The World's Oldest Cat?
January 9, 2011 11:05 AM Subscribe
She is a bit deaf but she still hunts mice in the garden. Her name is Lucy. Her family says she is 39 years old, and is the oldest cat in the world. She does look a bit saggy. How long will your cat live?
Until now the world's oldest recorded cat was a pet called Creme Puff from Texas, USA, which lived for 38 years and three days.
Ok, I take it back, maybe it's possible...
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:09 AM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
Ok, I take it back, maybe it's possible...
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:09 AM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
Possible some canny Welsh are taking the Daily Mail for a ride, maybe. This is inane.
posted by koeselitz at 11:11 AM on January 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by koeselitz at 11:11 AM on January 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
Ok, I take it back, maybe it's possible...
No, wait. There was another elderly lady who mistook it for a different cat.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:15 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
No, wait. There was another elderly lady who mistook it for a different cat.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 11:15 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
My vet correctly estimated my cat's age (8) from his teeth. I suspect a 39 year old cat's teeth are not going to be in great condition.
posted by desjardins at 11:15 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by desjardins at 11:15 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
This article is in the Daily Mail.
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being redundant - empath already said that.
posted by koeselitz at 11:18 AM on January 9, 2011 [7 favorites]
Oh, I'm sorry, I'm being redundant - empath already said that.
posted by koeselitz at 11:18 AM on January 9, 2011 [7 favorites]
Of course, 'health and safety' would never allow a cat in a chippie these days, thus denying us that irrefutable eyewitness evidence that for some mad reason drjimmy11 seeks to undermine. I blame it all on asylum seekers and benefits scroungers.
posted by Abiezer at 11:18 AM on January 9, 2011 [8 favorites]
posted by Abiezer at 11:18 AM on January 9, 2011 [8 favorites]
A spokesman for Guinness World Records said there was no entry for the world's oldest cat.
Once again, the Daily Mail leads the world in cutting-edge journalism.
posted by fight or flight at 11:18 AM on January 9, 2011
Once again, the Daily Mail leads the world in cutting-edge journalism.
posted by fight or flight at 11:18 AM on January 9, 2011
The guy writing the article had to know what he was writing, right? I can't imagine he's capable of writing complete, grammatically correct sentences and wasn't unable to see the gaping whole in the story.
posted by empath at 11:19 AM on January 9, 2011
posted by empath at 11:19 AM on January 9, 2011
That cat is extremely indistinguishable from any number of street born grey/black mongrel cats...I wouldn't be surprised to learn that this is actually Lucy II or Lucy III.
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:23 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by T.D. Strange at 11:23 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Can't they just take a core sample or something?
posted by hototogisu at 11:25 AM on January 9, 2011 [56 favorites]
posted by hototogisu at 11:25 AM on January 9, 2011 [56 favorites]
Another bang-up job from the Daily Fail. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Where's the vet that's treated this cat since he was fresh out of Vet school and is getting ready to retire now?
posted by chimaera at 11:26 AM on January 9, 2011
posted by chimaera at 11:26 AM on January 9, 2011
My mom's best friend had a cat that lived to be 27 years old. I remembered meeting that cat when I was about 5 (and it wasn't a kitten then), and then seeing him numerous times over the years. He was total decrepit by the time he finally passed.
posted by kimdog at 11:28 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by kimdog at 11:28 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
My family's cat, Taco, was 23-24 when she died. And she's the oldest cat I've ever met. 38 is bokners.
posted by Bookhouse at 11:31 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Bookhouse at 11:31 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
That's nothing. Just this morning I saw an article in a paper at the local supermarket checkout stand. It showed a 900 year old Alien. It was really wrinkly. I see Metafilter is moving beyond the NYT for FPP material.
posted by VikingSword at 11:32 AM on January 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by VikingSword at 11:32 AM on January 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
Bill said: 'The vet said she was very old but it was not possible to give us an exact age.'
Did he think they would cut off a portion of the tail and count the rings?
posted by dobbs at 11:33 AM on January 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
Did he think they would cut off a portion of the tail and count the rings?
posted by dobbs at 11:33 AM on January 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
Guardian article about the difficulty of proving animals' ages. There's also a picture (end of the page) in the Guardian of the oldest cat in 2000, who was 30, though there doesn't seem to have been proof of this. I like the article from the local newspaper about this cat. And another article about measuring animals' ages in human years.
