The World's Oldest Cat Is 24 and Named Poppy

Very important cat news: Guinness World Records has named a new feline to the title of world’s oldest cat. Her name is Poppy, and she is 24. Happy birthday, Poppy! (When you are that old, you’re entitled to be told “happy birthday” every single day.)

According to the whimsical record-keepers at Guinness (via NBC News), Poppy born in February 1990. That makes her older than Google, Justin Bieber and also Zima. She saw the elections of Bill Clinton, George W. Bush and Barack Obama. She’s blind, she’s deaf, and honestly she looks a little worn-out. But you’ll be wearing the years on your face at 114, too.

Poppy’s owners, the West family, aren’t exactly sure how to explain her longevity, vaguely guessing her “good diet and lots of exercise” have something to do with it:

“She keeps herself fit by walking around and she eats a lot. She has biscuits in the morning and tinned food later on. She’s never been a big cat though.

“She is partial to the odd takeaway. We sometimes give her a bit of KFC chicken, Fish and chips and even the odd bit of kebab meat.”

Poppy refuses to divulge her secrets. She’s still got a long way to go before matching the all-time record, though, which is currently held by an Texan cat named Creme Puff, who lived to be 38 fucking years old.

Apparently, the competition for this honor was quite stiff. The records’ editor-in-chief said that, “We’ve been overwhelmed with claims for the ‘oldest living cat’, with owners from across the globe making applications on behalf of their cats.” For now, it’s Poppy inked into the books, but “If anyone thinks their cat beats this, and can prove it, then we’d encourage them to get in touch with us.”