Cats are known for having lengthy lifespans, but some cats have shocked the world by exceeding their average lifespan by nearly double. The average domesticated cat lives for around 15 years; however, these cats have smashed records for living over 30 years of age. Since most of these cats have been around since the 1960s, it has been difficult for proper documentation on the exact cat’s age to be found, with most recordings coming from newspaper articles and world record books.
If you are interested in learning more about the oldest cats ever recorded, then this article will tell you everything you need to know!
Top 7 Oldest Cats of All Time (World Records)
1. Lucy
| Age: | 39 years |
| Country of Origin: | South Wales |
| Breed: | Tabby |
Lucy is believed to have been one of the oldest cats in the world, and she lived to celebrate her 39th birthday. Lucy was originally given to her owner Bill in 1999 and the aunt claims to have seen Lucy back as a kitten in 1972. Lucy’s veterinarian was amazed that she was still alive at her age and had gone deaf but was said to be in very good shape. Lucy lived out her old age in South Wales and died in 2011. She isn’t recognized in the Guinness World Records due to vets not being able to actually confirm her age, but she was recognized by British media.
2. Crème Puff
| Age: | 38 years and 3 days |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Breed: | Tabby |
Crème Puff is believed to be the oldest cat ever recorded according to the Guinness World Records and was born in 1967 and lived with her owner Jake Perry in Texas the United States. She was a white and orange tabby cat that reached 38 years of age. Her owner, Jake Perry, claimed that she was an indoor cat fed an unusual diet of dry cat food, broccoli, and a drop of red wine. Crème Puff was also kept secured when she went outdoors in an enclosure when she went out to get fresh air. Crème Puff died in 2005, making the record books 5 years later.
3. Puss
| Age: | 36 years |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Breed: | Tabby |
Puss was a 36-year-old tabby cat in Devon and owned by a Miss Holway. There is not much documentation on Puss, except a short extract from the 1990 edition of the Guinness book of records. Puss celebrated his 36th birthday on the 28th of November in 1939 and died the following day. He had the title of being one of the oldest cats, but not much is known about his lifestyle or owner.
4. Ma
| Age: | 34 years and 5 months |
| Country of Origin: | United Kingdom |
| Breed: | Tabby and Domestic Short Hair |
Ma was a female Tabby cat that lived to be 34 years old and lived with her owner Alice in England. In her early life, Ma was found in a rabbit trap and barely survived but was taken in by two musicians. Ma developed some problems after her accident and had a disfigured paw and lived off meat scraps from a local butcher, which Alice claims contributed to Ma’s long life. Sadly, Ma has to be put to sleep in 1957 but was documented in the 1990th edition of the Guinness World records book.
5. Sarah
| Age: | 33 years and 6 months |
| Country of Origin: | New Zealand |
| Breed: | Long hair |
Sarah was a 33-and-a-half-year-old cat who made headlines in New Zealand and passed away due to heart issues. She was owned by Fleur Ford who recalls Sarah being deaf towards the end of her life and had to be taken out to the toilet throughout the night. Fleur received Sarah from her neighbors before they moved, and she was already 20 years old at the time. Sarah’s veterinarian Heather Remnant received the necessary paperwork for Sarah to be placed as the Guinness World Records oldest cat at the time.
6. Scooter
| Age: | 31 years and 13 days |
| Country of Origin: | United States |
| Breed: | Siamese |
Scooter was documented to be the oldest living cat by the Guinness World Records and was a Siamese cat born in 1986. Unfortunately, soon after Scooter was awarded his title, he passed away. Scooter was owned by Gail Floyd in Mansfield who claimed that Scooter lived to such an old age since he kept active throughout his life and enjoyed chicken as a regular snack. Scooter passed away in 2005 after living to the age of 31 years.
7. Rubble
| Age: | 31 years |
| Country of Origin: | United Kingdom |
| Breed: | Maine Coon |
Rubble was a Maine Coon cat owned by Michelle Foster in England and earned the title of being one of the world’s oldest cats in November 2019. Michelle said that Rubble was a lovely cat that got a little grumpy as he began to age, suffered from high blood pressure, and needed to take medication. Rubble was also taken to the city vets regularly, where he celebrated his 30th birthday with the staff. Rubble was gifted to Michelle as a kitten in 1988 for her birthday and passed away in 2020.
Conclusion
It is impressive to see just how long cats can live, with most exceeding their average lifespan. Crème Puff still holds the world records for being the oldest cat alive, as she has the most documentation available for her to claim the title. It is interesting to see the different care and diets the cats received throughout their lives, but there is no doubt that they were loved by their owners and certainly proved the phrase that cats have nine lives!
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Featured Image Credit: Alex Zotov, Shutterstock
