The World's Oldest Cat?

Hi ya! Been out on the prowl, have you? Nah...I didn't think so. Just kitten...I mean kidding. Fill your mug and hoist a virtual megamuffin onto your plate while I tell you about Waddy.

Wadsworth, the golden-eyed tuxedo cat, began life as a sickly runt who was abandoned at an English pub called Horse and Jockey. The pub owner Ann Munday found the wobbly pathetic-looking kitten and brought him home. ”He was a tiny and very poor little thing, so it’s a miracle he has survived,” reminisced Ann on Wadsworth’s most recent birthday.

Wadsworth turned 27!

At 27 years old, Wadsworth is likely the oldest cat in the world. Because Waddy, as he is affectionately known, has had only one owner (other than the uncaring people who threw him out as a newborn kitten), and has seen the same vet for the past 27 years, Ms. Munday has the vet records to prove her cat’s elderly status.

Acorn House Vets, which sees Wadsworth regularly now due to his advanced age, says he is is the oldest cat their practice has ever seen. Waddy was healthy throughout his life despite being a runt, but now he has developed hyperthyroidism, hence his monthly vet visits. “He does not appreciate being blood tested,” said the vet, ”so we keep these to a minimum, but Mrs Munday does a fantastic job of treating him, and he is very stable on the medication. He is a great character and we all enjoy seeing him.”
Ann said “I’ve always had cats, but he is an absolute dream, and he has been a fantastic companion since my husband died 13 years ago.”

At nearly three decades old, Waddy is unsurprisingly slowing down. Ann notices, “he doesn’t really play anymore,” but she is quick to add that he clearly still enjoys life. “Now he is like a little old man and mainly sleeps and eats. He has some ailments but he still gets up on my bed and the table.” And he still insists on sharing Fish-n-Chips with Ann. ”If I get fish and chips I always get him a bit of fish – he doesn’t like the chips,” she said.

At 27 – or 125 in human years – Wadsworth is in the sunset phase of his life, but I hope he and Ann will have each other for a least a few more years to come. 

If he is very lucky, he can live another eleven years, and outlive Cream Puff, the Texan cat that currently holds the world record for oldest cat ever. Cream Puff lived until age 38!

They say cats have nine lives. If Waddy hasn't used his up, there's a good chance he'll make it. Have to wait and see.

See ya, eh!

Bob