How long can a domestic cat live, on average? Cat people's typical answer to this question is: not long enough! However, according to vets, a housecat who is well taken care of should live with its owner for about 12 to 15 years. Nevertheless, some cats have lived longer than the average expected lifespan. In other words, these cats have superaged. Throughout the United States, many cat owners have cherished and loved their feline family members for many years. As a result, these cats have had long lives.
These long-lived felines hail from all backgrounds and breeds, and there doesn’t seem to be any one thing in common that led to these cats' long lives. However, the only thing the owners of these cats share is that they love and provide the best possible care for their cats. Whit that in mind, let's look at a few of the world's oldest cats that ever lived in the United States. And perhaps yours might be in line to join them.
1. Creme Puff - Oldest Cat Ever
- Date of Birth: August 3, 1967
- Date of Death: August 6, 2005
- Age: 38 years, 3 days
- Breed: Tabby mix
- Sex: Female
Creme Puff was the oldest domestic cat ever recorded in the United States by Guinness World Records. She lived with her owner, Jake Perry of Austin, Texas, United States. According to GWR, Puff passed away at the golden age of 38 years and three days. According to Perry, Puff's owner, the cat got an eyedropper full of red wine every two days. Perry claimed that the wine "circulated the arteries." Her diet included coffee with cream, turkey bacon, eggs, and turkey bacon. Perry claimed that this diet contributed to the cat's long life. In addition, the cat was kept very active within her owner's home.
2. Baby
- Date of Birth: 1970
- Date of Death: March 2008
- Age: 38 years
- Breed: Black DSH
- Sex: Male
The second oldest cat ever recorded in the United States was a black domestic short-haired male cat named Baby. He lived with his owner, Al Palusky, in St. Louis County, Minnesota. According to Al, the cat had never stepped out of the house where he was born until he reached 28 years of age. Baby was eventually declawed after Al's new wife moved into the house and complained about the cat scratching the furniture. The feline hid behind furniture when they came over because he didn't like kids. According to online records, Baby passed away at the age of 38 in March 2008. Al attributes the cat’s long life to the exercise he gets every day.
3. Granpa Rexs Allen
- Date of Birth: February 1, 1964
- Date of Death: April 1, 1998
- Age: 34 years, 2 months
- Breed: Sphynx-Devon Rex
- Sex: Male
Granpa Rexs Allen was another cat owned by Jake Perry, Creme Puff's owner from Texas. Although Puff is globally known as the oldest cat to ever live, Granpa was the first one of Perry's cats to ever break the Guinness World Records. Born in Paris, Texas, Granpa passed away on 1 April 1998 at the age of 34 years and 59 days. In 1999, Cats & Kittens magazine posthumously crowned Granpa as Cat of the Year.
4. Tiger
- Date of Birth: July 1988
- Date of Death: July 22, 2020
- Age: 32 years
- Breed: Ginger tabby
- Sex: Male
Tiger was a ginger tabby cat who lived with his owner, Robert Goldstein, in Spring Grove, a village in McHenry County, Illinois. During his life, Tiger enjoyed sitting on top of his owner’s vehicle and loved drinking water from the bathtub. At the age of 31, he was known as the oldest cat in the state of Illinois, according to Reddit. The nickname Lincoln was given to him because the animal was about the same color as a penny. Furthermore, Tiger's best friend was a pit bull.
5. Scooter the cat
- Date of Birth: March 26, 1986
- Date of Death: April 8, 2016
- Age: 30 years, 13 days
- Breed: Siamese cat
- Sex: Male
Scooter was a male Siamese cat who lived with his owner, Gail Floyd, of Mansfield, Texas. On April 8, 2016, Guinness confirmed Scooter's title as the world's oldest living cat. However, the cat had already died by the time his title was confirmed, according to a BBC report. According to a local vet, Doctor Tricia Latimer, the cat had lived to the equivalent of approximately 136 human years. Owner Gail said the cat was active and busy by traveling, which contributed to his long life. Gail said Scooter had been to 45 of the 50 states in America. Furthermore, Scooter loved snacking on chicken every other day and getting blow-dried after baths.
6. Squeak
- Date of Birth: 1987
- Date of Death: Unknown
- Age: 29 years
- Breed: Calico cat
- Sex: Female
Squeak is/was a Calico cat owned by a Johnson City, Tennessee couple, Thomas and Dixie Hylton. In 2016, Thomas and Dixie, who believed that their 29-year-old Squeak may be the oldest cat in the world, asked Guinness to verify the record. However, Guinness Records is yet to confirm Squeak’s age.
7. Tiffany Two
- Date of Birth: March 13, 1988
- Date of Death: May 22, 2015
- Age: 27 years, 70 days
- Breed: Tortoiseshell cat
- Sex: Female
Tiffany Two was a Tortoiseshell cat owned by Sharon Voorhees, of San Diego, California. The cat, who resided mainly indoors, enjoyed a variety of diets including both wet and dry food. Sharon told GWR that she bought Tiffany Two as a six-week-old kitten for $10 from a local pet shop in 1988. Sharon said she also bought two canine friends, born around the same time. Unfortunately, the two dogs died many years ago, with Tiffany outliving them by a few years. On May 22, 2015, Tiffany Two died in her sleep at the age of 27 years and 70 days.
8. Corduroy
- Date of Birth: August 1, 1989
- Date of Death: October 2016
- Age: 27 years
- Breed: Tabby
- Sex: Male
Corduroy was a Tabby cat who lived with his owner, Ashley Okura, in Deschutes County, Oregon, U.S. At the age of 27, Corduroy was crowned the world's oldest living cat. In October 2016, Corduroy ran outside as soon as his owner arrived home and opened the door. Since then, the cat had never returned. In December 2016, the cat's owners presumed their pet dead and subsequently posted an emotional tribute to him on Instagram. According to a few cat people, some cats like to sneak off to a secret place to pass on to the next realm to spare the family from more grief.
9. Hobo
- Date of Birth: 1986
- Date of Death: October 2012
- Age: 26 years
- Breed: DSH
- Sex: Female
Hobo was a domestic short-haired cat who lived with her owner in Lake Charles, Louisiana. She was known as the oldest in the State of Louisiana at the age of 26. In addition, Hobo was the inspiration behind a cat shelter called the 'Hobo Hotel.'
