Is this ginger tom the world's OLDEST CAT? Owner claims her pet is 30 YEARS old

A GINGER feline is believed to have become the oldest domestic living cat in the world at the age of 30, according to his owner.

Sally Brown, 48, claims that she has owned her pet tom called Henry since she got him as a kitten from an animal shelter in Cambridge in March 1986. She puts his long life down to a healthy diet including regular treats of fresh chicken and fish several times a week. Miss Brown, who has 15 cats in Norwich - most of them strays or abandoned pets - is now trying to get Henry recognized by the Guinness Book of Records. The previous world's oldest living cat recognized by Guinness was a Siamese called Scooter who died shortly after his 30th birthday in March this year in Mansfield, Texas.

Mother-of-four Miss Brown, a veterinary nurse for 24 years, said Henry had only recently started suffering health problems due to his age. She said: "His sight is starting to fail now and he's had a few teeth out, but in all that time he's never had any illnesses. "I used to work with large animals like horses and cows and Henry would come along with me and sit in the car. He's always been a lap cat."

 

Miss Brown wants Henry's long life to publicize Facebook groups Lost and Found Cats in Norwich and Cash For Kitties in Norwich which she supports. She said: "I'm not going for the record because I want any personal glory, I want to raise awareness for the groups I work with and encourage people to be responsible cat owners." 

Many of her other cats have enjoyed long lives with two currently aged 24 and 19.

Another of her brood called Montague who now is 18, starred in a TV commercial for Lams cat food in the 1990s. Miss Brown added: "I think they live so long thanks to a mixture of their diet, affection, and my experience." 

A Guinness World Records spokesman said Miss Brown would have to provide photographic evidence of Henry's long life for it to be officially recognized. The spokesman added: "They will need a vet to prove the age along with pictures through the decades and video evidence where possible".

Henry has a long way to go before he can earn the title of the oldest recorded cat ever. According to the Guinness Book of Records, the title is held by Creme Puff who was aged 38 years and three days when he died in Austin, Texas, in 2005. Domestic cats which live indoors are normally said to have a life expectancy of 12 to 15 years.