How to determine the age of a cat or dog

The exact date of birth of cats and dogs from the streets and from shelters is often unknown. But even a layman can find out the approximate age of animals.

How to determine the age of a kitten by external signs

In very small kittenswho have not yet opened their eyes, you must first examine the stomach. If the umbilical cord is moist, reddish or brown, and the coat is wet or covered with mucus, then the kitten was born a few hours ago. If a dry tail is visible at the site of the umbilical cord, then the baby is from several hours to a week. A small pink scar indicates that the umbilical cord has fallen off and the animal from a week to two.

The eyes of the kittens open on the 5-10th day. Much depends on the breed: for example, Maine Coons can do this already on the second or third day, and their crosses sometimes inherit this property.

The younger the kitten, the more cloudy the color of the iris of his eyes. By one and a half months, the shade usually begins to change, and by the 3-6th month it becomes from blue to brown, green or yellow.

Pets under the age of two weeks have small ears pressed to the skull, and the head seems disproportionately large. But by about two months, the ears rise and become a normal size, and the body is elongated.

The paws of babies are short and weak, they can not withstand the weight of the body, so the kittens first crawl, then, by three weeks, walk, staggering. By about a month, they begin to move more confidently, and at one and a half or two, they begin to run and jump.

Hearing and vision in kittens up to 2-3 weeks is weakened, so they do not show much interest in the outside world and stimuli. Later, the kids become more playful and curious.

Also, up to 2–4 months, cats can bite off vibrissae to kittens, which help them navigate in space. Thus, adult animals limit the movement of cubs. But by about five months, these hairs grow back.

If kittens live with their mother, then by 6 weeks cat begins to wean them from the chest. By 8-10 weeks, babies can eat completely on their own. Sometimes a kitten is ready to suckle for longer, and if he is left without a mother, then he quickly switches to “adult” food.

By a year and a half, the pet's body finishes forming and already has the proportions of an adult animal. But cats up to 2.5 years old can continue to be heard in the shoulders, chest and cheeks.

How to determine the age of a kitten by teeth

Newborn kittens have bare gums. The tops of the milk incisors appear by the second week, by the end of the fourth or fifth they become fully visible. At 3-8 weeks, fangs erupt, at 5-12 - premolars. In total, a kitten grows 26 milk teeth.

At 3-5 months, the baby's teeth begin to change. The process starts with the first and second incisors, then the premolars and molars grow, and the last canines.

The change of teeth is completed at 7-9 months, but this can happen a month or two earlier or later. It all depends on the nutrition and individual characteristics of the animal.

Cats have 30 permanent teeth: 12 incisors, 4 canines, 10 premolars and 4 molars.

How to determine the age of an adult cat

Here the first sign of age is also the condition of the teeth.

Usually yearlings cats and cats have strong, perfectly white teeth. By the age of one and a half, plaque begins to appear on them, at 2–3 years, tartar sometimes forms.

The central and middle incisors on the lower jaw begin to wear out by the age of two. On the upper jaw, at 3–3.5 years, the tubercles on the central incisors are worn down, by 4–4.5 years, on the middle ones. After another six months or a year, fangs are erased.

After 5.5-6.5 years in cats, you can notice the grinding of the extreme incisors on the upper jaw. A year later - the central incisors on the lower jaw.

An eight-year-old cat is wearing out the middle incisors on the lower jaw. A nine-year-old has central and then middle incisors on the upper jaw.

By the age of 10–11, the central and middle incisors in the lower jaw may fall out. They are followed by all the incisors on the upper jaw, and then the fangs.

All dates are approximate and depend on diet, condition health and animal care practices. For example, cats that eat raw meat and bones may naturally clean their teeth. In animals with diabetes, liver and kidney disease, the enamel often turns yellow and becomes covered with tartar, and this generates an unpleasant smell from the mouth.

Another indirect sign of age is the color of the mustache. In cats after 7 years, they often lose pigmentation, and by the age of 9 they can turn gray.

Pay attention to the condition of the coat. In young animals, it is smooth, shiny, but fades with age. However, this is also an additional sign. In cats that live on the street or eat poorly, the hair can hang in tatters, stray into tangles, in a word, be in rather poor condition. But after several months of home life and proper diet cover will be restored.

