The World’s Oldest Cat Dies But Her Age Might Just Surprise You

Poppy, who was officially recognized as the world’s oldest cat is no more. The feline pensioner has gone on the prowl to pastures new, but the age of the cat formerly known as the world’s oldest pussy might just surprise you.

Poppy the cat lived through five British Prime Ministers and was crowned by Guinness World Records on May 19 of this year as the oldest cat in the world.

Sadly, for Poppy the title of the world’s oldest cat turned out to be something of a curse. Just weeks after being heralded as the oldest pussy on the planet, Poppy the cat fell ill and died.

But just how old was the tortoiseshell cat from Bournemouth, Dorset? Here’s a hint: Poppy the cat was born the the same month Nelson Mandela was released from prison.

That’s right, historians — the world’s oldest cat was 24-years-of-age, which admittedly doesn’t seem all that old, even for a cat.

The oldest cat to have ever rubbed itself up contentedly against a stranger’s pair of legs was a pussy from Austin, Texas called — wait for it — Creme Puff.

The feline from the Lone Star state lived for a staggering 38 years and three days. An age which makes Poppy look like a teen cat in comparison.

Strangely enough, news of Poppy the cat’s demise last Friday came just a day after the world’s oldest man, Alexander Imich, shuffled off this mortal coil at the rare old age of 111.

Poppy became the oldest cat in the world in the wake of the death of Kansas cat, Pinky, who purred her last at the age of 23 last year.

Poppy the cat, who was originally called Popsy the cat, was adopted by Marguerite Corner and her daughter Jacqui at the age of five. Five years later Poppy went to live with Jacqui and her future husband Andy West.

Jacqui, who also has two young sons, told the Daily Mail how devastated the entire family were at Poppy the cat’s death:

“We knew she was old but it’s still very upsetting. She had a bad week last week. She was on antibiotics on the Wednesday because of a water infection and her back legs just seemed to let her down. She wasn’t herself at all. She passed away on Friday at 3.30pm. I had spent the whole day with her as she was particularly poorly.

“We knew it was going to happen but we’re all still completely devastated. It’s only just starting to sink in. It’s great she managed to get the world record beforehand, it’s almost like she was purposely hanging in there because the process took months.”

At the time of writing it is not yet known what feline will step up to take Poppy’s crown as the world’s oldest cat.