I was actually hunting for a picture from a few years back of the then contender for oldest British cat, who was 34 and didn't look very well. One-eyed I think.
posted by paduasoy at 11:35 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
I was actually hunting for a picture from a few years back of the then contender for oldest British cat, who was 34 and didn't look very well. One-eyed I think.
posted by paduasoy at 11:35 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
That cat is extremely indistinguishable from any number of street born grey/black mongrel cats.
Except the cat's markings are identical in both photographs. I think that's far too uncatty to pass off as coincidence or even inheritance.
posted by dobbs at 11:37 AM on January 9, 2011
Except the cat's markings are identical in both photographs. I think that's far too uncatty to pass off as coincidence or even inheritance.
posted by dobbs at 11:37 AM on January 9, 2011
Can't they just take a core sample or something?
I'm thinking something non-invasive. Perhaps a cat scan?
posted by hal9k at 11:39 AM on January 9, 2011 [34 favorites]
I'm thinking something non-invasive. Perhaps a cat scan?
posted by hal9k at 11:39 AM on January 9, 2011 [34 favorites]
Owner Bill Thomas, 63, inherited Lucy when his wife's Godmother Maria Lewis died in 1999.
There's the problem, a break in the ownership line and thus a history that could be apocryphal, based on an elderly aunt's visit and townsfolk memories from the 1970s.
posted by stbalbach at 11:41 AM on January 9, 2011
There's the problem, a break in the ownership line and thus a history that could be apocryphal, based on an elderly aunt's visit and townsfolk memories from the 1970s.
posted by stbalbach at 11:41 AM on January 9, 2011
My brother has a cat he got in 3rd grade, when it was already a full-grown adult.
He's 29 (my brother, not the cat).
posted by vorfeed at 11:42 AM on January 9, 2011
He's 29 (my brother, not the cat).
posted by vorfeed at 11:42 AM on January 9, 2011
So your brother has had a cat for 21 years, and it was a year old when he got it? 22-23 is not outside the bounds for a pet cat.
That cat is not 39 years old. There would be a mention, for instance, of how it has NO TEETH if it were that old.
posted by jeather at 11:52 AM on January 9, 2011
That cat is not 39 years old. There would be a mention, for instance, of how it has NO TEETH if it were that old.
posted by jeather at 11:52 AM on January 9, 2011
My mom's cat died last month at 20. The kitty was very frail and had mom noticed she was having trouble walking and just not herself. At about midnight mom rushed kitty to the emergency vet. The bet believed the cat had suffered a stroke, was partially blind, and had suffered major organ failure. She'd lost a lot of weight over the past few years but seemed to have beefed up to a 4.5lb range, but she was 8lbs during most of her adult life. My mom decided it was best to put kitty down.
My current kitty is 13 and she looks like she could be related to my first family cat growing up. My father is suffering some dementia and memory loss and mistook my Peanut for Bob, our family pet 1972-1992. If that were the case, Bob would be 39. I would be happy to fly to London with Peanut, er Bob for press events.
I would give the pictured cat being 19 max. Which in Daily Mail years is 38.
posted by birdherder at 11:55 AM on January 9, 2011
My current kitty is 13 and she looks like she could be related to my first family cat growing up. My father is suffering some dementia and memory loss and mistook my Peanut for Bob, our family pet 1972-1992. If that were the case, Bob would be 39. I would be happy to fly to London with Peanut, er Bob for press events.
I would give the pictured cat being 19 max. Which in Daily Mail years is 38.
posted by birdherder at 11:55 AM on January 9, 2011
My cat will live forever.
Because he is the bestest, awesomest, snuggliest, smartest kitteh ever and he goes to the vet like clockwork and gets his teefs cleaned regularly and he eats delicious healthful kitteh foods and he is sitting on the couch purring like an idling muscle car and it is unthinkable to me that it could ever be otherwise.
So there.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:56 AM on January 9, 2011 [110 favorites]
Because he is the bestest, awesomest, snuggliest, smartest kitteh ever and he goes to the vet like clockwork and gets his teefs cleaned regularly and he eats delicious healthful kitteh foods and he is sitting on the couch purring like an idling muscle car and it is unthinkable to me that it could ever be otherwise.
So there.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:56 AM on January 9, 2011 [110 favorites]
Much as I would love for cats to live that long (because letting them go is ohsopainful), I'm not buying it. I had a cat that lived to 21 and recently put my baby down at 19.5 years, and they both looked a lot rougher than Lucy does. A lot rougher. I'm sure Lucy's a great cat, but I highly doubt she's 39.
posted by Fuego at 11:58 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Fuego at 11:58 AM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
So your brother has had a cat for 21 years, and it was a year old when he got it? 22-23 is not outside the bounds for a pet cat.
