There are many things that are difficult to know about cats that have been adopted or bought, this includes how to determine the age of cats. The veterinarian is your best partner in knowing the current age of your cat as well as in planning a comprehensive care program to ensure the optimal quality of cat life and longevity.
A thorough veterinary examination of the cat’s body in general will help determine the approximate age of the cat, however, veterinarians tend to look at a few parts of the body in particular when trying to find out what the current age the cat may be without resorting to a thorough medical examination that enables to determine the exact age.
How to determine the age of cats
Although it is difficult to know the age of the cat by checking, there are indicators of age that can be observed in the physical composition of the cat, these indicators are relied on by veterinarians in determining the age of the cat and give them an approximate age and not checked as we mentioned.
Find out in this article How to find out the age of cats based on the observation of parts of the body.
Determining the age of cats based on teeth
The primary milk teeth (Milk Teeth) Of Cats first appear between two to four weeks, which makes teeth an excellent way of determining the age of cats, the mouth of a cat at the age of 6 to 8 weeks has a maximum of 26 teeth.
Find out the age of cats from the teeth
Permanent feline teeth grow on top of milk teeth, and after the kittens reach 3-4 months of age, permanent teeth (adult teeth) will begin to displace childhood teeth (also called Milk Teeth).
Usually all adult teeth are in place by the age of 6 months and the number of teeth in the cat’s mouth becomes 30 teeth, and at this moment the growth of teeth will no longer be a good indicator of the cat’s age, but if the cat is younger than 6 months, this is still the best way to find out the age of cats.
For older cats, the amount of coloring or tartar on the teeth of cats is also an indicator of age, cats whose teeth are yellow and carry a lot of tartar are often over two years old, but with the availability of pet teeth cleaning products on the markets, tartar may not be a good indicator if the cat has good care for his teeth.
Sexual maturity
Male cats reach sexual maturity in a period of about 5 months. Signs of puberty in male cats include local spraying of urine and the testicles are more prominent and swollen.
The first sexual hot period for female cats comes at an age between 5 and 12 months, and although the length of exposure to daylight and the cat’s weight also have some effect on the cat’s first sexual cycle, she will tell you that she is experiencing sexual hotness clearly and an unusual meowing sound. A female cat can become fertile and give birth for the first time when she is 7 and a half months old.
Many veterinarians now practice sterilizing Cats early, not only to avoid early pregnancy, but also because the surgical procedure is easier for cats at a young age, as the operation wound heals quickly, unlike older cats.
Find out the age of the cat from the fur
The cat’s fur or hair is thin and soft, but as the cat gets older, the fur becomes thick and coarse. It may also change color and become darker or luminous in the dark. When cats reach an advanced age, their fur may bear patches of white or gray hair, just as it happens with humans when getting older (graying), and although this is not a sure guarantee of age, the coat helps the veterinarian determine the age of cats.
An elderly cat
In addition to this, the observation of the cat itself can help us find out its age. Cats are incredibly clean creatures, but older cats may begin to be lax in caring for themselves because they gain weight with age and dental problems or painful arthritis appear at them, which makes them neglect themselves and their appearance looks unclean, and this is an indicator of cats getting older.
Find out the age of the eyes
Determine the age of the cat from the eyes
Cats that are healthy in their early years have very clear and Bright Eyes Without a trace of tearing or tears in the cat’s eye. While cats ‘ eyes may develop in their later years to become blurry in addition to tears and frequent secretions, if this is the case with you, only your cat will be much older as this usually does not happen until the cat is at least 10 years old.
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