.
An Irish cat named Phoebe is poised to become the new Guinness World Record holder for Oldest Living Cat should she reach her 25th birthday this coming August. The current record holder is Pinky, a US cat from Kansas who turned 24 on October 31, 2013.
There are cats who are believed to be older than Phoebe and Pinky, but those pets apparently do not have the sort of documentation required by Guinness for official status.
A cat named Cola, from Orpington, Kent UK, was approaching her 28th birthday when she made the news last September, and a cat named Wadsworth, from Ravensden, Bedfordshire, UK, turned 27 earlier in 2013.
Phoebe is not just an old cat on her way to the record books, she is a true survivor, not expected to live more than a few weeks when she was adopted as a kitten, along with her brother Paddy who lived to the age of 17.
Caroline O’Riordan was living in Brighton, UK in 1989 when she decided to adopt a kitten as a way to get over her fear of cats. She visited a home with available kittens from a litter and chose a male, but was convinced to take a little girl as well, who was not expected to live very long. Paddy, the boy, was healthy, but Phoebe wasn’t eating, could barely stand and was failing to thrive.
Caroline showed Phoebe tender, loving care, spayed her so she would not have the stress of bearing kittens, and halped her to grow into a string and healthy cat.
Caroline and her partner Sean moved to Passage West, Co Cork, Ireland, where they reside now with the aged Phoebe.
Caroline spoke with the Irish Examiner about Phoebe’s longevity, saying: “She had no special diet really. I never over-fed her and never gave her scraps.”
“And she spends 80% of her time indoors. I think that was important because she wasn’t exposed to hazards like cat-fights and traffic accidents that other cats would face.”
“She’s in fairly good health now. But she is old and her mobility isn’t what it used to be.”
“But she has been a wonderful pet and companion. She’s more a member of the family now. I think the secret with any animal is to just keep them company, happy and content.”
Caroline told Independent.ie : “”I have Phoebe’s birth cert from the vet back in August 1989 but I just have to check what other criteria Guinness now require.”
“She has always been quite small. I wouldn’t say that she isn’t showing signs of her years now. She sleeps quite a lot, though she is able to get around for short walks and is quite mobile.”
The Independent says Guinness World Records has confirmed that Phoebe will take the official Oldest Living Cat title if she reaches her 25th birthday later this year.
See also: Wadsworth Turns 27, May be World’s Oldest Cat, from March 13, 2013 and Cola Nears 28th Birthday: May Be Oldest Living Cat, from September 5, 2013.
.
.
.
.
.
My cat just turned 21 this year 🙂