Photo by Rick Geary

One cat year = 20 people years

Dear Matthew Alice: I’ve heard that there’s such a thing as dog years, and that one dog year is the same as seven human years, so is there such a thing as cat years? — Jessie Lopez, Euclid Elementary School

Well, Jessie, I guess the answer is yes. But first of all, forget that junk about a dog year being like 7 people years. I don’t know who made that up, but it’s bogus, even though everybody thinks it’s true. At the end of one dog year, a pooch is full-grown size and able to have puppies. Is your 7-year-old brother adult size and able to have puppies? Probably not. So the first dog year equals about 18 or 20 people years, not 7. Dogs zip right through the terrible twos and the terrible teens and are ready to vote and rent an apartment by the time they’re 1.

By the end of the second dog year, your pup is in his physical prime—buffed and lookin’ good. The second dog year is equal to maybe 10 human years, so while your 14-year-old brother is thrashing with his skateboard pals, your 2-year-old dog is working his way into middle management and driving his Blazer too fast on the freeway. A 2-year-old dog is about 30 people years old. After that, things slow down a little. Dog year number 3 equals about 7 human years; every dog year after that equals 3 of ours.

So what about cats. Well, vets say the same comparison applies to cats too — 1 cat year/20 people years, 2/30,3/37,4/40.... And in case you’re really good at math, here’s a formula figured out by a Wisconsin high school teacher. Take your cat’s/dog’s age, subtract 1, multiply by 6, add 21, and that will give you the equivalent in people years.