Jeez, I wasn't saying OMG IT'S TEH OLDEST CAT IN THE WORLD CALL THE DAILY MAIL. But 22-23 is significantly outside the usual bounds for a pet cat, especially an outdoor cat in the middle of town. The fact that she's still catching birds blows me away every time I see her.
posted by vorfeed at 12:02 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Jeez, I wasn't saying OMG IT'S TEH OLDEST CAT IN THE WORLD CALL THE DAILY MAIL. But 22-23 is significantly outside the usual bounds for a pet cat, especially an outdoor cat in the middle of town. The fact that she's still catching birds blows me away every time I see her.
posted by vorfeed at 12:02 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Nthing the "I have known 20-year-old cats and the pictured cat is almost certainly not one". If she's 22 or 23 and still that active, it's enough of a miracle.
. for all the kitties whose memories are brought up by this story and condolences to those who miss them.
posted by immlass at 12:10 PM on January 9, 2011 [10 favorites]
. for all the kitties whose memories are brought up by this story and condolences to those who miss them.
posted by immlass at 12:10 PM on January 9, 2011 [10 favorites]
Am I the only one wondering whether Lucy and Tom Jones share the same surgeon?
posted by MuffinMan at 12:12 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by MuffinMan at 12:12 PM on January 9, 2011
Too much old kitteh hate.
posted by Ardiril at 12:23 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Ardiril at 12:23 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
Sez Lucy: Every moment of my life is agonyyyyyyyyyy...
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:25 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by Capt. Renault at 12:25 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
That cat looks like an immigrant and it has probably been spongeing off the welfare state and the NHS for most of its long life. Also, it has been taking our women and forcibly giving their children the MMR jab and now they are all autistic. As I look ahead, I am filled with foreboding; like the Roman, I seem to see 'the River Tiber foaming with much blood. This cat needs a short, sharp shock, an ASBO, a tagging and a life sentence. In tomorrow's edition: how Lucy the left-wing atheist anarchist agitator cat broke windows, knocked a policeman's hat off and pissed on the cenotaph, and is probably a terrorist plotting to assassinate Prince William during the Roayl Wedding.
Please don't encourage the Daily Mail.
posted by Decani at 12:32 PM on January 9, 2011 [8 favorites]
Please don't encourage the Daily Mail.
posted by Decani at 12:32 PM on January 9, 2011 [8 favorites]
I have some friends whose cat passed away recently at age 30.
posted by Liquidwolf at 12:37 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by Liquidwolf at 12:37 PM on January 9, 2011
Feh. It's quality, not quantity. My Zach lived until the age of 18, which is still pretty old for a cat -- but he never really ACTED old until the very last two weeks of his life. (He developed an inoperable tumor, and "keeping him comfortable" was all we could do; he didn't really feel it until the last week or so.)
Up until then, he was jumping up on the bed and snarfing down kibble and giving me morning head-butts and doing the speed-races through the apartment and getting into royal battles with the vet. He may have lived only 18 years compared to 30, but at age 18 he was making most people think he was about five or six. (He was one tough little putz.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:43 PM on January 9, 2011 [9 favorites]
Up until then, he was jumping up on the bed and snarfing down kibble and giving me morning head-butts and doing the speed-races through the apartment and getting into royal battles with the vet. He may have lived only 18 years compared to 30, but at age 18 he was making most people think he was about five or six. (He was one tough little putz.)
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 12:43 PM on January 9, 2011 [9 favorites]
My cat is 18, but he will not live very much longer if he doesn't stop trying to walk on the bathroom floor I just mopped.
posted by JanetLand at 12:43 PM on January 9, 2011 [18 favorites]
posted by JanetLand at 12:43 PM on January 9, 2011 [18 favorites]
I have no idea how these people got their cats wedged into their fax machines, or why
posted by iamck at 12:46 PM on January 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by iamck at 12:46 PM on January 9, 2011 [3 favorites]
My cats will not live long enough.
None ever do.
posted by Joe Beese at 12:55 PM on January 9, 2011 [21 favorites]
None ever do.
posted by Joe Beese at 12:55 PM on January 9, 2011 [21 favorites]
Perhaps this cat was taken out for a "daily airing" as a kitten.
posted by Tube at 12:58 PM on January 9, 2011 [5 favorites]
posted by Tube at 12:58 PM on January 9, 2011 [5 favorites]
This comes at a sensitive time for me as I had to put down my 2 year old cat yesterday.
