# How can someone tell a cat's age? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 13, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087 "2005-10-13T16:31:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![cat39645](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c37758/32.png) [@cat39645](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cat39645)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/1 "2005-10-13T16:31:08Z")
A stray cat showed up at my back door last year and I adopted him. I took him in for shots and neutering and the vet told me he’s about 9 years old. How does the vet check for age and how accurate can they be with age? ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/2 "2005-10-13T16:53:06Z")
Dentition and iris pigment changes allow a crude “guesstimation” of age. Certain ages, such as when certain permanent teeth errupt, can be told more closely. Ideally, a cats age can be determined by taking today’s date and subtracting the cat’s birthdate. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 6:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/3 "2005-10-13T18:19:39Z")
> [@vetbridge](#): > > Dentition and iris pigment changes allow a crude “guesstimation” of age. Certain ages, such as when certain permanent teeth errupt, can be told more closely. > > Ideally, a cats age can be determined by taking today’s date and subtracting the cat’s birthdate. **Vetbridge** , have I told you lately that I love you? ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/4 "2005-10-13T18:52:19Z")
Just cut 'em open and count ther rings. ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/5 "2005-10-13T19:07:10Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Just cut 'em open and count ther rings. HEY! That’s not nice. No kitty hurting will be tolerated around here. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 7:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/6 "2005-10-13T19:08:31Z")
Has anyone just asked the cat directly? ---
**Author:** ![danceswithcats](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9e8a1a/32.png) [@danceswithcats](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/danceswithcats)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/7 "2005-10-13T19:14:58Z")
> [@William V.](#): > > Has anyone just asked the cat directly? Not everyone speaks cat. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/8 "2005-10-13T19:19:35Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > Not everyone speaks cat. No, but [you can](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=300768). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/9 "2005-10-13T20:00:24Z")
> [@danceswithcats](#): > > HEY! That’s not nice. No kitty hurting will be tolerated around here. 😉 I happen to have it on good authority that cats can survive being cut in half. Happens all the time in nature. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Slant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c57346/32.png) [@Mr.Slant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Slant)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/10 "2005-10-13T20:07:29Z")
> [@William V.](#): > > Has anyone just asked the cat directly? You can’t. They don’t like it when you act familiar. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/11 "2005-10-13T20:22:01Z")
But seriously folks… I recently took in a very young kitten, adopted him from the vet that I take my others to. At the time, she guessed his age at 3 weeks maybe less. That was a month ago this weekend. This Monday, I took him back for a check-up and she consulted the calendar and declared him 7 weeks old. Fine, that’s simple math. My question is, how did she come to that “3 week” guess in the first place? He was undernourished, so size doesn’t seem like a realistic measure. What gives a vet an idea of an unknown **kitten’s** age? If I were to guess things like how the teeth are developed, appearance of genitalia, eye color - that stuff, am I close? ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/12 "2005-10-13T20:30:18Z")
> [@bouv](#): > > Just cut 'em open and count ther rings. Darn you…I came in here to post that! (I’m a kittie lover…I have three, just for the record, none of which have been cut in half) Since I mentioned mine, [here](http://www.jordansteele.com/images/other/arthur_window.jpg) is a picture of one of them, Arthur. ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/13 "2005-10-13T20:36:51Z")
Here: [http://www.icraeastbay.org/kittencare.php](http://www.icraeastbay.org/kittencare.php) and here: [http://muttcats.com/articles/neonatal\_kitten\_care.htm](http://muttcats.com/articles/neonatal_kitten_care.htm) is a list of kitten age-determiners. Sounds like your kitten had open blue eyes but teeth not all the way in yet, so 3 weeks. ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/14 "2005-10-13T20:37:06Z")
> [@Jman](#): > > Darn you…I came in here to post that! (I’m a kittie lover…I have three, just for the record, none of which have been cut in half) > > Since I mentioned mine, [here](http://www.jordansteele.com/images/other/arthur_window.jpg) is a picture of one of them, Arthur. Oh man, you take the coolest pictures. I linked to your website a few days back and next thing you know, there went an hour… ---
**Author:** ![Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/cab0a1/32.png) [@Man\_With\_a\_Cat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Man_With_a_Cat)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 8:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/15 "2005-10-13T20:39:04Z")
> [@Gaudere](#): > > Here: [http://www.icraeastbay.org/kittencare.php](http://www.icraeastbay.org/kittencare.php) and here: [http://muttcats.com/articles/neonatal\_kitten\_care.htm](http://muttcats.com/articles/neonatal_kitten_care.htm) is a list of kitten age-determiners. Sounds like your kitten had open blue eyes but teeth not all the way in yet, so 3 weeks. Thanks, that exactly describes him the first couple days. Within a day or two of getting him home, he was gorging on canned food but it was a week befofre his teeth could do any damage. ---
**Author:** ![aamco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/f19dbf/32.png) [@aamco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aamco)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2005, 8:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/16 "2005-10-13T20:49:25Z")
> [@Jman](#): > > I came in here to post that! That makes three of us. ---
**Author:** ![Jman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jman/32/4416_2.png) [@Jman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jman)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/17 "2005-10-14T21:04:39Z")
> [@mr bus guy](#): > > Oh man, you take the coolest pictures. I linked to your website a few days back and next thing you know, there went an hour… Thank you very much! It’s always nice to hear when people like your work. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/18 "2005-10-14T21:08:52Z")
> [@aamco](#): > > That makes three of us. Four. Thank god I’m not alone, here… ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/19 "2005-10-14T21:12:15Z")
Five. We’re sick…we need help. ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [October 14, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087/20 "2005-10-14T21:22:20Z")
Our vet said that the shelter where we got Katya got her age wrong. She said this as soon as she looked at Katya’s teeth, so I imagine that’s how she knew. > [@danceswithcats](#): > > HEY! That’s not nice. No kitty hurting will be tolerated around here. What about torturing my fat kitty by putting her on a diet? 😉 She acts like she is starving to death, despite the potbelly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-can-someone-tell-a-cats-age/326087.md?page=2)