Creme Puff

Creme Puff holds the Guinness World Record as the oldest cat ever reliably documented, reaching the astonishing age of 38 years and 3 days. She was born on 3 August 1967 and lived in Austin, Texas, with her owner Jake Perry — who, remarkably, also owned the previous record-holder, a cat named Granpa Rexs Allen who lived to 34. That one man cared for two of the longest-lived cats in history naturally invited curiosity about his methods. Perry famously fed his cats an unconventional diet that reportedly included dry cat food supplemented with home-cooked extras such as eggs, turkey bacon, broccoli and a little coffee with cream, and he kept them in a richly stimulating home environment. Whether his regime truly extended their lives or whether he was simply blessed with extraordinary cats is impossible to prove, but Creme Puff's 38 years — more than double the typical feline lifespan — remains an unbeaten record and a hopeful reminder of just how long a well-loved cat can live.