How old is your dog or cat in human years? Pick your pet, their adult size and their age to find their real human age, their life stage, and simple tips for caring for them at this age.
How old is my pet in human years?
Forget “times seven”. Dogs and cats grow up fast, then age at different speeds depending on size. Find your pet’s real human age and life stage.
A fun, rough guide. Every pet ages differently, and vets judge age by health, not birthdays. Senior pets benefit from a vet check-up at least every six months.
For general information only, not veterinary advice. See our terms.
Why not just times seven?
The old “one dog year equals seven human years” rule doesn’t work. Dogs and cats grow up very fast: by their first birthday, most are already the equivalent of a 15-year-old teenager, and by two they’re about 24. After that, ageing slows down.
Size matters for dogs. Small dogs live longer and age more slowly in later life, while large and giant breeds reach their senior years sooner. That’s why a 10-year-old Chihuahua and a 10-year-old Great Dane are at very different life stages.
How the calculator works
For dogs, it uses the age chart widely used by vets, which counts year one as about 15 human years (12 for giant breeds) and then adds 4 to 7 years for each birthday depending on size. For cats, it follows the guidance used by feline vets: 15 human years at one, 24 at two, then about 4 human years for every year after that.
Life stages follow the same idea: kittens and puppies, young adults, mature adults and seniors. Senior pets benefit from a vet check-up every six months, and from food portions that match how active they are. Our portion calculator can help with that.