Thanks in part to better medical care, cats are living longer and it is no longer unusual for them to live to be 15 years old and beyond. How long an individual cat will live depends on many factors such as genetics, whether they are kept indoors or not, the type of diet and of course the appropriate veterinary care he/she receives.
Because cats age more quickly than humans, a 7-year old cat is equivalent to a human in their forties.  At Memorial Cat Hospital we believe a cat's needs change as they get older and we stress the importance of prevention.  We recommend annual or semi-annual bloodwork, urinalysis and blood pressure testing for cats over the age of 8 years.
    
       CAT'S AGE                  HUMAN AGE EQUIVALENT    
           6 months....................................... 10 years
           1 year  ......................................... 15 years
           4 years ........................................ 32 years
           6 years ......................................... 40 year
          10 years .........................................56 years
          16 years .........................................80 years
          20 years ........................................96 years        

With preventative screening, 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.