Poppy the moggy is purring with delight after scooping the world’s oldest cat crown at the age of 24. The pretty pet was born in February 1990, the same month Nelson Mandela was released from prison. She has lived through five British Prime Ministers but is now a frail old lady and spends most of her time inside relaxing. At the grand old age of 24, she has been officially recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest living cat. Poppy, from Bournemouth, has picked up the title following the death of Pinky, a cat from Kansas who passed away at the age of 23 last year. The ‘Top Cat’ Poppy was originally called Popsy and had two owners in her early days.
Then, aged five, she was adopted by Marguerite Corner and her daughter Jacqui. At the age of ten, Poppy went with Jacqui who had moved in with future husband Andy West.
Poppy with current owner Jacqui West and her two sons Joe (left), and Toby (right)
The couple now have two sons (Joe,11 and Toby, eight) and Poppy lives with four other cats, two rabbits and a hamster. Despite her age and frailty, Poppy is still the boss of the house and if the other cats try their luck with her they are swiftly dealt with. Jacqui said: “People always ask what we put Poppy’s longevity down to and I guess she has a good diet and lots of exercise. “She keeps herself fit by walking around and she eats a lot. She has biscuits in the morning and tinned food later on. She’s never been a big cat though. “She is partial to the odd takeaway. We sometimes give her a bit of KFC chicken, Fish and chips and even the odd bit of kebab meat.”
Jacqui, an accountant, has four other cats along with two rabbits and a hamster.
Creme Puff lived with her owner, Jake Perry, in Austin, Texas, USA.
Poppy, left, with previous Marguerite
But the crown is now in Bournemouth with Poppy.
Jacqui added: “Poppy is definitely the top cat and she is still quite feisty. If one of the other cats tries to eat her food she will bite them on the ear.
“She’s deaf and blind and meows for everything. We call her stroppy Poppy sometimes.
“Each time we tell the grandparents we’ve lost an animal, they all assume its Poppy. I’ve said goodbye to her a few times but she keeps on going.”
Pics:David Hedges / SWNS.com
While it's not uncommon for cats to reach 15 years old, some cat breeds stand out as long-lived companions. There's no guarantee that your cat will live into its 20s, as nature and nurture both are determining factors. But picking a cat breed with a longer lifespan and taking great care of your cat improves your odds of having a loving feline for many years.
Since the cat's diet is such an important factor for longevity, choosing a higher quality food from the beginning can set up your kitty for a longer lifespan. The cat food label should say "Complete and Balanced" on it. In the list of ingredients, make sure the protein source comes first on the ingredient list and is named, such as "chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef," rather than "meat."
Quality nutrition, adequate exercise, and regular wellness checks will maximize a cat's lifespan. There aren't breed-specific characteristics about one breed or another that make them longer-living cats. Some breeds may have a higher prevalence for disease or health concerns, which could shorten a cat's life. Quite the opposite, mixed breeds could have a greater chance of longevity for broadening the gene pool.
However, all experts agree that the No. 1 commonality that all long-lived cats have is they are indoor cats. Cats allowed to roam outside are at higher risk of run-ins with cars, catfights, and disease. Domestic cats that are allowed outdoors have the shortest lifespan of only two to five years on average.
Here are 10 of the longest-living cat breeds.
The lifespan of a domestic cat – the maximum length an individual can expect to live – is around 30 years. However, this doesn't mean that the average cat will live this long: the real length of a feline's life is influenced by genetics, environment and lifestyle, as well as injury and illness.
Cats tend to live around 15 years, on average.
As in humans, female cats tend to live for longer than male cats. Neutered cats are also likely to live for longer than intact ones, and pure breed cats are less likely to live as long as crossbreeds.
Top 5 oldest cats
Creme Puff (38 years and 3 days)
3 August 1967 – 6 August 2005
Guinness World Records lists Creme Puff, a tabby mix, as the oldest cat ever to live. She was owned by Jake Perry of Austin, Texas.
Baby (38 years)
1970 – March 2008
In second place is Baby, a black domestic shorthair who lived in the USA and also reached 38 years old.
Puss (36 years and 1 day)
28 November 1903 – 29 November 1939
The 1990 edition of the Guinness Book of World Records listed Puss as the oldest cat ever recorded. The tabby was owned by Mrs T Holway of Devon, and died the day after his 36th birthday.
