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RSwordsman t1_ixk4lwk wrote

Having a single super-old cat may be random chance, but the same person having two? Was their water bowl the fountain of youth?

742

Austin_AD t1_ixkmv6z wrote

Jake Perry (owner) was/is awesome and legit. He was my plumber for years.

​

https://www.austinchronicle.com/best-of-austin/year:2011/poll:critics/category:politics-and-personalities/jake-perry-best-retired-plumber-with-some-claims-to-fame/

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RSwordsman t1_ixkn57l wrote

Nice of you to defend his honor on here. I have basically zero chance of interacting with him but would prefer to think he's legit, so thanks. :)

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Austin_AD t1_ixknnr0 wrote

NP,

Just the sweetest guy ever...hope he's still alive.

Never stops talking about his cats, what he feed them etc.

Nothing random about why his cats live longs lives.

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GDH907 t1_ixkoscy wrote

what was the feed, etc?

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Spire2000 t1_ixm5w3i wrote

According to the article, dry cat food supplemented with broccoli, eggs, turkey bacon, coffee, cream, and an eyedropper full of red wine every two days.

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SupaConducta t1_ixow87e wrote

I catch my cats sipping my heavily creamed coffee way too often. Maybe I shouldn't get upset that I have to make a new cup.

3

randomcharacters3 t1_ixkpwvw wrote

Well as a follow up to, "...hope he's still alive", depending on the answer to that, he may have in fact stopped talking about his cats.

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carcinoma_kid t1_ixlc8n4 wrote

If they’re drinking the same water he may well make it to 150.

25

hypotyposis t1_ixl8swl wrote

And his cousin is former Governor Rick Perry?? All the proof I need that we live in a simulation.

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Honeyface t1_ixnbfc3 wrote

did he give you some tips for feline longlivity?

1

LitIllit t1_ixkuf90 wrote

No it was wine lol. From Wikipedia... Creme Puff's owner, Jake Perry, said her diet consisted of dry cat food supplemented with broccoli, eggs, turkey bacon, coffee with cream, and—every two days—"an eyedropper full of red wine". Perry claimed that this diet was key to her longevity, and that the wine "circulated the arteries".

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Suspiciously_high t1_ixkphss wrote

My roommates mom had one put down in the last couple months due to complications and needing constant care that was definitely 30. Got it as a kitten for his sister on her 5th bday and she’s mid 30s now. My roommate and a friend have had bets going every year for like 5 years whether it will or won’t make it to the next years Christmas party

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RSwordsman t1_ixkpqrj wrote

Seems like 30 for a cat is basically like 90-100 for a human. Not like it never happens especially with good health care, but still very much "holy crap that's old."

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chadslc t1_ixksxgx wrote

30 for a cat is way past 90-100 for a human.

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WafflesAreEpic t1_ixlqfgm wrote

Yeah a lot higher percentage of humans end up past 90 than cats do 30...

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thegreenpeppers t1_ixlqz00 wrote

Interestingly, this is in the news today, published just two hours after your comment:

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-63728931#:~:text=Flossie%2C%2026%2C%20of%20Orpington%2C,being%20rehomed%20by%20Cats%20Protection.

‘Flossie, 26, of Orpington, was confirmed as the oldest cat by Guinness World Records, which said she had a human equivalent age of 120 years old.’

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climatelurker t1_ixm5dkm wrote

This brings up a good point. My brother seems to mentally extend the lives of his dogs past how long they actually lived. I don't think he realizes he's doing it.

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ibetno1tookthis t1_ixn7rjo wrote

Dang, my great aunt (who lived to 104) had a cat that lived to 28.

2

ShibaHook t1_ixkhbmd wrote

Habitual liar.

30

RSwordsman t1_ixkheu7 wrote

That would be a really disappointing turn of events, but not totally unlikely. :/

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cetacretin t1_ixlatau wrote

A lot of Guinness World Records are just paid for by rich people and protected from submissions to overtake said records, or it's just accepted because it's something weird that will draw people's attention (and thus bring in money from sales of their book, which is about the modern equivalent of a circus freak show sometimes)

Hbomberguy on YouTube recently accidentally got them to delete a record for Tommy Tallarico when he sent in an inquiry asking about how the record was verified. Shocker, it wasn't verified.

