Early on the morning of February 12, 2009, four gloriously beautiful and healthy kittens were born to cat mom, Zoey, and cat dad, Zee. We kept three of the kittens – Peanut, Rolz, and Mia. And the fourth, Zeuss Catt, moved to his wonderful forever family in Boston, MA. How absolutely surreal is it, then, that thirteen years later we are all seniors! The “kittens” are 13, which equates to 68 human years according to the guidelines of the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA).* I’m 61, clearly a senior and so are Zee and Zoey.

To celebrate their birthday, Dan took a picture of each of them just days before they turned 13 and I created a special graphic from the photos to capture their essence (click each image to enlarge). Hope you enjoy them, and Happy Caturday, too!

Peanut. In a word, she’s a lover. A lover bordering on a stalker. She’s a sweetheart to the core but her need for attention can be rather demanding. She’s also a yo-yo so the majority of any and every day is spent with her jumping on and off my lap for loving and cuddle naps. I enjoy the visits but sometimes they can get out of hand, especially when I’m on a Zoom call with upper management during my day job and she doesn’t understand why I can’t devote my full attention to her.

Rolz. Rolz is the epitome of patience and perseverance. I call him my T.M.B.S.cat, meaning, “There Might Be Something,” i.e., a snack, and therefore I will sit on the kitchen counter all day long until a treat comes my way. Which, to his credit, frequently does.

Mia. If ever a cat were me, it would be Mia. Quiet and reserved on the surface, but fiercely loyal and doting to those she loves. In her case, she loves her mama and papa to the ends of the earth and back and nothing makes her happier than napping by their side (or on top of them when she can).

*It’s been falsely circulated for years, that to gauge a cat’s age in comparison to human years, you multiply each year times seven. However, according to the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA) and agreed upon by the AAHA, the Feline Advisory Bureau (now known as International Cat Care), and the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) these guidelines have changed.

They specify that the first year of a cat’s life is equal to approximately 15 human years. The second year of a cat’s life is equal to an additional nine years. After the second year of a cat’s life, each additional year is equal to about four human years. So, according to their age calculator, our “kittens” are 68 years old, which means they are actually older than me in terms of actual age!

To calculate the age of your cat(s), use this handy calculator found at almanac.com.