For Rubble the cat, he’s lived a pretty good–and long–life. His owner, Michele Foster, of Exeter, Devon, England took him in as a kitten in 1988. And for the past 30 years, she’s called him her best fur friend. Now, we can all share in the celebration of the world’s oldest living cat!
A Comparison of Rubble Then And Now:
Some cats have lived remarkably long lives, but on average a cat who resides exclusively indoors typically lives for 13 to 17 years on average. So it goes without saying that this milestone birthday is most impressive!
“He’s a lovely cat, although he has got a little grumpy in his old age. I got him just before my 20th birthday when he was a kitten,” says Foster. He was part of a litter cat that my sister’s friend had and I had just left home. I was lonely living on my own so got him in as a kitten. It was in May 1988.”
If you’re wondering just how old Rubble would be in human years, it’s predicted that he is somewhere around 137–whoa!!
Rubble as a wee kitten, 1988
For his special day, Rubble was treated to a party at his veterinarian’s office, complete with balloons and a free wellness checkup, along with his favorite cat food!
Foster and Rubble celebrating his special day at the vet’s office
Many of you might know of Creme Puff out of Texas who was the oldest living cat ever on record, who was born on August 3, 1967, and lived until August 6, 2005 – an amazing 38 years and three days.
Creme Puff circa 1996. Image courtesy of Wikipedia
And despite his ripe old age of 137 in human equivalent years, Rubble is in great physical health:
“He is on medication for his blood pressure but apart from that, he is in remarkably good health.”
Rubble the bday boy!
But when Foster was asked about the possibility of taking the world’s oldest title for her feline friend, she says she has no interest in doing so:
“He has plenty of life left in him yet, but I don’t think we will go down the Guinness World Record route as I am not sure he would like lots of people coming to see him or a fuss being made out of him. Rubble is old now and would not like too much attention or be hassled. We would prefer if he was just left to live out his old age in peace.”
And given how handsome and healthy Rubble is, we feel like she’s respecting his wishes and he’s most grateful for it. Maine Coon cats are well-known for their magnificent coats and striking appearance, and Rubble is still a looker even though he’s a super senior feline!
Such a handsome mate!
How Does Rubble Compare To Other Super Senior Cats?
The previous world’s oldest living cat in the Britain—Nutmeg from Tyne and Wear—died in September 2017. Rubble has now matched the age of Scooter, a Siamese who also achieved the age of 30. Scooter was also recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records but sadly died in his 30th year.
So what is Foster’s secret for helping her feline best friend to live his best (and longest!) life possible? Well, here’s what she says…
“If you care about something and someone and really love them, that goes a long way. I have always treated him like a child – I don’t have any children and had another cat called Meg – who passed at the age of 25. If you care about something, no matter what it is, it does last.”
Another throwback of this handsome Maine Coon cat…
What’s your “world’s oldest” cat you’ve ever had in your life? My ginger tabby from childhood, Pookie, lived to be 16 years of age. I was grateful for every moment we had together. Share with us in the comments section and tell us about your super senior kitties!
REMEMBER: ADOPT, DON’T SHOP; FOSTERING SAVES LIVES & SPAY AND NEUTER!
Related Story: Senior Cat Finds The Purrfect Retirement Home After Owner Moves Into Assisted Living–In Florida Of Course!
Related Story: 103 Year Old Woman’s Only Birthday Wish Comes True
I have had one kitty, Tani, (my little Gitana), who lived to 18 1/2 ..she was smart, feisty, spoiled and the most adorable little beauty you could ever imagine. I showered her with love and attention, and was devastated when she was diagnosed with mouth cancer, for which there is no treatment or cure. I miss her companionship and antics so very much, and can only pray that she is having fun and getting lots of treats, up there, over the Rainbow Bridge. They are all special, unique and wonderful!
Zizi, , I also had a kitty (Spice) that was diagnosed with mouth cancer at the age of about 19. She was spicey and feisty and I sure loved her. I couldn’t bear to see her suffer any longer so I had to say good bye. This was in .September of 2017.
My precious kitty, Sugar lived to be about 18 and she passed from kidney failure in July of 2016. Spice sure missed her too for the next year that she was with me.
I have since adopted another kitty (Baby Boo) that I rescued. I think she can feel Sugar and Spice’s spirits here sometime. She’s a sweet, loving kitty and I fell in love with her instantly.
My kitty spice lived to 20 years and she died a few months before her 21st bday. She was a tortoiseshell and so sweet. She died in 2014 two days after my Maine Coone named Jasmine died at 18 years shy of her 19 th bday. I miss them both so much.
