Oldest Cat in the World?

brian: Your breath smells like human food.

I always wonder about people these days with old pets that can't substantiate that they're old. One would assure taking your cat to the vet for shots wasn't THAT uncommon in the late 1970's. As time passes, it'll get more and more unlikely that a person can claim to have no record of the early life of their 'amazingly old' cats and dogs.

Re. pets of unknown age:
Frequently, it's because the human doesn't know the pet's age when it was adopted. For example, my neighbor adopted a cat seven and a half years ago. The cat was already an adult when she showed up in my neighbor's yard. So we know that Daisy is at least seven and a half years old, but we don't know how much older.
Veterinary records could help, but after 25 or 30 years there's a good chance the orginal vet clinic is out of business. Some pet owners keep records on all their pets meticulously, but I'd guess there are more who do not.

The vet hospital I work for has been in business about 15 years, and we have at least one living patient who has been coming there for 12 years. It's not impossible but unlikely that the original vet might have old records, if the owners stayed with the same vet the pet's entire life. However, I think we're only required to keep records on inactive (deceased or moved) patients for about three years (I don't own the business, so I'm not sure on the exacts). Some pet owners keep their pets' entire medical record on hand, though...

Also, is that gray female cat you had vaccinated in the 1980's the same gray female cat you have now, or are you pulling a hoax? As more pets are microchipped or otherwise permanently identified and registered, it will be easier to confirm ages.

Maegan: I sure as hell would be an advocate of human neutering. God knows there are a lot of people that should never reproduce.

Brian: Ralph is the coolest!

Sarah...I don't disagree with you. =o)

ive got a 40 year old hamster. any one wanna buy her? maybe ill sell her on ebay waahahahahaha

Not so surprising - we got a Siamese Female (Sealpoint roundhead) when I was 3 in 1950. She lived to be 26. The only reason we lost her then was having to put her down because of an incurable jaw infection.
Last year, I buried a Marmalade Tom who reached 21 before he had a severe stroke - I don't have enough income where I could've gotten him the surgery required.
With modern medical/diet care, there's no reason a cat shouldn't reach 30+.

There's a fairly good summary of oldest cats (oldest ever and oldest still living) at http://www.messybeast.com/longevity.htm There was a claim of a cat more than 40 years old, but it inconveniently died just before a researcher went to check it out!

thephrog, are you sure your vet wasn't talking about strays? I've got several indoor/outdoor cats, one is already 10, and they're all expected to live at least until 14-16. The oldest cat I knew was about 22 when he died.

"Maegan: I sure as hell would be an advocate of human neutering." - Sarah

"Sarah...I don't disagree with you. =o)" - Maegan


Isn't fascism great?

i have a cat that is about 20 years old, she has her front claws removed and car still climb tree like it was nothing. She acts really yong 😊

I have a Abbysianian kitty names birdie.She is 29 years old this Sept. and does not show it at all!!We went for vaccines today and her vet comminted that she nEvER shows any change year after year. i feel someone should know, are you interested??Marian

I like cats. They are really tasty. I was raised on cat meat, and i must say that the british shorthairs flavour is particularly divine.

You insensitive bastard! Can you not see that this is not a recipe board?

Go away and learn some manners you heartless prick!

I believe this could be true, my cat that died a couple years ago lived to 21 in human years

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)my nan has had her cat for 22 years now and it was a stray before she got her as she found her in the street, although she has not got many teeth and is going death she is still very lively and attacts the dog from time to time haha
😊:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):

Hello all, my cat died yesterday. She was 16 years old... I still think I should not let her have a surgery to remove her ovaris. Next day she got an infection that became sepsis. She could not struggle any longer and I had to put her to sleep so she is finally with God now.:(

We took in a cat thru his final days. We were told that not only is this cat 23 yrs old...he used to used belong to none other than Jim 'The Muppets' Henson.
I think we are the cats 4th or 5th owner...but he's become 'our boy' now.

My husband got his cat, Max, when he was two days old.. that was 28-1/2 years ago. April 1977. We have the record of his first vet visit the day after.
We have two other cats, Katt is 9 years old and quite intelligent. Spott is 4, and quite dumb.

Maxx is still the mouser. Katt doesn't like to kill and Spott doesn't know what to do with a mouse. They bring them in and Maxx takes care of them after the other two are done.