"Damn, you are a stupid cat" I said.
posted by hal9k at 12:59 PM on January 9, 2011 [8 favorites]
"Damn, you are a stupid cat" I said.
posted by hal9k at 12:59 PM on January 9, 2011 [8 favorites]
I knew a cat that lived to be 28. It looked nowhere nearly as healthy as Lucy. In fact, every cat I've known that lived to be 20-plus (I can think of three including the one I've mentioned) were barely-there, empty shells of thin fur.
What I'm trying to say is that Lucy is juicing. FGH, definitely.
posted by Mayor Curley at 1:20 PM on January 9, 2011 [7 favorites]
What I'm trying to say is that Lucy is juicing. FGH, definitely.
posted by Mayor Curley at 1:20 PM on January 9, 2011 [7 favorites]
Why are you - why is anyone - linking to the Daily Mail? Your location says you're not even in the UK for goodness' sake. Do a lot of people in the US go out of there way to source crappy journalism from other countries? Surely you have enough of your own....
posted by smoke at 1:55 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by smoke at 1:55 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
I don't really buy all the feline age experts here any more than I buy the story there.
posted by Nothing at 2:00 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by Nothing at 2:00 PM on January 9, 2011
Now my two bits - We have two brother cats, 8 months old, they will stay inside all the time, and when they lean on the screen door, i yell at them to get back, no darting out when the door opens a few inches. They get 15 minutes of non stop racing after a red empty coin purse tied to a black 3 foot cord at the end on a 5 foot wood shaft.
Wow, good friskie's Nutritional dry kebble, They should live to say 30, and that will place me at about 99 years old, Hell, i'm more worried about myself than the cats in reaching old age!
posted by tustinrick at 2:01 PM on January 9, 2011
Wow, good friskie's Nutritional dry kebble, They should live to say 30, and that will place me at about 99 years old, Hell, i'm more worried about myself than the cats in reaching old age!
posted by tustinrick at 2:01 PM on January 9, 2011
She does look a bit saggy.
I thought we weren't supposed to editorialize.
posted by Beardman at 2:03 PM on January 9, 2011
I thought we weren't supposed to editorialize.
posted by Beardman at 2:03 PM on January 9, 2011
That's only, like, 4 or 5 years per life. Totally believable.
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:21 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by rabbitrabbit at 2:21 PM on January 9, 2011
Surely you have enough of your own...
In fact, after enough exposure to American journalism, I think a lot of people come across the Daily Mail and mistake it for something fairly benign.
posted by brennen at 2:46 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
In fact, after enough exposure to American journalism, I think a lot of people come across the Daily Mail and mistake it for something fairly benign.
posted by brennen at 2:46 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
I had a cat who lived to be 19, and she looked like a Ray Harryhausen model of a cat in her last years.
I've known two other cats who made it to 20, and they were both really creaky-looking, cranky little sacks of fur and bones. So I think someone is teasing the Daily Mail here.
posted by vickyverky at 2:52 PM on January 9, 2011 [4 favorites]
I've known two other cats who made it to 20, and they were both really creaky-looking, cranky little sacks of fur and bones. So I think someone is teasing the Daily Mail here.
posted by vickyverky at 2:52 PM on January 9, 2011 [4 favorites]
This makes me want to fly out to California and hug the cat I first met in 1989, when she was nine weeks old and I was nine years old (I thought this was very cool: a tiny cat in a box in my lap on the way home from school today!) My stepmom has her in her Facebook profile picture and Copy (*) is downright elderly looking these days. More elderly than this cat.
Would the Daily Mail give me money if I lied and said I was born in 1960 and Copy will thus be 42 years old this May? Just so it's all on the table, I'm willing to dye my hair grey and wear dowdier clothing for the interview. Alternatively, I can show them my time machine. You know, two stories for the price of one. And both so believable!
(*) I helped pick the name. I was nine years old, and she was found in a Xerox factory. Also, I was nine years old.
posted by SMPA at 2:58 PM on January 9, 2011
Would the Daily Mail give me money if I lied and said I was born in 1960 and Copy will thus be 42 years old this May? Just so it's all on the table, I'm willing to dye my hair grey and wear dowdier clothing for the interview. Alternatively, I can show them my time machine. You know, two stories for the price of one. And both so believable!
