A man from Stockport, Greater Manchester, claims his cat, Millie, is the world’s oldest living feline, celebrating her 30th birthday recently. While Leslie Greenhough, 70, is unable to prove Millie’s exact age, he believes the tortoiseshell cat is still the oldest living cat in the world.
Millie’s journey began when she was adopted by Leslie’s late wife, Paula, in 1995 as a three-month-old kitten. Leslie recently celebrated Millie’s milestone birthday with a special cream cake, which Millie enjoyed by licking the cream off.
Leslie, a former storekeeper, attributed Millie’s long life to “lots of treats and cuddles,” as well as a diet consisting of prawns, salmon, and bottled water. He shared that it was a “fantastic day” to mark the cat’s 30th year, considering it a significant achievement.
“My life ambition is to get her in the Guinness Book of Records,” Leslie said, though he admitted he couldn’t confirm her age. “The only person who could prove that is my late wife, who sadly passed away five years ago,” he added.
Guinness World Records previously recognized the oldest cat, Creme Puff, who lived to be 38 years and three days before passing in 2005. Creme Puff was born in 1967 and lived in Austin, Texas.
Leslie met his late wife, Paula, in 2012 through a dating site, where he first heard Millie meowing in the background during their phone conversation. The couple became engaged on Valentine’s Day in 2013 and married the following year. Millie, whom Leslie describes as a “sweet cat,” was bullied by other neighborhood cats and eventually became more of an indoor pet, developing a cautious, shy personality.
Leslie believes Millie’s shy nature contributed to her longevity. “I think that’s helped her live longer,” he said.
Paula tragically passed away in 2020 after contracting COVID-19. Leslie fondly recalled how Millie had bonded with him before Paula’s death. “Millie would sit on my lap, and my wife said she could see how much the cat loved me,” he shared. “I think Millie knew my wife wasn’t well.”
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