Bournemouth - Chasing mice is a distant memory, and her fur isn’t as fluffy as it used to be.
But at the grand age of 24, Poppy has reason to celebrate - after being crowned the oldest cat in the world.
Guinness World Records announced that the tortoiseshell pet has clocked up 114 “cat years” since her birth in February 1990.
Owner Jacqui West, from Bournemouth, said Poppy’s longevity is down to lots of exercise, a good diet and a few treats, including Kentucky Fried Chicken and fish and chips.
Poppy has won the title of oldest living cat after the death of Pinky from Kansas last year at 23. A cat’s typical life expectancy is 12 to 15 years. The formula for calculating “cat years” is based on their physical and sexual maturity in the first two years of life equating roughly to 25 years in a human. After that, each additional three months equates to one cat year.
West, 43, who lives with husband Andy and sons Joe, 11, and Toby, eight, said Poppy is still “top cat” among the family’s five felines, despite being deaf and blind.
“We are so pleased that she is still with us,” she said. - Daily Mail