(*) I helped pick the name. I was nine years old, and she was found in a Xerox factory. Also, I was nine years old.
posted by SMPA at 2:58 PM on January 9, 2011
We just like talking about kitties, even if it involves the Daily Mail. Even I'm addicted, because I have the world's most useless cat who's obese and can't be arsed to poop inside the box and vomits on the rug twice a week and is also cross-eyed and apparently mentally challenged. And yet here I am, talking about him. Probably those cat poop parasites are responsible.
posted by emjaybee at 3:02 PM on January 9, 2011 [6 favorites]
posted by emjaybee at 3:02 PM on January 9, 2011 [6 favorites]
OLDASS CAT WITH STUCK CAPSLOCK-LIKE TYPING DETECTED
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:19 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
posted by RobotVoodooPower at 3:19 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
SMPA, I think you might have a good chance of getting the Daily Mail to run a story that Copy is actually one of the surviving members of the first cat cloning experiments. What Xerox was doing in its secret basement labs is still classified. Sure it was a copier factory.
posted by birdherder at 3:32 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by birdherder at 3:32 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Whatever happened to the MeFi "rule" that talking about your pet requires a picture of said pet?
I'll be patiently waiting over there ------>
posted by jenny76 at 3:36 PM on January 9, 2011
I'll be patiently waiting over there ------>
posted by jenny76 at 3:36 PM on January 9, 2011
Whatever happened to the MeFi "rule" that talking about your pet requires a picture of said pet?
Here's the obligatory picture of my brother's cat.
posted by vorfeed at 3:39 PM on January 9, 2011
Here's the obligatory picture of my brother's cat.
posted by vorfeed at 3:39 PM on January 9, 2011
Whatever happened to the MeFi "rule" that talking about your pet requires a picture of said pet?
Oh well, only one picture, but it's attached to his Twitter stream (run by my roommate, I have nothing to do with it).
posted by emjaybee at 3:46 PM on January 9, 2011
Oh well, only one picture, but it's attached to his Twitter stream (run by my roommate, I have nothing to do with it).
posted by emjaybee at 3:46 PM on January 9, 2011
A spokesman for Guinness World Records said there was no entry for the world's oldest cat.
There used to be one, I'm sure. I remembering reading, some time in the 1980s, that the record-holder was a British moggie named "Puss", who lived to be 36.
posted by acb at 3:48 PM on January 9, 2011
There used to be one, I'm sure. I remembering reading, some time in the 1980s, that the record-holder was a British moggie named "Puss", who lived to be 36.
posted by acb at 3:48 PM on January 9, 2011
"Talking about your pet requires a picture -- " Cool. This was Zach.
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:55 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 3:55 PM on January 9, 2011
Obligatory picture of my babe. I had to put him down at the beginning of December after 19.5 wonderful years together. I miss him so. RIP Storm.
posted by Fuego at 4:15 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
posted by Fuego at 4:15 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Mary who lived to be 21 and Jessie who lived to be 20 were litter mates born the year before I was. (these photos are circa 1971 when the cats were 3 years old.)
Stinky who lived to be 19, and really looked it at the end.
posted by vespabelle at 4:17 PM on January 9, 2011
Stinky who lived to be 19, and really looked it at the end.
posted by vespabelle at 4:17 PM on January 9, 2011
The cat must be an animagus. Curiously long-lived for a common house cat. He got all his digits?
posted by chimaera at 5:06 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by chimaera at 5:06 PM on January 9, 2011
hal9k This comes at a sensitive time for me as I had to put down my 2 year old cat yesterday.
"Damn, you are a stupid cat" I said.
2 years old or 18 years old (my old man), it's the same.
Condolences.
posted by jgaiser at 5:10 PM on January 9, 2011
"Damn, you are a stupid cat" I said.
2 years old or 18 years old (my old man), it's the same.
Condolences.
posted by jgaiser at 5:10 PM on January 9, 2011
BitterOldPunk, you KNOW your cat will at least outlive YOU.
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:11 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by oneswellfoop at 5:11 PM on January 9, 2011
Here's a picture of Al, the Best Cat Ever. He's at least a gazillion times more adorable in person.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:15 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:15 PM on January 9, 2011
♫ When they're scared go and comfort them! ♫
Now that's a nice old cat.
I would favourite all of the cat photos here, but I only have so many favourites allotted to me in my natural life-span.
posted by ovvl at 5:16 PM on January 9, 2011
Now that's a nice old cat.
I would favourite all of the cat photos here, but I only have so many favourites allotted to me in my natural life-span.
posted by ovvl at 5:16 PM on January 9, 2011
oneswellfoop: you are probably right.
