WHAT IS YOUR PET'S AGE -- Monday July 13th, 2009

CALCULATING YOUR PET'S AGE
(The following is from the Burleson (TX) Star 9/17/08 and is one person's opinion.)

Scientists and veterinarians have determined a correct way of calculating a dog or cat's age.
"It's a dog's life" and "You can't teach an old dog new tricks" are common sayings, but there is a formula for determining how old a dog is and how long it is expected to live. A common formula is to multiply a pet's age by seven to get the equivalent in human years, but that is inaccurate considering maturity rate.

It takes a graduated formula to consider the fact that dogs mature faster than humans and then age slower later in life.
A 4-month-old puppy can run, jump and play. In contrast, a human baby at 4-months-old is only taking its first steps [?]. Furthermore, most dogs can reproduce at 14 months while humans can not normally reproduce until ages 8-10 (years) [?].
The first year of a pet's life is roughly equivalent to the first 15 years of a human's life, and two pet years are equal to about 24 human years. After that, each year for a pet is about four human years.

Dan Edwards knows dogs - The Alvarado Animal Control officer has worked with them most of his life. Edwards said a happy home can add up to a longer life for a pet. "It's hard to explain, but a dog's environment can effect how long it will live," he said. "A happy and healthy dog will be more active and live longer."

Cats are equal to small dogs, but larger dogs age quicker and live shorter than small dogs. The health of a pet also determines how long it can live. For instance, a fat dog or cat will not live as long as it could if it were a fit pet.

CHART - DOG/HUMAN Dog's Age/Weight = Human Age:
1 year / 1-20# = 7 years
1 year / 21-50# = 8 years
1 year / 51-90# = 9 years
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2 years / 1-20# = 15 years
2 years / 21-50# = 17 years
2 years / 51-90# = 19 years
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5 years / 1-20# = 36 years
5 years / 21-50# = 37 years
5 years / 51-90# = 40 years
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7 years / 1-20# = 44 years
7 years / 21-50# = 47 years
7 years / 51-90# = 45 years
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10 years / 1-20# = 56 years
10 years / 21-50# = 50 years
10 years / 51-90# = 66 years
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12 years / 1-20# = 64 years
12 years / 21-50# = 69 years
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15 years / 1-20# = 76 years
15 years / 21-50# = 83 years
15 years / 51-90# = 93 years
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20 years / 1-20# = 96 years
20 years / 21-50# = 105 years
20 years / 51-90# = 120 years

Cat's Age/Weight = Human Age:
1 year = 6 years
2 years = 24 years
5 years = 36 years
7 years = 45 years
10 years = 55 years
12 years = 64 years
15 years = 76 years
20 years = 98 years