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The short answer: a cat is considered a senior at over 10 years old, according to the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines. A cat aged 7 to 10 is a mature adult, 1 to 6 is a young adult, and birth to 1 is a kitten. The same guidelines call for a vet checkup at least every six months once a cat is a senior, and say the age groupings are not absolutes, because some senior cats stay in excellent condition. The practical rule: start paying attention at 7, and see the vet twice a year from 10.
Written by Marc Brannigan, Co-Founder & CEO of HempMy Pet. Last updated 28 October 2026. For how long cats live, see how long do cats live.
Cat Life Stages and What to Do at Each
Ages from the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines.
| Life stage | Age | Vet visits | What to do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kitten | Birth to 1 year | At least annual exams for every stage | Vaccines, spay or neuter, socialization. |
| Young adult | 1 to 6 years | At least annually | Keep a healthy weight, dental care, indoor enrichment. |
| Mature adult | 7 to 10 years | At least annually | Start baseline bloodwork, record weight and litter-box habits. |
| Senior | Greater than 10 years | At least every 6 months | Pain, thyroid, kidney and joint checks; watch weight and behavior. |
| End of life | Any age | As your vet advises | Comfort and quality of life come first. |
Source: 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines. The guidelines also say "Age groupings are not absolutes," and that a senior cat in excellent condition may be treated as a mature adult at the veterinarian's discretion.
What Changes After 10: Normal Aging Versus Disease
Slowing down is common. Most of the specific changes are treatable problems.
Caney 2011 reports radiographic arthritis in 61% of cats over 6 and up to 90% of cats over 12. Cats rarely limp, so look for reduced jumping, missed litter boxes and less grooming. See signs of arthritis in cats.
The senior exam includes thyroid gland and kidney palpation, and the vet watches weight loss or gain. Chronic kidney disease is among the conditions the guidelines list for mature and senior cats. More drinking or weight loss despite eating is a vet visit.
Landsberg et al. 2010 found behavioral signs of cognitive dysfunction in 28% of cats aged 11 to 14 and 50% of cats over 15, though some of the affected cats also had other medical problems. See cat meowing so much and cat yowling at night.
The guidelines tell vets to monitor for oral tumors, inability to eat, and decreased quality of life from painful dental disease. Bad breath, drooling or dropping food means a vet visit.
Missing the box is often joint pain, urinary disease or cognitive change, not age alone. See cat peeing outside the litter box for the full list.
The senior exam includes pain assessment and a musculoskeletal exam. Cats hide pain, so owners often read it as laziness or age.
What a Senior Cat Visit Includes
Per the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines, the senior history asks about changes in a variety of behaviors that could indicate cognitive decline, and the exam focuses on pain assessment, thyroid gland and kidney palpation, and a musculoskeletal exam. The vet monitors weight loss or gain and discusses diseases associated with changes in appetite or weight, watches for painful dental disease, and weighs the risks and benefits of vaccination based on overall health. Retrovirus testing is based on each cat's needs. Dorsal and lateral photos at home can help track body changes between visits.
For the odds: a large UK life table built from 7,936 cats found a 10-year-old cat has about 5.5 years left on average, and a 15-year-old about 2.7. Senior is not the end; it is the stage where regular checks pay off. Full numbers are in how long do cats live.
Home Changes That Help a Senior Cat
- Several low-sided litter boxes in every area the cat uses.
- Food and water on every level of the home, with raised bowls if the neck is stiff.
- Ramps, steps or staging posts to favorite perches, and soft or heated bedding.
- Brush the cat if it grooms less. Check the back and hips for mats.
- Keep a log of weight, drinking, appetite and litter-box habits, so changes are visible at the six-month visit.
- Do not wait on a sudden change. Treating it as old age is how treatable problems get missed.
Practical measures from Caney 2011, with weight management called the most important part of arthritis care in a 2023 review in Today's Veterinary Practice.
Where Hemp Fits — and Where It Doesn't
No study shows hemp or CBD slows aging or treats kidney disease, thyroid disease or cognitive dysfunction in cats. Those need bloodwork, a blood pressure check and a vet. Hemp is never a substitute.
Some owners add a cat-specific serving of full-spectrum hemp to help support comfort and easy movement in an older cat. See hemp for senior cats.
Our 90-day joint trial was in dogs: 30 of the 32 that completed it (93%) showed a benefit. It was not a cat trial.
The honest limit: the evidence for hemp in cats is thin, and cats process hemp differently from dogs. Read why cats process hemp differently and whether CBD is safe for cats, use weight-based servings from our cat serving guide, and talk to your vet first if your cat takes medication.
For a vet-checked senior cat — everyday comfort support, not a treatment
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Hemp for Cats →Hemp for Senior Cats
When to Call the Vet
Go now if:
- A male cat is straining in the litter box, or producing little or no urine
- Not eating or drinking for 24 hours, or hiding and not moving
- Labored breathing, collapse, or sudden loss of use of the back legs
Book this week if:
- Weight loss, or drinking and urinating more than usual
- New reluctance to jump, or new litter-box accidents
- New meowing, night waking, wandering or confusion
- Bad breath, drooling, or dropping food
- Your cat is over 10 and has not had a checkup in six months
Frequently Asked Questions
When is a cat considered a senior?