He had another cat that he adopted as a stray about a year later.. no idea how old she was, but we do know she was at least a year old, but she died in 2002 at least 26.

i once had 2 cats, one became 19 and the other 21 years old,we eventually had to put them asleep becuz they were so old and had alot of pain

💋 Hey,I have cat and I don't know exactly how old she is...but anyways here is her story:):)
When my mom was 17 she found Zoe (my cat) in Beban park, so she broat her to her house and put ads in the news paper and no one called so she kept her.At that time Zoe was an adult cat.A few months later so had kittens,my mom kept one and gave away the rest.She named that cat cody, anyways a few years ago Cody died :shut: but Zoe is still alive, now I think she's about twenty, she has all her teeth, can see and hear,she loves me ive know her all my life and I know shes going to die soon,but shes lived a long life:):):):(:(:(I love her so much!I love catz their the best!It's kinda funny shes so old because my mom says shes going to outlive us all hahaha!!!
Today my friends cat died:(But it had a good life:(:(:(::):):)anyways hope you guys read this
-Sky
xox

my cat is currently 20 years old my dad found him in the snow after a snowmobiler through him there my dad rode up on his 3 wheeler and grabbed him he is very fiesty my dad found him the year of 1986 in michigan

My cat, Tequila, died today. She was the most beautiful calico. She was nearly 17 years old. I delivered her myself on Aug. 16, 1989. I kept her indoors and gave her regular veterinary care. I looked up this site to see what her life span should have been. I miss her so much. I feel a huge weight on my heart right now. I tried to so hard to make her comfortable in the end. We had lots of adventures together.

Sarah & Maegan ~ I definitely advocate human neutering. So many people breed and reproduce who should not. All sex offenders should be castrated.

hey i was jk about that last comment it only lived to be 300,000,000,000,000 years old!!!! LOL JK!! anyways it was my grandmas and it lived to be 20.....BECOME PRO ANIMAL!!!!

Whooo yah! im the cat lady of Senlac!

what duz that meen Teagan?

Hi,
my Cat is a siamise female, i think she will reach nearly 26 old, is it really luck or something like that ? the good part is that she has not to much problems for the moment, apart a very bad vision, and still a very strong voice when she mades a vocalist session. I though i could put her in the guinness book but it seems that it's not the oldest of all, but anyway it begins to be a rare case.
I would be please to hear about any of your eventual comments. Markus, malagny, france

my god i do not belive you i am 54 years old older then that cat

My cat is nineteen years young and spunky and playful to this day. She has had two serious close calls and now only ventures outdoors with an escort.

I have two 17 years old cats. I plan to keep them going as long as they continue to desire life, but it gets harder and harder. They are like two old people. Picky eaters, poor eyesight, etc. I'd like to hear more about what all of you feed your cats who live into their 20's.

I read recently the oldest cat was 37 years. They said they weren't sure because they didn't have the exact birth date. There is the exact bieth date of a cat that lived 34 years.

Oreo is 22 years old - her Mom and brother were put down last summer. She is amazing - recently went outside (supervised by me) and hunted a garden snake. I don't let her stay outside by herself - we live in an area with many wild animals. She has lost much of her hearing , can't groom herself the way she used to (my younger cat and I do it for her) - we live on a very proctected lane, so cars aren't an issue. She has outlived 5 other cats - including two that died of feline leukemia. As old as she is, she is still incredibly beautiful and as sweet as the day she was born. She sleeps alot, always looking for the warmest place in our home. My hope for her is a mild winter, a warm hearth. I so love my Oreo.

My cat is almost 21. I got him at a year old when I was 10 and I'll be 30 in 2007. I found this page wondering how old the oldest cat lived to be. I see Ceazer has a long way to go to beat the record. I can't imagine losing him after all these years.

I have a female Tonkinese who will be 20 in March...She's still spunky, very loud & demands affection! =)...Good genes & lots of love & care got her to the ripe old age...I've had her since I was 10 so the thought of losing her is very traumatic!

My cat Baby I got her from a friend in the year 1988.. Baby is 2 years younger than my nephew who was born in 1986... Baby will be 19 come springtime... she was diagnosed with Renal Failure, but with recent blood testing she is fine on her kidneys.. but tested positive for Thyroid disease.. she was an indoor/outdoor cat all her life... actually I think in her mind she thought she was a dog.. due to meowing at the door to go out.. but now since she is sick and my Mom passed away (she was taking care of her for a few years) so now she is with me as a strictly indoor cat.. and I hope for her to thrive as she has been for the past 19 years...

I have an indoor/outdoor cat that is at least 20 years old. When I adopted him in 1987 he was full grown so he was at least 8-12 months old. He was hit by a car when he was 2 years old and one of his rear legs was broken in multiple places (thigh bone section) and had to be held together with pins. He has had 90% of his colon surgically removed because of chronic constipation (megacolon). Other than the constipation problem he is in excellent health. He still will attack strange dogs that try to come into our yard and likes to play.

My boyfriend has a cat that's 17 1/2 years old and in pretty good health. He can still see although he has a little bit of trouble hearing sometimes. Anyways I was looking on the internet to find out how old the oldest cat was and according to one site, the Guiness Book of World Records says that the oldest cat was 31 years two months and 4 hours old.

My cat Kika turned 18 last October, and she's still going, aaaand well: all teeth, good vision/smell/appetite, occasional fur balls, very loud (maybe she's not hearing that well), and playing still, when feels like it

My cat, Mugsy, was born just before my parental units were married, almost twenty years ago. HE WILL BE 20 IN APRIL.

our cat is 18 and he just died last night my dad got him for my mom he was a stry cat and he would have been 19 in feb.he has been my cat all my life!

