have noticed. It can't examine your pet, and its result is not a diagnosis or veterinary advice. Take what it shows to your vet; if your pet is in distress, go to an emergency clinic now. Full disclaimer

How the estimate works

Kittens can be aged closely from their teeth. Adult cats cannot. A vet looks at tartar and wear on the teeth, the lens and iris of the eye, the feel of the coat, the muscle over the spine and shoulders, and the claws, and gives a range of years.

Each sign can mislead. Dental disease can make a five-year-old's mouth look fifteen, and an indoor cat that has been well fed and groomed can pass for much younger. Five signs together are steadier than one, but the answer is still a range.

Once you have a rough age, the age calculator shows what it means in human years and which life stage your cat is in. Most cats count as seniors from about ten.

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