My Chyna right now is 18 1/2.. Ive had her all but 6months of her life… Shes getting a little cranky now, but then again shes had a long adventurious life.. Still plenty of life in my baby girl.
zizi I completely understand your sadness. My 15 y/o Cyrano was just so healthy and loving and calm. He minded me when I needed him to “ get down” or “stop whining”. We went together to heal my many health issues.He got a very small sore on his cheek and I thought my female may have bit him. I used triple antibiotic and it got bigger. After 2 vet trips they gave us antibiotics and there was NO WAY that was going to let me get that in his mouth.The next vet visit they did a biopsy and it had spread to the back of his mouth. IT was malignant ! On that day the vet said his mouth looked like raw hamburger. He never stopped eating and never acted like he was in pain.
It was the hardest decision to euthanize him.
So please accept my sincere condolences
My girl Sara lived to be 21. We got her from the Humane Society as a kitten.
My oldest cat was Mr Mietzig. He was 19 years and one week. He died 2 weeks ago and I miss him badly
So sorry for your loss. No matter how long they live, it’s never long enough. ?
What a beautiful long life for him! Sending you love, I’m sorry for your loss.
YAAAY!!! MUCH LOVE, AND A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO RUBBLE!!! LOVE & FISHES, AMANDA, HALLIE-BERRIE AND CALLIE-CAT!!!!
My oldest kitty, to date, has been Ms. Kitty (after “Gun Smoke’s” Ms. Kitty, ’cause she was that sassy!). She lived to be 19 years, 10 months, and 4 days. I inherited her when she was 16 from my friend who died from cancer. I promised him that I would take care for and spoil her as best I could. She came with dental problems, CKD, and arthritis. But you know, she was worth every penny and ever second of my time. I loved her as if she had been with me her entire life. It’s been nearly 2 years now and I still miss her.
Happy Birthday, Rubble!
He’s a handsome guy! Would you please share what you’ve been feeding Rubble?
Thanks!
My first cat lived to be 17 years old. She passed in 1980. My second cat lived to be 17 and a half and he died in June 2001. My husband had his own cat when we got married and his kitty was 17 years old when we married in 1993. I got to enjoy his cat for two years before she died at the age of 19. We both took in four feral kitties that we fed in our backyard. We weren’t sure how old they were when we got them in the house. One of the cats was estimated to be about nine years old when she came indoors. It was obvious she had been abandoned since she had an old collar around her neck. She lived eight years with us before she died of renal failure. We took in a Tortie who was estimated to be about 15 years old when she passed over the Rainbow Bridge. Another tabby cat we took in turned out to be pregnant and gave birth to four kittens six weeks after we got her in the house. Turned out she was Feline Leukemia positive. She gave the disease to her kittens and we lost the mother and kittens slowly over the course of two years to the disease….that was a very rough two years. The last feral cat we took in is a Maine Coon tabby that we estimate was about four years old when she came inside to live with us in December 2004. She is still alive today at a very healthy 19 years old. With the exception of taking blood pressure medicine and Famotidine for IBS, she is in wonderful shape. We love her very much.
My Inky lived to be almost 22 and his secret was that he loved water his whole life. Now Buddy Budd is pushing 20 and he has the same love so we shall see. Congrats to Rubble and we hope you have a few or many more years with your loving Mom.
Our kitty Kala is 22, rescued from shelter at 4 months (she & her litter mates were being used to train fighting dogs ?). Her brother Jake is 17, born to a feral mom in our back yard. We give a B12 shot once a week but not on any meds. Our Kala has arthritis, sees a veterinary chiropractor and that has helped keep her more mobile.
Shadoe lived to be 21 years old. Adopted litter mate sisters at 10 months and named them Sashi and Shadoe in 1997. Sashi passed at 16 and Shaddy lived 6 months after being diagnosed with lymphoma. After treating her with hospice care, I had to let her go in November 2018. She was my BFF and miss her so.
I currently have a cat who is seventeen years old. He is half Siamese and I don’t know what else. I got him at 6 weeks old and he has been an indoor cat all his life. He still has some get up and go and plays with his much younger sister who is probably four or five. Rescued her from my neighborhood.
My Mokers or Big Guy I like to call him because he used to weigh 30 pounds. Has lost weight in his old age.
I know I will be so sad and miss him terribly when his time comes to go. I hope I still have him a few more years.
I had a sweet tortoiseshell named “Little Kitty” that was the runt of her litter. My mother kept her for about 19 years. I took Little Kitty when my mom passed. The loss of my mom and the move was a lot for Little Kitty. She died of mouth cancer two years later at the ripe old age of 21. RIP Little Kitty.
My oldest kitty, Princess, lived to be 20. She was a stray, and just showed up at my door……..she was well loved……and missed, even today. (She never wanted to go outside again, ever……smart girl.)
Jasmine Lily lived to be 22 1/2. I adopted her when she was 1 year old. We grew old together.
