Record Holder

Scooter

1986–2016

The Siamese from Texas who lived to 30 and was recognised by Guinness World Records as the oldest living cat — a globe-trotting, people-loving companion who defied the odds three decades over.

Owner: Gail Floyd
Years: 1986–2016
Known for: Record Holder

Scooter was a seal-point Siamese born in March 1986 in Mansfield, Texas, and cared for his whole life by Gail Floyd. In 2016 Guinness World Records recognised him, at 30 years old, as the oldest living cat — a remarkable age for any cat and an extraordinary one for a breed not especially noted for longevity.

By his owner's account Scooter owed his long life to routine, attention and company: he was a sociable, active cat who liked to be around people, travelled with his owner, and stayed engaged and mobile well into old age. He kept a healthy appetite and an alert, affectionate manner that belied his years, and his vet care and steady home life did the rest.

Sadly Scooter died later in 2016, in his thirtieth year, after a fall and subsequent illness. His record placed him among a small, celebrated group of cats — most of them, curiously, from Britain — verified to have reached the milestone of thirty, and his story is often cited as evidence of just how long a well-loved indoor-leaning cat can live.

Fun fact: Scooter belonged to the same small club of thirty-year-old cats as Britain's Rubble and Nutmeg — and, like many long-lived Siamese, he stayed slim, vocal and active almost to the end.

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