My cat, Whiskey, turned 23 on February 14, 2007. She isn't doing as well as she has, but at 23, she's doing quite well. She loves to cuddle up with me when I'm on the couch. She has given me so much comfort these 23 years and I hope every day she can be with me longer. I know she is winding down, but this time with her is very special ... for both of us. Every vet she's been to has said the same thing: good care, spaying and a caring environment will prolong your pet's life. I've been very lucky with my friend!

I have a cat, which I adopted, and who has been "tossed from pillar to post," as the saying goes...She originally belonged to a young girl who had her for 10-15 years. The young girl eventually went away to college and her mother was left with the cat, who promptly had her declawed and then stuck her in the basement and ignored her. My sister took her because she felt the woman disliked the cat and was neglecting her (the cat is very "needy" and wants to be petted continually, although she does NOT like to be picked up). She will sit in laps, but only if she jumps there - not if she is placed there.

At any rate...my sister, Terry, had the cat for a couple of years and ended up giving her to my other sister, Nancy, who had her for about 5 years. Then, Nancy sold her house and could not take the cat with her, so she asked me to take her (I am so glad I did). I have had her for over 10 years. She is a wonderful cat, VERY intelligent - just wants to be scratched about her head all the time! Also, now she is deaf as a doornail (whatever that is), but she seems to read lips.

She, just in the past few days, has developed a raspy purr with heavy breathing and I fear she is not long for this world.

The fact of the matter is, that with her age, I have felt for a long time that I might come home and find her curled up in a ball, dead.

Fortunately, she has lived a long life, and at least happy the last 15 years or so, even if the first few years weren't so happy....

My cat is 20... he seriously is like indestructable... my 9 year old brother swings him upside down and never listens when we say stop, and still the cats in perfect condition. I dont get it lol

Caitlin, Now that your cat is 20 I doubt he is indestructable so you really need to make sure your brother no longer swings him upside down. I realize he is only 9 but he needs to understand that what he is doing is animal cruelty and he has to stop. Can't your parents do something? Perhaps you could enlist him in your effort to have the oldest cat in world. Or you could explain to him that he could be arrested by the ASPCA police. I hope your cat makes it to 21 and beyond. Best of luck.

Currently, my cat Alister is 18and still has all of his teeth and is FIT as a 3yr old cat. So in due time we will see.

hi everybody,

Grandao is 19 yrs old, and now , after taking vaccinations, what was a big mistake, he developed a severe gengivitis, estomatite, and (we do not know yet) posssible fibrose sarcoma.

I know he could leave much longer, I was not aware of the bad effects of vaccinations, he took
many of them in a check up few months ago, I hope I had this info before.

We are waiting for the lab exams , and I hope that
it is not cancer,

Anyway, I just discover this , and want to share,
it is common sense , take your pet for vaccination every year, but many vets says it is a mistake, in Grandao's case was. He was fine before, now we are spending thousands of dollars with vets, and he is in a lot of pain.

Please read this article, share with other pet's owners, I decided to advocate against vaccination
for older pets, on the end, pet's visit and vaccinations makes small clinics survive, don't you think?

Check this out and please pray for Grandao, he was my first cat , I do not want him to die now.

Sabrina

http://www.holisticat.com/vaccinations.html

If you want to share your experience of having an older cat, please email me .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Blessings,

Sabrina

Hi Sabrina,
Sorry to hear about your cat. I've had 2 cats that lived to be 21 and 18 and died of natural causes. No problems with vaccinations. I have heard of animals developing tumors at the injection site. Perhaps when cats get real old it would be best to keep them inside and skip the vaccinations. My old cats still went out to go to the bathroom but otherwise they stayed in most of the time. I have one now who is almost 15 and she stays in 95% of the time. In a few years I can probably get a litter box and keep her inside and stop having her vaccinated. I don't have any other cats for her to catch something from so she should be fine. Maybe that would be best for old cats. I doubt veterinarians would agree. I hope your cat will be okay.

Nancy

Hi Nancy,

Thank you for your words. We have now the
biopsy results ( the third one) and he has
oral cancer. They did not advise of surgery
of the big mass that he has in his jaw.

He still eating fine, but the doctor told me
that once he cannot open his mouth any more
he will stop eating and then will be the time
that I most fear.

Regarding the vaccinations and if it is related
to this cancer, I spoke with 3 vets already about
this and all of them said the samethat you'd said, it is related only if appears on the site of the shot.

I still doubt it. You know, many things science
says for sure and then changes their opinion with time. In my case I have 9 cat, do not give them yearly vaccinations and they are all fine. (they range from 10 to 16 yrs old). Grandao was taken for a regular check last nov/2006 up and after these shots he started to have the symptoms and the mass appeared.

I still think no cats should get these vaccinations, only when they are kittens
and never more, like us humans, I got a lot
of shots in my childhood and that was it!

Blessings
Sabrina