We rescued a Siamese at 18 years old, to give him the loving, peaceful end he deserved. He was skin and bone and we expected to have him for a few months. We lost him 3 years later at 21. Those 3 years were an absolute honour. We were so lucky to be able to share his last years. He was a wonderful boy.
Great story! Thanks for bringing it to us. And thanks for all that you do for the whole furry world!
Cheers!
Bruce
Much as I hate doing this: it’s spelled “whoa”. “Woah” sounds like Yosemite Sam as the Confederate general in “Southern Bugs Bunny” saying the word “war”. (You realize, of course, that this means woah!” ?
We adopted “Doc” from the humane society who said he was picked up from a city street. We don’t know how old he was at that time but we had him for 21 years. He wanted to spend most of his time outside and he was quite the hunter. The older he got the more indoors and cuddly he became. It was very difficult when he became so infirm that we had to help him to the rainbow bridge. Always such a difficult step to take!
We got our beautiful ginger and white fluffy boy at 16 months old. At 18 he had triaditis and we thought we were losing him but he went on to live to 2 months off 21. ?? Amazing. My previous female cat lived to 15 (sadly then had cancer) and I had a rabbit who lived to 10 and a chinchilla who lived to 10. The secret – lots of love but I appreciate that some pets die younger because they get run over or have cancer or something similar and no amount of love will save them ?
My dad brought a ginger tabby home from the restaurant where he worked and he was maybe 5/6 weeks old and he lived to the age of 17 despite being given a tiny piece of chocolate when he heard the silver paper. Beautiful cat who would walk with my dad to his allotment, sit there until he’d finished and then home with him.
given the chance he would have followed me to school but my Mum kept him in until I’d gone
My first cat lived to the age of 19 and a half. I got her in May 1997, when I was 17 years old, and she passed in August 2016, after us spending more than half of my life together. I now have two cats, out of which one is turning (or has turned) 16 sometime during this year, and the other one is turning 16 next week. They have both gotten noticeably older during the past year or so, but they’re still playful and lively. They’re not interested in being outdoors much anymore but enjoy lying in the sun on the patio on warm days.
My little girl Sam lived two months shot of 21 and her sister was 17. They didn’t ask to come to my house, so I take on the responsibly to make sure they are happy and healthy. My little Sam was 4 lb 9 oz of cat, but a ton of love.
We rescued our cat Possum from the streets of Detroit when she was just over 2. One of the kids in the neighborhood had cared for the litter of strays on the streets and remembered she was born March 12, 2001. We moved in across the street in December 2003 and she was still living on the street. We took her in. We’ve since moved, but she’s still with us as of May 2019. She has HT, eats 4 times a day, does not take medication (had another super senior who didn’t do well on it) and jumps around like a kitten. We had another cat who passed in 2013, also a street stray, who was at least 20 years old according to vets.
My beautiful black kitty, Isis, lived with us for 22 years. She appeared in our carport as a kitten after a storm and we took her in. She looked just like the Egyptian cats pictured in ancient drawings with big bat ears and a slinky lithe body. She was black all over. That is how she got her name. She was tiny, only weighing about eight pounds, but she still presented us with four kittens before she was spayed. Her daughter, Casey, was ours for 17 years and was a great mouser. I am happy to say most of our cats have lived well into their teens but my dear Isis was our champ.
Dinky was 18 3/4 and her son Gizmo lived up to 17 1/2. When I looked at their pictures I feel warm inside. We loved them dearly and I know for sure they loved us back. Dinky was a real life saver. She protected me from someone. That was an awesome thing I will never forget. Animals are real friends for life!?
My baby girl (my name for her) Molly was 21, she passed away on 17 April 2019. So incredibly sadly.missedShe was my every day life.
My Ginger male tabby lived to the ripe old age of 22. His name was Twinkie was his name as he was orange all over except his white tummy. I loved him dearly.
Spectacular Natal Anniversary for Rubble!!
Fred, tuxedo female, came to us in very cold winter 1981. Immediate fondness for her grew into love (as with all we’ve cared for). She related very well to all in residence, feline & human alike. Over time she came to be The Grande Dame, senior member & Queen of Household. In later years she was medicated for kidney issues. She was 26 when we returned from an early Nov 2007 musical performance to find she’d left for the Rainbow Bridge. She had a great life with us, but we were heartbroken to lose her.
Bear Kitty was 21, his previous owner & father & mother smoked like chimneys. Second hand smoke took my Bear Kitty, a long haired large Manx, he died of tongue & throat cancer. Poor baby. I miss him terrible.