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:17 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by BitterOldPunk at 5:17 PM on January 9, 2011
My oldest ones made it to 17, and looked like little vacuum-cleaner bag contents by the end. I cannot decide which picture to post, and am distracted because my daughter just texted me a picture of her cat eating pizza.
We are all going to hell in a handbasket.
posted by Peach at 5:50 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
We are all going to hell in a handbasket.
posted by Peach at 5:50 PM on January 9, 2011 [2 favorites]
We are all going to hell in a handbasket.
Nonsense, this is a fantastic thread compared to SOME I CAN THINK OF and it didn't even require a gold star. Or a particular liking of cats, for that matter.
posted by norm at 6:33 PM on January 9, 2011
Nonsense, this is a fantastic thread compared to SOME I CAN THINK OF and it didn't even require a gold star. Or a particular liking of cats, for that matter.
posted by norm at 6:33 PM on January 9, 2011
Evidence that cat is really old - it doesn't have Twitter, like all the cool cats these days. Or at least my cats.
posted by thecjm at 6:55 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by thecjm at 6:55 PM on January 9, 2011
Do a lot of people in the US go out of there way to source crappy journalism from other countries?
I didn't have to go out of my way, I didn't have to go anywhere, that's one of the cool things about the internet. Aren't Americans accused of ignoring the rest of the world too often?
posted by longsleeves at 6:58 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
I didn't have to go out of my way, I didn't have to go anywhere, that's one of the cool things about the internet. Aren't Americans accused of ignoring the rest of the world too often?
posted by longsleeves at 6:58 PM on January 9, 2011 [1 favorite]
Hmm...must not be a very curious cat.
posted by AugustWest at 7:05 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by AugustWest at 7:05 PM on January 9, 2011
Buckaroo Banzai (on left, this picture is three years old) will be 19 in a couple of months. He's slowed down a lot in the last year, but is still a happy cat. He is one skinny kitty.
posted by warbaby at 7:18 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by warbaby at 7:18 PM on January 9, 2011
My cats. The black one is a former stray, probably around 8 years old. Cody, the tabby, is 10 years old. He has such a wonderful personality & just loves people. He greets everyone and loves attention.
posted by mike3k at 8:17 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by mike3k at 8:17 PM on January 9, 2011
At 38 a cat would less resemble lucy than they would Buttonhole from The Kids in the Hall's Death Comes to Town.
posted by munchingzombie at 8:49 PM on January 9, 2011
posted by munchingzombie at 8:49 PM on January 9, 2011
Bucket is about 7. He scares away mid sized dogs when necessary, kills mice for the intellectual fun of it, makes art out of bread twist-ties, trains for some short-track indoor apartment sprint Championship that I'm beginning to expect will never happen, and still finds plenty of time to demonstrate to me how much better he is at being lazy.
I hope he lives to 39.
posted by localhuman at 9:38 PM on January 9, 2011
I hope he lives to 39.
posted by localhuman at 9:38 PM on January 9, 2011
Gary's about 10 months old (and already 12 pounds). He plays fetch.
posted by dersins at 1:26 AM on January 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
posted by dersins at 1:26 AM on January 10, 2011 [3 favorites]
I consider Mr. The Cat, at the ripening age of almost-14, to be doing just fine, then. He caught and killed a mouse today, placed it neatly next to his food dish and then ran around bragging about it. It is reassuring to know he's still got enough of the ol' mouser in him when his regular routine usually just involves sleeping, dozing, napping, and waking me up in the middle of the night just to say hi. He also plays fetch but only with an old badge lanyard snap, and he likes knocking superballs down the stairs to hear the thuds.
(I am now quite surprised, after searching to make sure I hadn't yammered on about him here before, to discover he was featured on the blue many years ago before I joined up. Um, wow. Does this give him honorary MeFi's Own status?)
posted by Spatch at 1:47 AM on January 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
(I am now quite surprised, after searching to make sure I hadn't yammered on about him here before, to discover he was featured on the blue many years ago before I joined up. Um, wow. Does this give him honorary MeFi's Own status?)
posted by Spatch at 1:47 AM on January 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
My cat is born in 1994, recently went deaf on his left ear and is hard of hearing in the other, has had 9 teeth pulled and is deemed too weak (liver) to undergo another anesthesia to fix the remaining ones. He sleeps loads.