I'm not saying the records for the cats are fake because honestly I don't know, just that I always take a mental note that "world records" are often for entertainment purposes only, and sometimes are only about as real as "reality" TV shows. It's always worth looking up more information if your curiosity is sparked, just be wary it may be clickbait or stretched truth.

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chadslc t1_ixksuhw wrote

If both were kept entirely indoors, it's not that far out of the question.

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Nakorite t1_ixkw3uf wrote

Lol mate the chances of having two unrelated cats living with this liar owner somehow surviving almost double the expected age of a cat is so drastically improbable he is obviously lying.

−4

BestOfSlaanesh t1_ixmnxvv wrote

There might be something about the diet he's giving them that extends their longevity. It's probably worth researching.

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Nakorite t1_ixo0k9d wrote

The same diet that his previous cat had where it aged 10 years in 2 ? The guy is a pathological liar.

Basically one year his cat was in its 20s a couple of years later it died at 33.

−2

chadslc t1_ixkwc8y wrote

I have a strictly-indoor cat who just turned 16 who isn't slowing down at all.

I take good care of her and don't feed her crap food.

Dismissed.

−2

shawnkfox t1_ixlabkj wrote

16 isn't particularly old for a cat, it isn't all that uncommon for cats to live to 20 years old or so and still be fairly healthy. Pretty rare for them to make it over 20 though before getting significant problems which require medication (usually kidney problems and/or diabetes) or they get cancer. Not that different than what takes out most people as they get up to 90+.

In any case, it is hardly very surprising that all the 30+ year old cats disappeared now that we use microchips to track them. The current world's oldest documented cat is only 26 which shows how ridiculous the claim of a 38 year old cat is.

If the guy wasn't a liar he may just have been senile and just got confused. Vets don't see cats often enough (except near end of life) to be able to tell two similar looking cats apart without a microchip.

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WienerDogMan t1_ixl1qnm wrote

To put it in perspective, you would have to wait another 6 years (which would already be pushing the limit quite a bit) for your cat to be the same age as this cat was when your cat was first born.

Then living it’s entire 16 year life after that point.

Then having it happen twice.

It’s just beyond ridiculous.

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WafflesAreEpic t1_ixlqlfb wrote

Yeah and some people win the lottery twice. Improbable things happen all the time.

2

Diamondsfullofclubs t1_ixlus1g wrote

But he takes good care of his cat and doesn't feed her crap.

Dismissed.

Edit: /s

−2

effjayyelle t1_ixl8gd8 wrote

Same! 19 years old here.

Except I only got her when she was 10, so I don't know how her life was before me. But she's thriving. Still doing zoomies and headbutting me for food (even though she's got like 3 teeth haha)

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dokelyok t1_ixlx1sk wrote

My kitty is 19 too! She was in great health until developing asthma a few months ago but still acts like a hyper kitty most of the time.

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spectrumero t1_ixm55b6 wrote

That your cat is doing well today doesn't mean they'll be doing well tomorrow.

Both my cats were fine until literally the day they died. My last one didn't go downhill until 18 hours before we had to have her put down.

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t4thfavor t1_ixm635q wrote

My cat is 18 now, he’s getting skinnier but still sneaks outside to do whatever cats do outside on the regular. He’s pretty tough still even for someone of advanced age.

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margo_plicatus t1_ixmekul wrote

Since you mentioned he’s losing weight: if he hasn’t had labwork recently, consider getting him in for that. There’s usually a medical reason. Here’s hoping you have several more good years with him!

2

RenuisanceMan t1_ixm1088 wrote

Under the 'lifestyle' section of the wiki article it says 'her diet consisted of dry cat food supplemented with broccoli, eggs, turkey bacon, coffee with cream, and—every two days—"an eyedropper full of red wine".'

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Knull_Gorr t1_ixmkngb wrote

Understandable, my cat will try to drink any beer I have open. Like he'll try to get a lick while I'm still holding the bottle after taking a drink.

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here-for-the-_____ t1_ixk51h8 wrote

That's a long time to convince your kids that it is indeed the same cat you've always had and nothing died.

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GMN123 t1_ixlj19w wrote

I'm starting to think all my childhood dogs might not be living their best lives on that friend's farm we never visit.

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LolaMarce t1_ixlyj7b wrote

I love this.

My mom tells a story of when my goldfish died when I was about 5 - she ran out to buy a new one before I returned home from school. To her it was identical but she said I took one look and immediately asked where my original fish was. Couldn’t say I’d tell them apart now, but at 5 I guess I knew every detail of my little goldfish.

