At 137, has Henry finally got his claws on title of world’s oldest cat?
HE has lost a few teeth and his eyesight isn’t what it used to be – but he’s doing pretty well considering he’s 137.
Henry celebrated the remarkable birthday this year – his 30th in human years – and is now laying claim to the title of the world’s oldest cat.
It is thought the ginger tom, from Norwich, has clawed his way into the lead after the previous world’s oldest cat named by Guinness World Records – a 30-year- old Siamese called Scooter – died earlier this month. But Henry may find himself in a fierce catfight with other moggies battling for the title.
Henry’s owner Sally Brown says she got him as an eight or nine-week-old kitten from a rescue centre in March 1986.
Mrs Brown, 48, who worked as a veterinary nurse, puts Henry’s long life down to ‘a mixture of diet, affection and my experience’. He is fed a Swedish cat food called Husse made from natural, chemical-free ingredients. He also has treats of chicken and fish several times a week.
Mrs Brown, who has 15 cats, clearly has a knack for giving her pets exactly what they need to live to a ripe old age – as she also has cats aged 18, 19 and 24.
The mother-of-four said: ‘Henry’s sight is starting to fail now and he’s had a few teeth out, but in all that time he’s never had any illnesses. I’m known as the mad cat lady of the area. I used to work with large animals like horses and cows and Henry would come along with me and sit in the car. He’s always been a lap cat.’
As she does not know exactly when Henry was born, she celebrates his birthday on the day she collected him from the rescue centre in Cambridge.
Scooter, from Texas, who was born on March 26, 1986, died just days before Guinness World Records confirmed he had been the world’s oldest cat. The title passed to tabby Corduroy, 26, from Oregon. A Guinness World Records spokesman said Mrs Brown will have to provide evidence of Henry’s long life, including a vet proving his age and pictures through the decades, for him to be officially recognised as the oldest and steal the title.
The average life expectancy of a house cat is 12 to 15 years. The oldest cat ever to have lived was called Creme Puff, who died in 2005 aged 38 (169 in cat years).
The formula for calculating cat years equates the first two human years of life to 25 cat years, and each additional year counts as four cat years. ÷ Do you have an older cat? Email cats@dailymail.co.uk with your details and a photograph.