IS TAFFY, 25, THE OLDEST CAT IN WALES?
THIS four-legged curry connoisseur might just be the oldest cat in Wales.
Taffy is a black and white cat who was given to Caerphilly councillor Lindsay Whittle by his daughter as a 40th birthday present.
Now 65, Lindsay said he and Taffy have been “firm friends” for more than 25 years.
Former mayor and Assembly Member Lindsay said Taffy has become well known around the valleys and further afield thanks to posts on his social media account.
“I was walking through Edinburgh on Princes Street once and someone stopped me and asked if I was Lindsay Whittle – the Welsh politician,” he said.
“I felt a bit full of myself but the first question he asked me was ‘how is Taffy?,’ which was staggering.”
Lindsay has been a councillor in Caerphilly for 43 years and was given Taffy after he lost another cat.
Once he had Taffy, Lindsay took on two more kittens – Teifi and Mississippi – who were both also named after rivers.
Taffy was a wild cat who loved his food and was quite a climber in his younger years.
He survived both Teifi and Mississippi.
“He’s very picky with his food,” he said. “And he does like a jalfrezi curry. I gave him a bit once and my goodness he went berserk.
“Now he can smell it a mile off and he’s all around my feet when I’ve got it in the pan.”
At 25 years old, Taffy is about nine or 10 years older than the average life expectancy of a cat.
Lindsay says although Taffy is now quite frail, very deaf, and only has two teeth, he is quite content living in his home in Abertridwr, Caerphilly.
“Every year I always say it’s his last Christmas,” Lindsay said. “It’s almost become a catchphrase in our house and I say this is his last summer this year.”
He added: “Because I’m 65 when he dies, when he has his last ninth life, I will be stopping because I can’t guarantee that I will be here for another 25 years!”