I own the oldest cat in the world, here are the secrets to how I have kept her purring for the past 30 years
A cat who recently celebrated her 30th birthday is believed to be the oldest feline in the world.
A cat who recently celebrated her 30th birthday is believed to be the oldest feline in the world.
Her secret: A 12pm wake up call and diet of bottled water, salmon and prawns.
Leslie Greenhough, 70, believes his tortoiseshell cat Millie, who was born in 1995, is the oldest living feline.
The cat was first owned by Leslies late wife, Paula, 55, who first got Millie when the kitten was three months old.
Leslie said the cats long life is down to lots of treats including cuddles on the sofa and Buxton water.
And to celebrate three decades, Leslie decided to a get a cake made with her face on complete with 30 candles.
A big fan of attention, Millie starts her day messing about with Leslie before jumping up onto his knee to sit on the back of the sofa in the sun.
Leslie, a former storekeeper, from Stockport, said: It was a fantastic day, it is such an achievement that she has turned 30.
Leslie Greenhough, 70, believes his tortoiseshell moggy, Millie, who was born in 1995, is currently the oldest living feline
To celebrate three decades, Leslie decided to a get a cake made with Millies face on complete with 30 candles
Millie outlived her first owner, Leslies late wife Paula, who first got the kitten when it was three months old
I had a birthday cake made with her face on. It was such a hot day she was licking all the cream off.
My life ambition is to get her in the Guinness Book of records, but I cant prove her age.
The only person who can do that is my late wife who sadly died five years ago.
Leslie met his wife on plenty on the dating site Plenty Of Fish in 2012, and he was introduced to Millie after he over heard her meowing in the background of the calls.
The couple got engaged in 2013 on Valentines Day and married two years later in 2014.
Leslie had owned a cat once before as a child, named Blackie, but hadnt had a pet in several decades, until meeting Millie.
He said: Blackie used to follow me everywhere she was born in a paper mill and such a sweet thing.
Millie was such a sweet cat when I first met her.
Owner Leslie said: Over the years Millie was bullied by other cats the her neighbourhood, so she stopped going out and became more of an indoor cat
Now 30, cat Millie wakes up at 12pm and has a diet of Buxton water, prawn and salmon
Over the years Millie was bullied by other cats the her neighbourhood, so she stopped going out and became more of an indoor cat.
Shes developed a cautious attitude - shes very shy.
I think thats helped her live longer.
Leslies wife Paula sadly passed away four years ago, in 2020, after contracting Covid-19.
His wifes passing also affected Millie, who struggled to eat after losing her owner.
He said: It was incredibly difficult on both of us.
Millie and I had bonded before she died, she would sit on my lap and my wife said she could see how much the cat loved me.
I think Millie knew my wife wasnt well.
Millie wouldnt eat anything at first, I used to give her prawns and chicken, but over time shes back to eating cat food.
Now 30, Leslie credits Millies longevity to 12pm wake-up calls, Buxton water and a diet of prawn and salmon.
She keeps herself to herself, she will wake up around dinner time and I will mess about her with for 30 minutes, Leslie said
She only drinks Buxton water and has a diet of salmon, prawns, chicken and tuna.
Millie likes to do her own thing, I will find her either asleep behind the sofa or asleep in my bed.
Sometimes she will play out in the garden - a cat is a cat really.
Millie is classified as a geriatric cat with an average feline living 13 to 20 years.
The oldest cat ever is Creme Puff of Austin, Texas, who was born on August 3, 1967 and lived until August 6, 2005 - 38 years and three days.
Hall of fame: Top five record holders for worlds oldest ever cat
1. Creme Puff
After her death aged 38 years and three days, Creme Puss from Austin, Texas, remains the oldest ever cat to date.
Her owner Jake Perry, who also took care of Granpa Rexs Allen, the fourth ever oldest cat, put her old age down to a diet of dry cat food along with broccoli, turkey bacon and coffee.
She also had an eyedropper’s worth of red wine every two days.
Creme Puff, pictured
2. Baby
Born in 1970 Baby, a black domestic shorthair breed from Duluth, Minnesota, passed away at 38 years old in March 2008.
Owners Al and Mary Palusky previously said they rescued him from a garbage can in 1997.
Al once told WCSH-TV: Hell tear around the house running up and down and across things.
His tail gets big, his back goes up and he takes off running, then he jumps in his bed and falls asleep.
Baby, pictured
3. Puss
The male tabby lived in the UK and died aged 36 years and one day.
He was born in 1903 and was taken care of by Mrs T Holway in Clayhidon, Devon.
His past is not as well recorded as that of Ma, with doubt having previously been cast on the records reliability.
4. Ma
The tabby domestic shorthair in the UK passed away aged 34 years and five months in November 1957.
In March 1957, it was reported in The South Devon Journal: The Guinness Book of records mentions a well authenticated case of a female tabby cat attaining 33 years in 1956, although 21 years is normally regarded as the limit for long-lived cats.
[Rowley] set off to make an appointment with Grandma (also known as Ma), the "well-authenticated case" who lives at Newton Barton. Newton Barton was once a farmhouse.
There in a straw-lined basket near a stove, he found Grandma getting ready for her 34th birthday in May. She is deaf and rather blind and her front paws have been disfigured by a rabbit trap.
Ma, pictured
5. Granpa Rexs Allen
The male Sphynx-Devon Rex, from the US and taken care of by the same owner as Creme Puss, died aged 34 years and two months in April 1998.
Owner Mr Perry once raised 48 moggies at the same time, with an electric model train running around the house for his pets to chase.
His cats are also all neutered and Mr Perry regularly plays nature documentaries in the background.
Granpa Rexs Allen, pictured