May-June 1923 – 5 November 1957
In the same edition, Guinness features Ma, a female tabby owned by Mrs Alice St George Moore, also of Devon.
Granpa Rexs Allen (34 years, 2 months)
Also owned by Jake Perry, Granpa Rexa Allen was a Sphynx-Devon Rex who lived to the age of 34. Perry claims that the cat's diet was the secret to its long life: eggs, broccoli, bacon and coffee with cream.
This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by adding missing items with reliable sources. This is a list of the oldest cats in the world, listed by reported age, all of whom have attained the minimum age of 25 years. Aging in cats depends on breed, size and diet.
Some of the ages reported here are approximate. Others are based on estimates or hearsay. Few of them have been confirmed by any authoritative agency.
Rank
Name
Birth date
Death date
Age reported in most recent source
Description
Sex
Country
Ref
Notes
1
Creme Puff
August 3, 1967
August 6, 2005
38 years, 3 days
Tabby mix
female
United States
[1][2][3]
Same owner as Granpa Rexs Allen
2
Baby
1970
March 2008
38 years
Black DSH
male
United States
[4][5]
3
Puss
November 28, 1903
November 29, 1939
36 years, 1 day
Tabby
male
United Kingdom
[6]
4
Great Grandma Wad
1987
35 years
Wichien Maat
female
Thailand
[7]
5
Ma
May–June 1923
November 5, 1957
34 years, 5 months
Tabby DSH
female
United Kingdom
[8][9]
6
Granpa Rexs Allen
February 1, 1964
April 1, 1998
34 years, 2 months
Sphynx-Devon Rex
male
United States
[10][11][12]
Age reported as 26 in 1996 newspaper article, then as 33 at death in 1998.
Owner later claimed to have "miscalculated" age[13]7
Sarah
March 1982
September 2015
33 years, 6 months
female
New Zealand
[14][15]
8
Miez Maz
c. 1979
February 2012
33 years
male
Switzerland
[16]
9
Sasha
1986
2019
33 years
Tortoiseshell cat
female
Northern Ireland
[17]
10
Rubble
May 1988
July 3, 2020
32 years, 2 months
Maine Coon
male
United Kingdom
[18]
Reference indicates the cat died just before reaching his 32nd birthday.
11
Tiger
July 1988
July 22, 2020
32 years
Ginger tabby
male
United States
[19]
12
Kitty
June/July 1957
June 1989
Just short of 32 years
female
United Kingdom
[20]
Oldest recorded feline mother; gave birth to a litter of 2 kittens at the age of 30.
13
Spike
May 1970
July 2001
31 years, 2 months
Longhair (Ginger and white)
male
United Kingdom
[21][22]
14
Nutmeg
1986
August 29, 2017
31 years
Tabby
male
United Kingdom
[23][24]
15
Whiskey
August 1, 1985
September 11, 2015
30 years, 41 days
Black and white DSH
male
United Kingdom
[25]
16
Henry
March 1986
30 years
Tabby
male
United Kingdom
[26] 17
Scooter
March 26, 1986
April 2016
30 years
Siamese cat
male
United States
[27]
18
Missan
1985
29 years
female
Sweden
[28]
19
Squeak
1987
29 years
Calico cat
female
United States
[29][30]
20
Cola
November 1985
28 years
Black cat
female
United Kingdom
[31]
21
Soot
1987
28 years
Black cat
male
Canada
[32]
22
Minky
1994
August 19, 2021
27 years
Persian cat
female
South Korea
[33]
Oldest cat recorded in South Korea
23
Tiffany Two
March 13, 1988
May 22, 2015
27 years, 70 days
Tortoiseshell cat
female
United States
[34]
24
Wadsworth
March 6, 1986
27 years
Black and white DSH
male
United Kingdom
[35]
25
Banjo
1989
27 years
male
United Kingdom
[36]
Reference indicates year of birth could be as late as 1991.
26
Kataleena Lady
March 11, 1977
27 years
Burmese cat
Australia
[37][38]
27
Corduroy
August 1, 1989
October 2016
27 years
Tabby
male
United States
[39][40][41]
28
Marduk
1995
27 years
Black DSH
male
New Zealand
[42]
29
Hobo
1986
October 2012
26 years
White DSH
female
United States
[43]
- Oldest Cats at Messybeast.com
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