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Papichuloft t1_ixk9dqt wrote

The same owner also had the 6th oldest cat Grandpa Rex Allen (34 yrs 2 mos)

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crazyjeffy t1_ixnmu7t wrote

At what point was the Grandpa added to the name? Or did it coincidentally start with Grandpa as a kitten?

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Throwawaycuzawkward t1_ixk2ox0 wrote

That's a long time for a person to go without sleeping on their own spot on the bed.

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pprabs t1_ixkmgue wrote

Had two cats that lived to 25 and 21 each, siblings from the same litter.

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RydainDarkstar t1_ixkpuo3 wrote

Mine were 19 and 20 and living well and happily with medically managed conditions until the end came fast out of nowhere. I hoped both would hit the two decade mark, but they had a damn good long haul as is.

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Tripdoctor t1_ixl49hl wrote

One lived to 18 which I thought was long. But my other lived to 24 which is just insane to me. Outlived a couple dogs she was older than.

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shawnkfox t1_ixlawwo wrote

The world's oldest living fully documented cat is 26 right now. I'd bet you are mistaken on the exact birth year, likely by several years. I believe 25 years old is possible for sure, but that would be an incredibly old cat, likely holding the title of 'worlds oldest living cat' for a time.

Once you start tracking the age of cats verifiable by microchip and documented birth dates all those 30+ year old cats disappear because none of them were microchipped when they were kittens.

−7

pprabs t1_ixlibo1 wrote

Can’t be mistaken if I got the kittens myself when I was 10 years old and they lived in my house until I was 31 and 35.

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lonigus t1_ixlglgx wrote

What do you mean with "not documented"? Vets and vet pet books were a thing for many years. Cant speak for US, but we had those books you get at your fist vet visit before computers became the norm. We still have a "mini book" from the 70s with the first vaccine shot the pet got.

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VeryJoyfulHeart59 t1_ixmapfb wrote

I'm in the USA and I've never heard of such a thing. Still, without a microchip, a person could swap out a similar looking car.

2

guynamedjames t1_ixn08f5 wrote

Or just change vets. "uh yeah, he's 19" says the owner of an 8 year old cat.

What are they gonna do, count the rings?

2

GMN123 t1_ixlifcf wrote

Microchips for pets were only invented in 89 and didn't become commonplace for quite a while, so it makes sense that until very recently the 30+yo cats weren't chipped as kittens.

It'll be interesting to see if the stats change now the oldest cats will be better trackable.

5

slightly2spooked t1_ixlsosb wrote

You know there’s no secret cat-measuring cabal that automatically records the age of every cat, right?

2

SomewhatIntriguing t1_ixk9p42 wrote

Are they just taking the owner’s word for it? I’m doubtful

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I_Sett t1_ixkiota wrote

There's this wonderful observation in Steven Austad's Why We Age book that goes along the lines of:

When researchers were first investigating the rural communities in far flung parts of the world where people lived an incredibly long time they almost all shared several features that might have contributed to the incredible longevity of the inhabitants:

  • The communities prized their elderly and in many cases they were the leadership of the group.
  • The communities were very isolated.
  • Records (such as of births) were not kept.

One elderly man was approached by researchers and interviewed at the impressive age of 120. He had even managed to reach the ripe old age of 130 when the researchers returned 5 years later.

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The_Mouse_That_Jumps t1_ixkmatq wrote

That guy was my Zoology professor! I’ll have to pick up his book.

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I_Sett t1_ixmu0n0 wrote

Nice! I've had lunch with him once when he was a visiting lecturer, seemed like a really interesting guy with a fascinating career. He has some excellent anecdotes to share, I bet he was a fun professor.

2

[deleted] t1_ixl0oog wrote

[deleted]

−10

Alexstarfire t1_ixl2935 wrote

I believe the point of his statement went right over your head. You should take some lessons from Drax.

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Stiffard t1_ixl5rc5 wrote

Gotta enjoy their response, though. It's classic Reddit ding-dongery.

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hypotyposis t1_ixl92zf wrote

He went from 120 to 130 in five years according to the statement…

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Odysseyan t1_ixlc6dk wrote

That's the joke. Also you don't get 10 years older in the span of 5 years

3

[deleted] t1_ixkpgy7 wrote

You’re doubting sciences ability to age an extremely common and well studied living animal? Interesting! In that case I’ve got some snake oil to sell you

−16

SomewhatIntriguing t1_ixkpmrw wrote

So tell me, how do they accurately age a cat?