But apart from that, he still looks like a kitten, with no saggy belly and fluffy fur. On good days he'll act like one too. I'm convinced that if he never had teeth issues he'd be a much healthier specimen and go on forever. Last time he brought me a mouse was last summer. :)
posted by dabitch at 3:26 AM on January 10, 2011
But apart from that, he still looks like a kitten, with no saggy belly and fluffy fur. On good days he'll act like one too. I'm convinced that if he never had teeth issues he'd be a much healthier specimen and go on forever. Last time he brought me a mouse was last summer. :)
posted by dabitch at 3:26 AM on January 10, 2011
A friend of mine had a tomcat named Bad. He acquired the cat in question when it was already post-adolescent and fully grown, so at least 12 months old. (I knew Bad for most of his last decade.) After bad-puss died, he checked his diary and confirmed that he'd had the animal for just over 22 years. So Bad was probably 23-24 years old at death.
Up until age 20 Bad was still terrorizing the neighbourhood's up and coming tomcats, although he spent most of his last 2-3 years snoozing indoors.
posted by cstross at 4:37 AM on January 10, 2011
Up until age 20 Bad was still terrorizing the neighbourhood's up and coming tomcats, although he spent most of his last 2-3 years snoozing indoors.
posted by cstross at 4:37 AM on January 10, 2011
My 22 year old cat was just put to sleep. Very tough cat. At his death he had about six teeth and was stone deaf.
posted by judson at 6:39 AM on January 10, 2011
posted by judson at 6:39 AM on January 10, 2011
Cats that are kept strictly as indoor only cats stand a better chance of living to a ripe old age than cats that are allowed outside.
Looks at three year old cat biting foot.
Looks at door.
posted by orme at 9:28 AM on January 10, 2011
Looks at three year old cat biting foot.
Looks at door.
posted by orme at 9:28 AM on January 10, 2011
Except the cat's markings are identical in both photographs. I think that's far too uncatty to pass off as coincidence or even inheritance.
I see what you did there. :)
posted by The Biggest Dreamer at 9:34 AM on January 10, 2011
I see what you did there. :)
posted by The Biggest Dreamer at 9:34 AM on January 10, 2011
Lucy the Cat clearly inspired Henry the Cat, who was born in 2007 and died in 2006, giving him fourteen happy years in between. Lucy's just aiming a little higher.
posted by christopherious at 10:47 AM on January 10, 2011
posted by christopherious at 10:47 AM on January 10, 2011
My friends' cat Gomez lived to be into his mid twenties, maybe older. Nobody knew how old he was when he appeared in the alley behind H&H in downtown Baltimore in the late 80s and was scooped up and adopted by my friend. He died in 08 or 09 and he was skinny skinny and whoa, horribly smelly.
This is Okra who is only 2 and we hope she will live a long long time.
posted by mygothlaundry at 11:15 AM on January 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
This is Okra who is only 2 and we hope she will live a long long time.
posted by mygothlaundry at 11:15 AM on January 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
Okra looks sneaky. I don't trust her. [NOT-SIAMESIST]
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:22 AM on January 10, 2011
posted by BitterOldPunk at 11:22 AM on January 10, 2011
....Heh. This is actually a pleasant thread; I'm remembering that even in the midst of Zach's final (and, actually ONLY) illness, he was really tough.
I first noticed something was wrong when he stopped eating in early July, which for him was wacky; at first we thought his appetite was related to a kidney syndrome he was developing (it was really early-stage, and just changing his food seemed to be helping suppress that). After a couple weeks of trying to kick up his appetite -- to no avail -- I brought him in for another visit, where the vet said she would do a blood test and urinalysis again to check the kidney function, and then check him over carefully to see if anything else was going on. She took him into a back room for the blood and urine collection.
I heard several loud and angry yowls, and a couple pleas for assistance, from the back room over the next few minutes.
My vet returned with Zach about five minutes later. One of her shirttails was now undone, and her hair was mussed. And as she handed him to me, all she said was, "well, he certainly seems feisty...."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:37 AM on January 10, 2011
I first noticed something was wrong when he stopped eating in early July, which for him was wacky; at first we thought his appetite was related to a kidney syndrome he was developing (it was really early-stage, and just changing his food seemed to be helping suppress that). After a couple weeks of trying to kick up his appetite -- to no avail -- I brought him in for another visit, where the vet said she would do a blood test and urinalysis again to check the kidney function, and then check him over carefully to see if anything else was going on. She took him into a back room for the blood and urine collection.
I heard several loud and angry yowls, and a couple pleas for assistance, from the back room over the next few minutes.
