Cats usually live longer than most dogs and it is no longer unusual for them to live until 20 or beyond. How long an individual cat will live depends on many factors such as genetics, whether kept indoors or not, type of diet and of course the appropriate veterinary care he/she receives.

The rule of thumb is that at about age 7 is considered a senior cat.  This is the age at which we recommend annual health screens (blood work) with their annual physical.

    CAT'S AGE                                                    HUMAN AGE EQUIVALENT   

        6 months............................................................................ 15 years

        1 year  ................................................................................ 24 years

        2 years  .............................................................................. 28 years

        3 years ............................................................................... 32 years

        4 years ............................................................................... 36 years

        6 years ............................................................................... 44 years

        7 years ................................................................................48 years

        8 years ............................................................................... 52 years

        10 years ..............................................................................60 years

        14 years ..............................................................................76 years    

        16 years ..............................................................................84 years

        18 years ..............................................................................92 years

        20 years .............................................................................100 years

As you can see, a seven year old cat is well into his 'forties'. And since cats age more rapidly than humans, many changes can take place in what for us, is a fairly short period of time. The Cat Hospital recommends a physical exam every year for healthy patients and every 4 to 6 months for cats with identified disease.  At age of 7 and above we recommend a Senior Cat health screen.  This work-up is a comprehensive set of tests that includes
    
*blood pressure
*urine analysis
*thyroid function test
*fecal exam for parasites
*complete blood count
*blood profile

With this program, many health problems which are not readily detected in other ways can be caught early on and appropriate steps taken to ensure continued well-being and a longer life for your cat.  It has been shown time and again that diseases diagnosed early are more effectively and economically treated.