Edit: no response? I’m shocked!

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shawnkfox t1_ixlahd5 wrote

Cut off the head and count the rings of course.

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[deleted] t1_ixlwsqp wrote

Were you just staring at your phone waiting for me to respond? I went to bed buddy

−3

SomewhatIntriguing t1_ixlx1uo wrote

Lol so did I pal. I just edited my comment right now and then you responded. Were you sitting there reloading the page waiting for my comment to change? 😂

3

[deleted] t1_ixlx83f wrote

😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 good one!!! 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

−5

c0dizzl3 t1_ixkpvju wrote

That seems like it’s easily googleable.

−8

SomewhatIntriguing t1_ixkpzd7 wrote

It’s not. Because it isn’t possible.

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c0dizzl3 t1_ixkqf1v wrote

Are you being serious or are you trolling?

−13

SomewhatIntriguing t1_ixkqlil wrote

I’m serious. If you believe you can accurately tell the age of a dead cat then please enlighten me and tell me how.

7

c0dizzl3 t1_ixkryof wrote

Bones. That’s all the effort I’m going to put in to explaining something to you that isn’t exactly a secret. Again buddy, Google is your friend.

−15

SomewhatIntriguing t1_ixks4i8 wrote

Lol that’s what I thought. You have no fucking clue.

10

Ph0ton t1_ixl94z1 wrote

You're just blocked dude. For what it's worth, finding the age of most animals can only be done through inference. There are genetic methods being researched but currently there is no reliable quantitative method.

5

c0dizzl3 t1_ixksely wrote

Bless your heart. This is sad.

−6

webnetwork1 t1_ixl4x18 wrote

Damn, those are approximately the same years the zodiac killer was active in California.

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10390 t1_ixk57cj wrote

So coffee, wine, and exercise are the key to a long life.

Figure two out of three isn’t so bad.

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mrnoonan81 t1_ixkiz2t wrote

If you replace 1/12th of the cat every year for 12 years, is it still the same cat?

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AdRepulsive7699 t1_ixk5n21 wrote

I’m all about kitties living a long, happy life but this is sus. Twice the age of a long-lived cat?

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OwlrageousJones t1_ixkhbir wrote

I mean, if you look at the list of 'oldest cats' on Wikipedia, it's not unheard of for them to hit their mid twenties in some cases.

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AdRepulsive7699 t1_ixklc28 wrote

Ok, but 38?

9

chadslc t1_ixkszdd wrote

Indoor cat? Not out of the question.

−7

nalgene_wilder t1_ixmcehv wrote

Yeah it is lol. Would you believe someone who said they're 150 years old?

1

[deleted] t1_ixletty wrote

[deleted]

−6

slightly2spooked t1_ixlt1ul wrote

This isn’t true at all, where did you read it? Every source I’ve seen asserts that on average indoor cats have twice the lifespan of outdoor ones.

3

Diamondsfullofclubs t1_ixlugyd wrote

Outdoor cats get more physical activity but their lifespan is offset by early deaths due to car accidents, cougar attacks, etc...

1

[deleted] t1_ixmgdrv wrote

[deleted]

1

Diamondsfullofclubs t1_ixmh7q3 wrote

>Average outdoor lifespan of 2 to 5 years if outside…. Like what?

Rough 9 lives.

>I’ve had two outdoor cats, one who lived to 21 and the other 18 and one indoor who died at 11.

This is anecdotal. Regardless, I was agreeing with you, outdoors are good for a cats health; the other poster was arguing indoor cats are inherently healthier.

2

[deleted] t1_ixlesnz wrote

[deleted]

2

chrisftw92 t1_ixlmlam wrote

Yeah I've known a few cats to hit their 20s. My ex had 2, one died at 20 but the others still going at 22 and doesn't look old at all.

4

shawnkfox t1_ixlbat1 wrote

Yeah just because something is on wikipedia doesn't make it true.

−3

PanickedPoodle t1_ixka3w8 wrote

Coffee, wine and broccoli

That was Cream Puff's diet

Lived twice as long as other cats...

