Tuesday, June 10, 2014

How Old In Cat Years?




Is it still the practice to estimate a cat's human age by multiplying how many years old the cat is by seven? Mister Washburn Foo was born a year ago. So, he is seven years old in people years. Maria has been enjoying this calculation, and comparing Foo's personality, energy, schemes, and intelligence with that of seven-year old people. He is playful and exuberant. He can be overly-rambunctious, and sometimes {often} single-mindedly determined for things to go his way. Now! Maria thinks that Foo is very much a seven year old.

And what about Chango? Our old man cat is ninety-eight people years old! And sometimes {often} he very much seems like a very old man, but a spry old man, a fit-as-a-fiddle old man. He talks a lot. He converses over his empty water bowl, and calls us to the kitchen for breakfast. He will reach, with a paw, claws retracted, barely, and tap a thigh, then ask for love, or to be let out, or both. His meow has become more plaintive, the quality more gravelly. Sometimes he sounds like a tired child, or a strange bird. He sleeps a lot. He stares at me for long minutes, and I begin to feel he can read my thoughts, and that he is not impressed. He can elicit confessions and profuse apologies from me with just a two minute stare down. He's a powerful old man cat.

When Mister Foo stares at me, I laugh. Or I question the sense of inviting predatory carnivorous seven-year old beasts into our homes, and hearts.

5 comments:

Sylvia said...

Fun post! I feel the same as you about our cat:
"and I begin to feel he can read my thoughts, and that he is not impressed"
Cats do have that expression, don't they?

judy in ky said...

I love reading expressions on cats' faces. If you pay attention you can almost know what they are thinking. I have three cats, each with a different personality. They do have a way to make their wants known, don't they?

Anonymous said...

I have read that, because cats are living longer due to better quality food and vet care, we can now multiply their cat years by 5 rather than 7.

Zan

Sara at Come Away With Me said...

I like Mr. Foo's freckles. You don't often see a freckled cat!

Anonymous said...

I read that cats' development accelerates in the early years and slows down in middle age. After the age of 10, signs of old age begin to appear and the time scale is more like that of humans. So,Chango is more like 73. 70 is the new 50, you know! At least that's what I keep telling myself.

Ruth