When Is a Cat Considered a Senior? Age, Signs and Care Changes

Most vets now count a cat as a senior from about age 10. That number comes from the 2021 feline life stage guidelines written by the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP). But cats don’t flip a switch on their tenth birthday. Cornell’s feline health center says many cats start showing age-related changes between 7 and 10, and most do by 12.

What age is a senior cat?

The AAHA/AAFP guidelines group cats like this:

Life stage	Age	Human-equivalent age (our calculator, about)
Kitten	Birth to 1 year	Up to 15
Young adult	1 to 6 years	15 to 40
Mature adult	7 to 10 years	44 to 56
Senior	Over 10 years	60 and up at age 11

The AAFP’s separate senior care guidelines add that some cats can be considered senior from about 8. It’s a range, not a hard line.

How old is a senior cat in human years?

Our cat age calculator gives these estimates:

Cat’s age	Human-equivalent age (about)	Calculator stage
7	44	Mature adult
10	56	Mature adult
11	60	Senior
13	68	Senior
15	76	Senior
17	84	Senior
20	96	Senior

So an 11-year-old cat is roughly like a 60-year-old person, and a 15-year-old cat is in its mid-70s. For how the conversion works, see the cat years to human years chart.

What are the signs a cat is getting old?

Aging is gradual, so the signs are easy to write off. The guidelines list the common ones:

• Weight and muscle loss. AAHA’s 2023 senior care guidelines say cats can lose up to 33% of their lean body mass between ages 10 and 15. The AAFP says any unexplained trend in weight or muscle should be looked into.
• Stiffness. Degenerative joint disease affects up to 74% of cats aged 12 and older, according to the AAFP. Cats rarely limp. Instead they stop jumping onto the counter, sleep on lower surfaces or miss the litter box.
• Drinking and peeing more. Kidney disease is common in older cats, and Cornell notes it can make the litter box get wet faster than usual.
• Eating more but losing weight. Hyperthyroidism affects about 10% of cats over 10, per the AAFP.
• Behavior changes. The AAFP says over 25% of cats aged 11 and older show behavior changes with no medical cause, such as yowling at night or seeming lost.

Weigh your cat once a month at home. A drop of half a pound in a 10 lb cat is 5% of its body weight, and you won’t see that by looking. Our post on how much a cat should weigh explains body condition scoring.

How often should a senior cat see the vet?

More than once a year. The AAFP points out that cats age much faster than people, so a once-a-year exam for a senior cat is like a person seeing a doctor only every several years. In practice, most vets suggest every 6 months.

The guidelines recommend baseline lab work at least yearly from about age 7 to 10, and Cornell suggests yearly blood, urine and fecal tests for older cats. Bloodwork plus a blood pressure check catches many of the common senior problems before a cat looks sick.

Do senior cats need different food?

Sometimes, but not because of a birthday. The 2023 AAHA guidelines note:

• About 20% of cats over 11 digest protein less well, and up to 33% digest fat less well.
• Senior cats may need up to 50% more protein to hold on to muscle.
• Cats aged 7 to 11 often need fewer calories, while many cats over 12 need more.

The AAFP suggests calorie-dense, highly digestible food in smaller, more frequent meals for cats over 10. Here’s a worked example: our cat calorie calculator puts a 10 lb neutered cat at about 260 kcal a day (range 235 to 285). If that cat drops to 9 lb without trying, the same calculator gives about 240 kcal. Don’t just feed less to match. Unplanned weight loss in an older cat is a reason to see the vet. The cat food calculator turns any calorie target into cans and cups.

How can I make home easier for an older cat?

Small changes from the AAFP guidelines help a lot:

• Wide, low-sided food and water bowls.
• Steps or a ramp up to favorite spots.
• A litter box with a low entry side.
• Warm, soft resting places.
• Food and water on every floor of the house if stairs are hard.

Senior cat signs that shouldn’t wait

Call your vet promptly if your senior cat:

• Loses weight or muscle, even slowly.
• Drinks or urinates noticeably more.
• Stops using the litter box.
• Eats much more or much less, or goes off food for more than a day.
• Has bad breath, drools or drops food.
• Seems confused, yowls at night or hides more than usual.

For a sense of how many good years a senior cat may have, see how long cats live.