I have a brother-and-sister team, Kobe and Isis, who turned 17 this past February. Both of them, especially Kobe, still romp around as if they are youngsters, although Isis really enjoys snuggling in warm blankets on my bed. 😉 They are both healthy and I pray will remain that way for a few years longer. They are definitely my “fur babies” and I love them to the moon and back!!! (Oshawa, Ontario, Canada)
My ex daughter-in-law had 3 kittens when she was a baby & all three of them died within the same year at the age of 23….as was she !
Beautiful stories i have enjoyed reading. Happy Birthday Rubble ..so handsome x I love my cats…i do have children too . I have Maine Coons too and live on a farm…i hope they live to be oldies …it is such an honour to have them x
I am so thrilled that most comments claimed that you have super senior cats with you. Kudos to all of you who treat your pets like your own family and I do so but mine is only 7 years. #bekindtoanimals
Kätzischen Glückwunsch zum Wurftag Rubble-Kumpel …. schnurrrr … Happy Birthday old Buddy …. purrrrrrr
My Siamese, Tai Kwon Do, lived to be 24. I miss her so.
My first, Kit, only made it to 9, but back in the 50’s that wasn’t too bad as nobody had much money for vet care. Later I got Pooter, my soulmate … I had to send him to the Bridge just before his 23rd birthday. He survived thyroidectomy, diabetes, temporary blindness and kidney failure, finally giving in to embolus. His sister Sparrow was blinded by a medication error at 15, but remained able to hunt down sunbeams to bask in. She might have survived bladder cancer if she’s been diagnosed early, but I was told it was cystitis. I finally relieved her pain when she was 19 1/2. I took Dolly home with me when she was 17, and she had almost two very good years before dementia took away her quality of life. Now I have Missy, who was 14 until the vet checked her tattoo and said she’s only 10 … but so energetic and playful! All of them will be waiting for me at the Rainbow Bridge and we’ll cross it together.
Wish you a very happy brithday,Rubble dear. Hope you had a great day. May your also have a great year ahead. God bless you, darling.
My cat Snowflake is almost 18 years old and she’s deaf when she wants to be! Except for recently being treated for a uti, she’s in excellent health! I have had her since she was eight weeks old. And yes, Snowflake is an indoor cat! I love her so much!
I had a Russian Blue female who lived for nearly twenty two years. She stayed at 6.5 pounds her entire life! Beautiful coat! Recently, I lost my rescue kitty that I was blessed to have her for eighteen years! I hope my current Maine Coon boy lives a long life as well! He’s almost five!
My Enya-Maree lived to be 17 1/2 years old…of all the kittehs I’ve had in my life, she lived the longest. Half-Siamese & half domestic black cat, she was a shy violet by nature, but loving and a cuddler. She passed away suddenly last Thanksgiving Day of a heart attack and it devastated me. (She was preceded in death by her sister Joni-Mae, who I lost just shy of her 10th birthday to cancer.) It is never easy to lose a pet, the grief process is intense, and I miss her terribly. I have since adopted 2 new kittens that were born on April 8th, a brother & sister. Like my previous 2 sisters, Joni & Enya, I named my kittens after musicians I love: Katy (Kate Bush) & Nicky (Nick Drake). I can never imagine my life without cats…I’ve had them since I was a small child, and they are too much a part of my existence in this world.
Tazz was my rescue kitty who my dog picked out at an animal fair that we attended. I was not looking for a cat but he picked her out the minute we walked into the pet fair. I told him if she was still there when we left that we would adopt her. She was still there and once again he pulled me towards her as we were leaving. She came home with us and they were best friends until the day he passed away at the age of 14 years old. Tazz lived to be 22 years old and was a great girl. I lost her in 2018
My cat Ruste lived to be 22. She was an outdoor cat most of her life.
My Petite cat lived to be 17-1/2 years. He was a sweet, loving little man, and quite vocal. He always trilled an excited, happy greeting whenever another creature entered the room. We shared many affectionate times.
What does she feed him? Lol
We had a cat Casper who lived to be almost 22. We had to euthanize him then for illness. He had severe heart issues as a kitten. When we took him in to have his euthanization done, the veterinarian was so shocked he lived that long, he shook his head, looked again at the computer then said, my goodness, that cat has more than lived out his age.
One of my kitty is 22 Years old he is blind now but no health problems. I have him when he was a adult straight cat
My girl Samantha lived to be 20. We had a birthday party for her. 1987-2007.
She was a brown tabby cat from Atlantic City, NJ.
Wow! I hope my boy Buddy,Who is 20 right now lives that long! He is also a Maine Coon cross…must be something about this breed
My cat Ditto recently died at 23. My cat WiddaWidda is 18 and is showing no signs of slowing down one bit. I also have an 18 year old greyhound Quentin and a 20 year old boer goat named Axl that are still going strong. My malamute Icy died at 19. One of my chickens, Houdini even lived to 14. My animals generally live very long, very loved lives.