How to determine the age of a puppy by teeth

Milk fangs in puppies begin to erupt at about 3–4 weeks, and milk incisors and premolars appear at 4–7 weeks. By eight weeks, babies can usually see all or part of all 28 teeth.

By 4-5 months, the milk teeth of puppies begin to change. By five months, the first molars erupt, by six - the second, by seven - the third. By eight months, a full set of molars usually grows - a smile "for all 42".

How to determine the age of a dog by teeth

For adult dogs, the same scheme applies as for cats.

A one-year-old dog has clean, white, shiny teeth - almost like in advertising toothpaste. By the age of two, you can notice the erasure of the tubercles on the front incisors of the lower jaw, by four - on the front incisors of the upper jaw. At this age, the teeth are still white, but not as shiny. And if the dog eats little hard food and does not attend preventive teeth cleanings at the veterinarian, then sometimes you can notice plaque and stone on the enamel.

By the age of five, the tubercles are erased on all incisors, and the fangs become dull. At the age of six, it is no longer possible to distinguish large tubercles on the molars and premolars, and the lower incisors may bend outwards.

At 8–10 years old, the tubercles are erased on all teeth, and the canines are worn down almost to the level of the incisors. In dogs older than ten years, the crowns are erased, the bite may be disturbed, and then the teeth begin to fall out.

But again, these are approximate figures. Much depends on the breed, condition and individual characteristics. animal.

How to determine the age of a dog by external signs

These methods can be used in addition to assessing the condition of the teeth - they are not so accurate.

In puppies up to a year, the coat is soft, delicate, can be fluffy or curly, even if adult dogs of the same breed are smooth-haired. At 2-3 years old, the fur is shiny, combed well, most pets rarely form tangles.

By the age of 6–7 years, the condition of the coat worsens, it becomes dull and brittle. Gray hairs may appear on the muzzle, but their number is more influenced by the characteristics of the breed and individual characteristics. dogs.

The second sign is the eyes. In puppies, they usually open on the 10-18th day. At first, the iris is cloudy, gray-blue in color, but gradually it changes and becomes bright and shiny by 2–3 months. Over the years, the look becomes cloudy, because the lens loses its transparency.

Puppies they stand on their paws at the age of about two weeks, and by the month they take their first steps. By 1.5–2 months, they already walk confidently and try to run.

By the age of 1–1.5 years, the muscles develop in dogs, the muscles are smooth and elastic. By the age of 8–9, they become flabby, the stomach drops, the back rounds, the muzzle turns gray, calluses may appear on the joints. But the aging process depends on the breed, health status and individual characteristics.

How is the age of animals and humans related?

It is generally accepted that the year of the life of a cat or dog corresponds to six or seven human years. But this formula is wrong.

In the middle of the twentieth century, the French veterinarian Lebo conducted a study in which he assessed the condition of dogs of various breeds, their life span, size, psycho-emotional characteristics and other factors. As a result, Lebo came to the conclusion that the first year of a dog's life corresponds to 15 human years. By the end of the second year, the pet turns about 24 of our years, then it matures in one year by four years by human standards.

Later, the researchers found that this scale is valid only for dogs of small breeds. American Association of Veterinary Medicine specialists ledSenior pets / AVMA examples of calculating age depending on the size of the animal. They classified pets weighing up to 9 kg as representatives of small breeds, 9–23 kg as medium, 24–40 kg as large, and 41 kg or more as very large. Here's what the experts came up with:

For cats, the rate of aging is independent of size. Here's how they compare age with human:

An even more precise scale leadQuantitative Translation of Dog‑to‑Human Aging by Conserved Remodeling of the DNA Methylome / Cell Systems UC San Diego School of Medicine. They argue that the first year of a dog's life corresponds to 30 years for a human, 4 years to 53 years, and 9 years to 66 years.

Such a comparison makes it clear how to treat a dog and how to take care of it. care. For example, younger pets need more physical activity, while older pets need a special diet and regular walks to help keep fit.