Been told my cat is younger than he really is?

[MyWhatICallNameChange]

We adopted a lovely fluffy kitty from the CPL a couple of months ago. We were told he was 2 years old, and on the vaccination card it says he was 2.

This week I received the form from the microchip people and it says his birthday is January 2010 - that makes him 7!

I don't know who's got it wrong. I don't know how I'd find out. Now I don't know if my fluffball is a teenager or a middle aged man!

Not sure there's much I can do, but if he is 7 then I do feel cheated out of years with him, which is sad.

No idea how I could tell. Our 4 year old cat is very much more relaxed than he was a 2 year old. What's their character like? Old or young?! Can't believe I'm asking....!

If his microchip says he's 7, he's 7 ...

Cats reach 18-20 these days. You've got years with him yet.

Vets would probably be able to tell you from looking at the cats teeth, worth asking.

Ask your vet. We got PuffinCat from CPL and they thought she was three. The vet agreed with this, so there must be something they base it on! I'm not an experienced cat servant, but I would assume a 7yo cat behaves quite differently from a 2yo.

Does it say the date he was microchipped? If that's 7 years ago (and the microchip number definitely corresponds with the one in your cat) then he's seven. If it's only recently microchipped and that's just the date of birth n the form, it could be a data input error by the implanter/registering person. Then I would check with CP.

Behaviour? Well, he is cat. He meows to go out, then stands at the window meowing to come in. And vice versa! Cat!

I've just checked the form and it says the chip was put in in January, so who knows.

He's lovely (when he isn't howling either side of the window!) it's not like I'm going to send him back.

Hopefully here is pic of him. How old does he look?

He looks handsome :)

He looks very like my darling girl. She was a rescue and made it to 19. Hopefully you have years and years with this handsome one.

I would say 7 rather than two looking at that photo.

Did CPL arrange the microchip and vaccinations. If so, it might be down to an error on their part. Also, did CPL have any history? I'd go back to them and ask them to see if they can find anything on their records. If you don't get anywhere with them, next time he needs a vet's appointment ask them how old they think he is.

Signs of old age didn't kick in with my two until 16 and 17 and even then they still enjoyed going out, company, love and playing.

My last cat was a rescue, and we were told she was about three. When we took her to the vet he said 4 - 7.

We had her for 15 years. She was the most wonderful cat, I had the best relationship you could hope for with her, she was my everything. Wouldn't have changed her for the world.

My mother said, a few years later, that if she had known she was 7 at the start she would never have taken her. I am so pleased we didn't know, I would have missed out on an awful lot.

So, even if he is 7 it doesn't mean he isn't the best cat you could have. x

7 is a mere youngster! Harry is 12 (we think) and is still like a big kitten a lot of the time!

the chances are that the person who brought him possibly thought CPL wouldnt take in a seven year old cat so they may have lied about his age, so cpl can only go on the information they were given, when our rescue gets a microchipped cat in we check with the company that chipped them, so would haqve an acurate age for the cat, surprised cpl didnt do this. when we get a non microchipped cat in we ask the vet to do an estimate of age if an adult, as theres certain stages that vets can be fairly accurate, but 2-7 is probably the one that is least reliable as cats dont change much in those years, up to 2 young cat over 7 senior cat if that makes sense

"I've just checked the form and it says the chip was put in in January"

er, is that chip inserted in during January 2017? Wouldn't have been January 2010.

Estimates vary for my cat between 2 and 9 depending on which bit of paperwork you read(Battersea). I'm not fussed - our last cat lived until she was 20