World’s Longest Cat Dies At Eight Years Old

The world’s longest domestic cat has died at the age of eight in Reno, Nevada.

The cat, a maine coon name Stewie, measured a record 48.5 inches. His owner, Richard Hendrickson, said his beloved cat died Monday after a year long battle with cancer.

Stewie was a certified therapy animal and often visited a senior center by his home.

According to BBC News, Stewie was awarded the record as the world’s longest cat in 2010 after being measured from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail by the Guinness Book of Records.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that, when the world’s longest cat died, he was surrounded by family. Hendrickson is grateful for the outpouring of support he has received. About Stewie he says:

“Stewie was always very social and loved meeting new people. He has touched many lives, and for that I am grateful.”

Hendrickson became Stewie’s owner after buying him from an Oregon breeder in 2005.

Stewie was initially diagnosed with Lymphosarcoma, a malignant disease of the lymphoid tissues, but, after successful chemotherapy he was in remission. The joy was short lived when the vet found another, more aggressive tumor on the cat’s kidneys.

On the decision to let Stewie pass away, Hendrickson says:

“I knew that although we could fight it, the end was near and so I wanted to simply make him comfortable and let him enjoy the time he did have.”

Here is a video of Stewie the cat:

Stewie was loved by many people and will be remembered long after his early passing.

If you need cheering up, The Inquisitr recently reported on a jedi kitten and posted a video explaining why cats love being petted.

Did you know that Stewie held the record for world’s longest cat before reading this article?

[image via Mueller-rech.muenchen / Wikimedia Commons