Before you adopt a cat, you better be ready for the time commitment. From cradle to the grave, it varies how long cats live, but many stick around to snuggle for nearly 20 years. Every once in a while, a feline that must be built of stronger stuff will blow past their silver hair years into extreme old age.
One UK cat lady treated her cats like family. Through every phase of adult life, she could count on opening her front door to see her kitties waiting patiently for her. The thought of saying goodbye was too gut-wrenching, so it took her a while to notice that her fur pals were living way longer than the average.
On Michele Foster’s 20th birthday, she gifted herself the best present she’d ever receive — a beautiful Maine Coon kitten. He was a looker, with vibrant blue eyes and a swirl of fluffy white fur, topped off with a shock of ginger.
People
She’d heard about some kittens available for adoption at the purrfect time. Having recently moved out of her parent’s house and into her very first adult living space, Michele was a ball of nerves about her wide-open future.
Press Herald
A friend of her sister’s invited Michele to scope out her cat’s newborn litter of kittens. The moment she set eyes on the pink-nosed beauty, she knew she’d found the exact right companion for the years that lay ahead.
Metro UK
She named the handsome little guy Rubble. Years passed, and as Michele’s life shifted and transformed, she could take comfort in one constant: the long-haired cat that curled up in her lap whenever she needed him most.
Daily Mail
Together, Rubble and Michele moved from the busy streets of London to quieter English suburbs. At one point, he was given a sister, when she adopted another cat named Meg to keep him company. Their little trio made a happy family.
Daily Mail
For Michelle, who never had kids, her cats were just as good as children. She spoiled them to pieces. Their well being was a top priority, and regular vet visits, combined with her steadfast nurturing, proved her two whiskered darlings to be the picture of health.
Dogalize
Still, as her two kitties aged into their golden years, Michele started to notice Rubble was a bit more special than your average housecat. They had ample time to prepare but after 25 years, they said goodbye to Meg, which was a full and impressive life by cat standards.
Sabrina The Teenage Witch / IMDB
The average lifespan of an indoor cat ranges from 13 to 17 years. Given that Michele adopted Rubble back in 1988, he blew that statistic away. In May of 2019, Rubble reached something very few other cats have ever achieved — a 31st birthday.
Metro UK
Converted into human years, Rubble is 137 years old. That’s a lot of litter box changes! According to Michele, her best friend of three decades isn’t slowing down anytime soon. Apart from high blood pressure, Rubble still has some spring in his step.
People
In honor of his 30th birthday milestone, Rubble’s vet’s office threw their most geriatric feline patient a lowkey birthday party. It’s not every day you turn 136, after all. To make this one stand out from the rest, they spoiled Rubble like an elderly king.
Flickr
To toast the birthday boy, they presented Rubble with a saucer of milk. When he’d drunk his fill, he gobbled down as many dry treats as his old cat belly could handle. Hazy from a food and drink stupor, Rubble posed for pictures with his proud mama.
People
It wasn’t until November of 2019 that Rubble became the oldest living feline on the planet. That means, he spent more days lazing in the sun, scratching at the furniture, and making pretend cookies in his favorite spot on the couch than any cat alive.
Sitting at the top of the wisest cat’s alive list won’t get to Rubble’s head. That’s partly because Michele won’t pursue the official song and dance attention of the Guinness Book of World Records stamp of officiality.
It’s true, Rubble isn’t the only feline to make headlines for living beyond the standard nine lives. There’s a small group of elder cat peers that blessed their owners by sticking around past age 30.
41 Strange / Twitter
Scooter was recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records as the most senior cat on the planet after celebrating his 30th birthday. The fanfare was brief for Scooter and his mom Gail when another older kitty from across the pond raised an older paw.
ABC News
The Brits know how to keep a cat alive! Nutmeg the cat passed away after 31 years happy years with owners Liz and Ian Finlay, despite his perpetually grouchy expression. Guinness refused to acknowledge his extreme age due to a lack of proper age documentation.
Mirror UK
In South Wales, town councilor Bill Thomas was chuffed to learn his old gal Lucy was in the running for the world record. Many witnesses confirm to have seen Lucy as a kitten in a local chip shop back in 1972.
Gothamist
If there was significant proof of her age, Lucy would have nudged ahead of the others to seize the top spot. The memories of her kittenhood, coupled with doctor’s opinions, and Lucy’s final day on earth in 2011, suggested her final age as 39 years old.
Daily Mail
One feline stands alone, the Redwood of cats, for the title of the oldest cat of all time — the incomparable Creme Puff. Her owner, Texan Jake Perry, fed her a diet of turkey bacon, eggs, broccoli, and asparagus, which fueled her to reach 38 years of age.
An Encyclopedia / YouTube
It might seem like a weird dietary plan but Creme Puff’s brother, Granpa, lived until the ripe old age of 34, so their Dad was doing something right. Whatever longevity secrets these kitties have, they might work across species for these other animals that broke age barriers.
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