World’s oldest cat (???) celebrates his 27th birthday

I’m Not Old, I’m Vintage

According to Telegraph.co.uk, 27-year-old “Mischief” — who some think might be the World’s Oldest Cat — is still living up to his name even though he’s slowed down a bit in recent years according to his guardians, Chris and Donna Thorne of St Austell, Cornwall.

The Guinness World Records has confirmed there is no record holder in the UK at the moment but the previous oldest UK cat was 29. 33-year-old Mrs Thorne says, “It’s amazing – he just keeps going on and on.”

Mr Thorne, 51, got Mischief as a kitten in 1981. He has photographs of Mischief at just a few months old being cuddled at Christmas that same year. Almost 30 years later, Mischief is still an integral part of the Thorne family, and their 20-month-old baby, Skye, reportedly adores him.

“She loves him to bits,” said Mrs Thorne. “When he eventually goes we’ll have to get another one because she’ll be devastated.”

According to Mrs Thorne, “He may be 27 but he still manages to jump over the stair gate and he’s round your ankles constantly for food. He’s an indoor cat now, and he’s losing big clumps of fur, but he’s still going.”

A spokesman from Guinness World Records said a ginger cat called Spike was the last feline to hold the title of UK’s oldest cat but Spike died in 2001 and there has not been an official record holder since. He encouraged Mr and Mrs Thorne to contact Guinness World Records.

The oldest cat ever recorded is Texas cat, Creme Puff, who was born on August 3, 1967 and lived until August 6, 2005 — an astonishing 38 years and three days.

(Anybody think it’s a little funny that Mr Thorne married a woman only a couple of years older than his cat?)