Neighbor Elly's Roadie is 15 this year. Like most people, Elly was figuring that each kitty year equals seven years, the same conversion rate as dogs have. However, kitties have a whole different scale. Consequently, instead of being 105, Roadie is actually a youthful 76. I found this chart and information at the site for the Tally Oaks Vet Service:

A popular misconception is that cats age seven years for each calendar year. In fact, feline aging is much more rapid during the first two years of life. A cat reaches the approximate human age of 15 during its first year, then 24 at age 2. Each year thereafter, it ages approximately four "cat years" for every calendar year. Thus, a 5-year-old feline would be approximately 36 in cat years. It should be remembered that a cat who lives outdoors ages far more quickly, perhaps even twice as fast, than an indoor cat.



[Birthday kitty photo courtesy of Funny Underline.]