It’s not uncommon to meet a cat in their twenties these days. With the furthering of medical treatments for cats and what ails them, more felines are living longer than ever before. In this cat lover’s house, an 18-year-old Himmy-mix beauty rules the roost, and she’s got no signs of checking out anytime soon. Sure, Miss Piper Moon is dealing with chronic kidney disease now, but with a good diet, medical care, and lots of love, she’s got all the tools she needs to make it to the ripe, old age of twenty or more. And, as her mom, I’ll do anything to help her get there!
While Piper may not be breaking any age records yet, she’s sure trying. And with her family’s help, maybe one day she’ll get there, but for now, the title of the oldest living cat may belong to Samm of Turner, Oregon. Currently, the Guinness Book of World Records is in the process of verifying this handsome ginger cat is presently the oldest cat alive on record.
Old Man Seen Some Things
The verified record for the oldest living cat title was currently held by Corduroy, a 27-year-old cat who called Sisters, Oregon home. Corduroy passed away in 2016, leaving the record to be claimed by the next grimalkin in line, who happens to be 24, according to Guinness.
BTW, a grimalkin is classically defined as an impish older woman or an old lady cat. And though the official definition calls a grimalkin a female cat, any elderly cat can be a grimalkin in this feline fancier’s opinion. With their ‘I’ve seen it all, and I’m not impressed’ attitudes, the term just works for all elderly felines. And twenty-six-year-old Samm is a cat who exudes that sassy senior cat energy we love so much.
His extra two years also means Samm has that 24-year-old cat licked for the title. And currently, Guinness is working to verify Samm can claim the title as Oldest Living Cat. The handsome ginger gentleman came to the record keepers’ attention when his mom reached out to them after friends suggested she should.
Samm’s mom, Charly Briggs, told Fox 12, “I asked Guinness, and they were like, ‘The oldest living cat we have on record right now is 24.'”
Upon hearing this, Charly said, “I’m like, ‘What? He’s older than 24.’ I was like just freaking out. Then I was putting it to my friends on social media like, ‘Guys, he could do it. He could win.’ They’re like, ‘Go for it, go for it!’ Yeah, we’re going for it.”
Nineties Cat
The honor has been a long time in the making as Samm joined the Briggs family in 2002. Charly found her special boy as a stray cat on the Memphis, TN, streets, and they’ve been together ever since. Despite mild kidney disease and being blind in one eye, Samm is going strong with his vet pronouncing him in good health and verifying his age as 26, putting his birth sometime in 1995. Looks like this old man kitty still has plenty of good years ahead of him.
Here’s to hoping Samm can hold onto his title for many years to come! Follow Samm on Instagram and TikTok to keep up with his quest for the title of World’s Oldest Living Cat.
H/T: www.kptv.com
Feature Image: @oldestcatsammy26/Instagram