Cats Protection / Guinness World Records
No need to tap into those nine lives just yet!
Shortly before her 27th birthday, Flossie — a British black and brown cat — was pronounced the world’s oldest living cat by the Guinness Book of World Records on Wednesday, marking a fanatic feat for the feline and her owner.
Flossie received official recognition at 26 years and 329 days old — which is approximately 120 years old in human years, according to the record-breaking reference book.
“I knew from the start that Flossie was a special cat, but I didn’t imagine I’d share my home with a world record holder,” her current owner, Vicki Green, said per the Guinness Book of World Records‘ official website.
Cats Protection / Guinness World Records
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Despite her old age, Flossie has no gray hairs in her fluffy fur yet. While the elderly black and brown kitty looks puurfect in appearance, she has poor eye sight and is deaf. But aside from that, Flossie is reportedly in good health.
“We were flabbergasted when we saw that Flossie’s vet records showed her to be 27 years old,” said Cats Protection’s branch coordinator Naomi Rosling upon learning of the cat’s age — a journey that the UK’s leading cat welfare charity began in August 2022 to confirm the record.
According to Green, her feline friend is still playful, curious and unbothered by her deafness. Regarding her eyesight, she said that Flossie adapts quickly to new surroundings — a particular trait that she’s become accustomed to due to her early years living as a stray.
Cats Protection / Guinness World Records
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Up until December 1995, Flossie roamed free in a colony of cats near the Merseyside hospital until she, among several additional few-month-old kitties, were adopted by some of the sympathetic employees who worked there.
When the owner passed away 10 years after adopting Flossie, her sister welcomed the feline into her home. However, Flossie’s new owner died 14 years later and left the then 24-year-old cat homeless once again.
Fortunately, the previous owner’s son provided Flossie with a sanctuary for four years, but ultimately made the decision to entrust his cat to volunteers at Cats Protection’s Tunbridge Wells, Crowborough and District Branch.
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“He sought our help when it was in Flossie’s best interests,” Rosling said. “Responsible cat ownership is when someone thinks about an animal’s needs above their feelings.”
It was there that Green met Flossie. “I’ve always wanted to give older cats a comfortable later life,” she said with the hope to inspire others to adopt older pets.
While Flossie currently holds the old age honor, the oldest cat to have ever lived was named Crème Puff, who reached age 38 years and three days and died on Aug. 6, 2005.