At 10 years old and up, according to the 2021 AAHA/AAFP Feline Life Stage Guidelines. Those guidelines define a kitten as birth to 1 year, a young adult as 1 to 6 years, a mature adult as 7 to 10 years, and a senior as greater than 10 years. They also say the age groupings are not absolutes and that some senior cats stay in excellent physical condition, so the number is a starting point, not a switch.
What is considered old age for a cat?
Over 10 is senior under the current veterinary guidelines. For context, a large UK life table built from 7,936 cats found a 10-year-old cat has about 5.5 years left on average and a 15-year-old about 2.7, so many cats live well past the senior threshold. How old is old depends on the individual cat, which is why the guidelines treat ages as a starting point.
What age do cats start to decline?
There is no single age. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines note significant variation among individual cats. In the Landsberg review of feline cognitive dysfunction, cognitive and motor performance appeared to decline from about 10 to 11 years, and age-related behavior changes are prevalent from about 10 years. In a study of 154 cats aged 11 to 21, 28% of cats aged 11 to 14 and 50% of cats over 15 showed behavioral signs of cognitive dysfunction.
How often should a senior cat see the vet?
At least every six months. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines recommend a full physical exam at least annually for every life stage and a checkup at a minimum of every six months for senior cats. For seniors the exam includes pain assessment, thyroid gland and kidney palpation, and a musculoskeletal exam, plus questions about behavior changes that could signal cognitive decline.
What are the most common health problems in senior cats?
The AAHA/AAFP guidelines name chronic kidney disease, cognitive dysfunction syndrome and degenerative joint disease among the chronic conditions of mature and senior cats, as a sampling and not a full list. Joint disease is very common: Caney reports radiographic osteoarthritis in 61% of cats over 6 years and up to 90% of cats over 12. The exam also watches weight loss or gain and painful dental disease.
What are the signs my cat is getting old?
Slowing down is common, but several changes are medical, not just aging. Reduced jumping, missing the litter box or less grooming can mean arthritis. More meowing, wandering or night waking can mean thyroid disease, high blood pressure or cognitive dysfunction. Weight loss, more drinking or bad breath deserve a vet visit. Treating these as normal aging is how treatable problems get missed.
Are 7-year-old cats considered senior?
Not yet. The AAHA/AAFP guidelines classify 7 to 10 years as mature adult, and senior starts above 10. Seven is a good time to start baseline bloodwork and keep a record of weight, litter-box habits and activity, so changes show up early. Other sources use different cut-offs, so you may see other ages quoted elsewhere.
Should I change my senior cat's food or routine?
Talk to your vet first. The guidelines have the vet monitor weight loss or gain and discuss diseases linked to changes in appetite or weight, so a diet change should follow an exam, not replace one. Routine changes that help most are practical: a low-sided litter box, food and water on every floor, steps to favorite spots, and brushing for a cat that grooms less.
What age do most cats pass away?
A UK study of 4,009 cats found a median age at death of 14.0 years, and a 2024 table built from 7,936 cats put life expectancy at birth at 11.7 years. Numbers vary by breed, sex and whether the cat goes outdoors. See our full breakdown in how long do cats live.
What is the 3-3-3 rule with cats?
It has nothing to do with age. The 3-3-3 rule is an adoption guideline from shelters: the first 3 days a new cat may hide and eat little, after 3 weeks it should be at ease and in a routine, and after 3 months it is usually comfortable and showing its personality. Each cat adjusts at its own pace. It applies to a senior cat you adopt as much as to a kitten.
Can hemp or CBD help a senior cat?
No study has shown hemp or CBD treats aging or age-related disease in cats, and we will not claim it. Some owners of vet-checked senior cats add a cat-specific serving of full-spectrum hemp to help support comfort and easy movement, alongside regular vet checks and the practical changes above. Cats process hemp differently from dogs, so start with our cat serving guide and talk to your vet if your cat takes medication.
Hemp for Cats →How Long Do Cats Live
Hemp for Senior Cats · Signs of Arthritis in Cats · Cat Meowing So Much · Cat Peeing Outside the Litter Box · Is CBD Safe for Cats?
Marc co-founded HempMy Pet in 2016 with his business partner Natalie Mondine, the company's COO. HempMy Pet breeds its own hemp genetics, grows them on its certified-organic Colorado farm, and formulates every batch in-house under human-grade standards — seed to sale, nothing sourced overseas. Every batch is third-party tested and the certificates of analysis are published. More about us.
HempMy Pet ran its own 90-day study of 37 dogs with chronic joint discomfort. Of the 32 that completed it, 30 (93%) showed a benefit, and 94% of owners reported their dog's quality of life had improved. It was overseen by Dr. Robin Downing, DVM, MS of the Downing Center for Animal Pain Management, with Lori Kogan, Ph.D. and Peter W. Hellyer, DVM of Colorado State University's College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, and published in the Journal of the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association. Read the methodology.
Why Dr. Downing: in 2005 she became only the third veterinarian in the world credentialed as a Diplomate of the American Academy of Pain Management. She founded the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, is a Diplomate of the ACVSMR, a Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner and a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner, and was the AVMA's 2020 Bustad Companion Animal Veterinarian of the Year. Chronic joint pain is her life's work. Read the published paper (PDF).
This article is general information for cat owners, not veterinary advice. It is reviewed and updated as new peer-reviewed evidence is published, and where the evidence is thin or negative we say so.
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. This article is general information, not veterinary advice. If your cat is unwell, contact your veterinarian.
