Domestic indoor cats typically live 15-20 years. However, that’s still much shorter than the average human. Given that, cats must mature much faster than us mere humans. But how many cat years equal one human year?
While there are some different opinions on this topic, most fall within the same range. The first year of life for your kitten equals about 15 human years. So just about the time your kitten is starting to look like an adult cat, you’ve pretty much got a teenager on your hands! The second year is roughly equal to about 9 human years, so while you’re throwing your cat’s second birthday party, he or she is thinking “Two? I’m actually an independent adult of 23!”
Beginning year 3, a cat ages roughly 4 years to every human year. By the time you and your cat have been together 5 years, that cat is really about the equivalent of a 35 year old human in maturity. And your 20 year old cat? He or she is really close to 100 in human years! (Remember to respect your elders!)