There are a few factors in determining a cat’s and a dog’s age. Their health is a prime factor in “FEELING” their age. The healthier the animal then generally the animal is able to handle their aging bodies better. There are a few guidelines when considering your pets age and we’ve listed them below.
Ages For Senior Cats and Senior Dogs Are Different
The age at which CATS are considered seniors is about 11 years old and above.
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- Both the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) and the International Cat Care (ICC) would seem to agree with that
- Then cats over 15 years old are sometimes considered geriatric in some circles but we’re calling them “Super Seniors”
DOGS are a bit different and the issue is a bit more complicated. Dogs have other factors to be considered into the calculation. The age at which a dog is considered a senior will vary depending on your source and who you are asking. Certainly the American Kennel Club and the American Veterinary Medical Association have thoughts and viewpoints to be considered. But in general and in our own experience, you should consider a dog’s size, breed and weight when considering your dog’s age.
In general, we use these guidelines:
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- Small dogs are considered seniors at 10-12 years old
- Medium-sized dogs at 8-9 years old
- Large dogs at 6-7 years old
- Giant breeds at 5-6 years old
Individual cats and dogs will age at different rates Not to mention other factors such as emotional maturity, so consider these more as guidelines and not as the rules. Take it from experience, some pets may show signs of aging earlier or later than others.
Just like humans, pets grow older and begin their “Senior” years. They will sometimes have issues that younger ones may not related to mobility and genetic issues that eventually reveal themselves. Belle’n’Paws.com hopes to bring support for owners of all senior pets.
Senior Pets… Still have love to give.
Senior pets have a special place in everyone’s heart
Senior animals in rescue shelters are particularly heart breaking. You can just imagine a story where an animal has lived its life up until that point in a happy loving home environment. The pet likely gives more love than it receives, and now its thrown into a system where it may never see any of that again.
The animal is stressed. The animal is scared. They can’t speak for themselves so these animals have absolutely no say in their own situation. Compound this with the animal’s age as a senior and you now have an animal that LOOKS like it has a behavioral or people issue. It’s scared of all these new people coming and going. People looking for a new family member but are strangers all the same. Families looking for a pet don’t want a nervous scared cat or dog. More times than not, they will want a cat that is going to be around for a while so they’ll pick the younger ones over the older ones. It’s a grim and dire situation for the family pet who gave all that love for all those years.
Some Senior Pets Can Live Well Into Their Teens And Twenties
Our pets rely on us to take care of them. We are their keepers and we agree to be so when we take these animals into our family. That’s when they become family, and they have no one else who’ll speak for them.
Just like senior people, senior pets have health issues or concerns that need to be monitored sometimes. As cats and dogs get older they are subject to more health issues just like humans are. Their bones get brittle and their joints get arthritic. Senior pets tend to need a little more monitoring than their younger versions did.
Too many times, animals are brought in to a rescue or shelter because the owner doesn’t know how to deal with a medical condition or a particular problem has become too much of an issue to manage.
We’re hoping that some of the information we share here on our website will help others deal with their senior pets more easily and continue to manage their health issues well into their teens and even twenties.
As owners we need to recognize our pet is going to get older and may be susceptible to the issues that comes with being a senior animal.
Senior pets can live full lives with few or hardly any issues. They can run, jump, and play for years into their senior life. However, sometimes senior pets need to be given some extra care or even just monitored to make sure they enjoy happiness and a good quality of life well into their senior years.
As you can see, senior pets are something we strongly advocate for. Senior Pets have a special place in our heart because we believe…
Senior Pets… still have love to give.