My vet returned with Zach about five minutes later. One of her shirttails was now undone, and her hair was mussed. And as she handed him to me, all she said was, "well, he certainly seems feisty...."
posted by EmpressCallipygos at 11:37 AM on January 10, 2011
This is Okra
Oh, she's beautiful. I love siameseses.
So does Gary.
posted by dersins at 11:54 AM on January 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
Oh, she's beautiful. I love siameseses.
So does Gary.
posted by dersins at 11:54 AM on January 10, 2011 [2 favorites]
BitterOldPunk wrote "My cat will live forever."
My cat lived to be 9. Blood clots did him in. I miss him. His brother (littermate) does too. He turns 10 next month. He appreciates our desire to ensure he has a playmate but does not want anything to do with my 1.5 yr old son, thankyouverymuch. Just some loving pets when baby is in bed, and we sit and remember his brother.
posted by caution live frogs at 1:21 PM on January 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
My cat lived to be 9. Blood clots did him in. I miss him. His brother (littermate) does too. He turns 10 next month. He appreciates our desire to ensure he has a playmate but does not want anything to do with my 1.5 yr old son, thankyouverymuch. Just some loving pets when baby is in bed, and we sit and remember his brother.
posted by caution live frogs at 1:21 PM on January 10, 2011 [1 favorite]
Thank you for the comments on this thread. I've been dealing with the death of my cat for about a month now and sharing about him and hearing other people's experiences with their old kittehs has been really healing. We've all been blessed by the love and joy that our furry family members have given us.
posted by Fuego at 2:23 PM on January 10, 2011
posted by Fuego at 2:23 PM on January 10, 2011
This is Okra who is only 2 and we hope she will live a long long time.
Completely gorgeous Siamese. Resembles a youthful version of my nearly 13-year-old meezer Mookie, whose fur doubles in darkness every 4 years or so.
posted by porn in the woods at 2:50 PM on January 10, 2011
Completely gorgeous Siamese. Resembles a youthful version of my nearly 13-year-old meezer Mookie, whose fur doubles in darkness every 4 years or so.
posted by porn in the woods at 2:50 PM on January 10, 2011
These are my 16-year-old babies, as featured in these thrilling items.
The One Cat Demolition Team (OCDT) is currently in renal failure, and grumpily tolerating a daily infusion of subcutaneous fluid. I suspect the Fat Man may be next on the drip, alas. But they are both lovely and lively, and talkative and bossy.
posted by toodleydoodley at 3:28 PM on January 10, 2011
The One Cat Demolition Team (OCDT) is currently in renal failure, and grumpily tolerating a daily infusion of subcutaneous fluid. I suspect the Fat Man may be next on the drip, alas. But they are both lovely and lively, and talkative and bossy.
posted by toodleydoodley at 3:28 PM on January 10, 2011
The house two doors down from us has a Maine coon cat named T2 who is 21. He looks a little like an anorexic Wilford Brimley, if you can imagine such a thing, and is incredibly friendly. When we moved into the place last year, he was sitting outside and I said something like, "That's the oldest, meanest-looking cat I've ever seen! I'm going to go make friends with it!" I hopped out of the car, said something like "Hey kitty, kitty" and he meowed loudly and walked right up to me like a friendly dog. I love Maine Coons.
posted by infinitywaltz at 3:28 PM on January 10, 2011
posted by infinitywaltz at 3:28 PM on January 10, 2011
My parents took in Chloe when she was a sick and mucus-y kitten. The cold/infection seriously messed up her sinuses/respiratory system so she sounds like this: "GRRRRRRRRRRRKKKKKK snrrrrrrrrft GRRRRRRK." My uncle the vet took one look at her and told them she wouldn't live very long. She's 13 years old now and aside from a few grey hairs, looks exactly the same as she did when she recovered from her illness. She freaks me the fuck out.
posted by Rora at 5:56 PM on January 10, 2011
posted by Rora at 5:56 PM on January 10, 2011
Cora is just about 19.5. She still runs around like a lunatic.
posted by sdn at 10:03 PM on January 10, 2011
posted by sdn at 10:03 PM on January 10, 2011
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This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments
He said: 'My aunt saw the cat and could not believe her eyes.
'She could remember Lucy scampering around maria's fish and chip shop when she was a kitten back in 1972. We knew she was old - but not that old.'
Really? I mean, really? So we're thinking it's more likely that a) the cat lived 3 times as long as any other cat in the world than b) maybe just maybe the elderly lady mistook it for a different cat?
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:08 AM on January 9, 2011 [4 favorites]