How to tell how old a cat is
As a pet owner, knowing your cat's age is crucial for daily care, diet planning, and health management. However, many people often find it difficult to accurately determine their age when adopting a stray cat or purchasing a cat. This article will combine the hot topics and hot content on the Internet in the past 10 days to provide you with a set of scientific and practical methods to help you determine the age of your cat.
1. Determine the age of a cat through its teeth

The growth and wear of a cat’s teeth is an important basis for judging its age. Here are the typical features of cat teeth at different ages:
| age | dental characteristics |
|---|---|
| 2-4 weeks | Baby incisors begin to erupt |
| 3-4 weeks | Primary canine teeth erupt |
| 4-6 weeks | Premolar teeth erupt |
| 2-4 months | All deciduous teeth are fully grown |
| 4-6 months | Permanent teeth begin to replace deciduous teeth |
| 7 months | All permanent teeth are fully grown, white and sharp |
| 1-2 years old | The teeth are slightly yellowed and the back molars are beginning to wear |
| 3-5 years old | The teeth are obviously yellowed and the wear is more obvious |
| 5-10 years old | The teeth are severely worn and may have dental calculus |
| Over 10 years old | Loose or lost teeth, receding gums |
2. Determine the age of a cat through its eyes
A cat’s eyes can also reflect its age:
| age | eye features |
|---|---|
| 1-2 weeks | eyes not open |
| 2-3 weeks | Eyes just opened, gray-blue |
| 6-8 weeks | Eye color begins to change |
| 3 months | Eye color basically fixed |
| after 5 years old | Eyes may become cloudy |
3. Determine the age of a cat through its hair and weight
The cat’s coat texture and weight gain are also important references for age determination:
| age | Hair/weight characteristics |
|---|---|
| 1-2 weeks | Thinning hair and visible skin |
| 3-4 weeks | The hair begins to become thicker and the weight is about 200-300 grams. |
| 2 months | The hair is smooth and soft, and the weight is about 600-900 grams. |
| 6 months | The hair is fully developed and the weight is about 2-3 kg. |
| 1 year old | The hair is thick and shiny, and the weight reaches adult level. |
| After 7 years old | The hair may become rough and appear grayish-white |
4. Determine a cat’s age through behavior
Cats of different ages show different behavioral characteristics:
| age | behavioral characteristics |
|---|---|
| 1-2 months | Lively and active, strong curiosity and strong learning ability |
| 3-6 months | Energetic, likes to play, and becomes territorial |
| 1-3 years old | Mature and stable, but still maintaining a high level of activity |
| 4-7 years old | Less active, more docile |
| 8 years and above | Sleep time increases and movement may become sluggish |
5. Things to note when making comprehensive judgments
1.Combining multiple indicators: Relying on a certain feature alone may lead to misjudgment. Multiple features such as teeth, eyes, hair and behavior should be considered comprehensively.
2.individual differences: Cats of different breeds, living environments and health conditions may differ. For example, Siamese cats and other breeds may appear younger than their actual age.
3.Professional help: For situations that are difficult to judge, it is recommended to consult a veterinarian, who can make an accurate judgment through more professional examinations.
4.record growth: If you have been raising cats since they were young, it is recommended to record their weight, dental changes and other data regularly for future reference.
5.health management: After knowing the age of your cat, you should adjust your diet, exercise and medical care plan according to its age.
Using the methods above, you can determine your cat’s age range relatively accurately. Remember, no matter what age your cat is, it’s most important to give them proper love and care. Hope this article helps you get to know your feline friend better!
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