Hmmm, shelters tend to do that age thing to make cats more adoptable. I adopted a cat once they said was 5 and the vet said more like 8 or 9!. Take it easy Buddy!
I bought these same steps for my puppies so they could get up on my bed. They wont use them and the cats just jump over them. But, when my 6 yr old nephew stayed at my house last Christmas he said, "It was so nice that Aunt Christy put little stairs beside the bed to help me get up onto it." He thought they were for him. funny!