Guess we all should try it

14

CloudCuckoo18 t1_ixkpb1k wrote

My cat just turned 16 and doesn’t have diabetes or kidney failure. He will beat this record.

14

NoMidnight5366 t1_ixkgrem wrote

Feeling like a shitty pet owner now.

7

thor561 t1_ixkhhpq wrote

You should know this is like the razor’s edge of how long cats live. If you have a cat that makes it to 20 you’re doing exceptionally well. And it’s not all about the years we love them, it’s the love we put into those years. I’ve had cats that made it to 20, I’ve had others that didn’t make it past 5 or so. You just love them and do the best you can for them.

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shawnkfox t1_ixlb7fx wrote

Don't be, actually fully verified & microchipped cats have a maximum lifespan in the mid 20s. A 20 year old cat is like a 90 to 100 year old human. It is a really old age, extremely rare for cats to live much over 20 years.

9

earsofdoom t1_ixn7phx wrote

cats have health problems later in life, particularly cancer so allot of them don't die from old age.

1

88str8 t1_ixl06ab wrote

That’s crazy. She lived long enough to see two World Trade Centers brought down.

5

t4thfavor t1_ixm5p97 wrote

My grandma had a cat that was born in the 60’s and lived until the late 1990’s. I can’t remember the age of this cat exactly, but it was not very tolerant of me as a kid. I couldn’t even get close to it without it trying to bite me.

5

stem-winder t1_ixn4f6v wrote

My cat just turned 20. He's in good shape except totally deaf. He's asleep 95% of the time now. I can't imagine 30+.

5

Krakenspoop t1_ixkiqr4 wrote

He was lookin for that stud bull. He was lookin for that She-cat...who lived 38 years.

Creme Puff is my name...and I live to this day.

SAYBABYDOYAWANNAGETOLDWITHME DOYAWANNAGETOLDBYMYSIDE DOYAWANNAGETOLDWITHME

SAYBEBBEH SAYBEBBEH

4

new-username-2017 t1_ixle39q wrote

dubadadubadadubadadubada dubadadubadadubadadubada dup pep pop pom wop wom woop wom babap ba doooww babap ba doooww dabadabadap pooowwwww

1

TheFrogWife t1_ixlj8b3 wrote

My brother's childhood cat lived to be 33. My parents were never great pet owners, she was declawed, indoor/outdoor and ate the cheapest food, I don't think she had ever been to the vet in her life.

4

lowrizzle t1_ixlaun3 wrote

Guiness isn't a record keeping body, it's a novelty publishing outfit. There's nothing verifiable about dudes story unfortunately.

3

Reddit-is-trash-lol t1_ixmqjxs wrote

Both my cats passed away last year within a week, ages 19 and 13.

2

KyleW17 t1_ixn9lei wrote

This cat was born when The Beatles were together and ended up being old enough to listen to them on an iPod.

2

FluffyFoxSprinkles t1_ixof4my wrote

I had two cats that lived to 22. One was an indoor cat and one was an outdoor cat. All they ate was canned Fancy Feast and table scraps once in a while. Both were random strays that I brought home as kittens. One of them acted like a kitten up to about 6 months until she died, she never looked old at all. It was tough losing her.

2

MeHumanMeWant t1_ixmohbb wrote

My Mom and her hubby have a cat Ike.

Truthfully, it's Ike the 3^rd, à la "Snowball"

1

Pitbull60usa t1_ixmpp0h wrote

wow i wonder what the oldest dog was

1

LipTrev t1_ixn6vwb wrote

Outside cat too. Well outside and inside.

1

tommyc463 t1_ixnavkj wrote

Amateur I’ve already got it beat

1

DrenchedCanadian t1_ixng1c3 wrote

I had grandparents who had a big hairy girl that lived 37

1

HairyFur t1_ixkb1mb wrote

Why is it that the wildest most unbelievable claims come out of the USA? I knew it would be some american claiming they have some 200 year old cat.

−17

JonLongsonLongJonson t1_ixkk1i2 wrote

Tell that to all the tiny isolated communities across Asia that loved to claim their elders at 120+ years old constantly

9

HairyFur t1_ixlwmk1 wrote

Claiming a 40 year old cat is like claiming a 200 year old relative. It's essentially almost double the near maximum verifiable age for the species.

Oldest verified people have been iirc around 115? 120 isn't out of this world.

However 40 for a car is just standard American attention seeking, it's not even close to believable.

1