A 30-Year-Old Siamese Is the World's New 'Oldest Living Cat'

Move over, Corduroy the Maine Coon: Your reign was short and splendid, but you’re sadly no longer the world’s oldest living kitty. According to a statement released by Guinness World Records, a 30-year-old Siamese named Scooter recently dethroned the 26-year-old feline. We're assuming that Corduroy, who was adopted from an Oregon shelter in 1989 and granted the oldest living cat title last August, will return to his busy, pre-fame life of napping and mouse-chasing. In the meantime, let's get to know the new record-holder, Scooter.  

Scooter was born on March 26, 1986, and currently lives in Mansfield, Texas with his owner, Gail Floyd. Over the decades, the tricenarian cat has lived through the fall of the Berlin Wall, the election of four different U.S. presidents, and the exploration of Mars. However, despite his advanced years (and a broken leg in 2014), Scooter is reportedly still as friendly and active as he was as a kitten. 

The playful Siamese wakes Floyd at 6 a.m. every morning, and greets her at the door when she comes home from work each night. Scooter also regularly visits the nursing home where Floyd’s mother lives, and has even traveled to 45 of the 50 U.S. states with his doting owner. “He likes to see new places and he likes people,” Floyd said in a release. 

Siamese cats are typically blessed with long life spans, and often don’t die until they’re 15 to 20 years old. Clearly, Scooter is exceptional, even for his breed, which raises the question: if Scooter is 30 years old in human years, what’s his approximate age in “cat years”?

Many people believe that one human year is the equivalent of seven feline years, but that’s actually incorrect according to Catster. In fact, the first two years of a cat’s existence are equivalent to roughly the first 24 years of a human’s life. After that, you’re supposed to add four “cat years” for every calendar year. (Purina agrees.)

According to this formula, if Scooter were a person, he’d be a staggering 136 years old. However, the Siamese still has nearly a decade to go before he’s awarded the title of history’s oldest-known cat. That accolade still belongs to Creme Puff, of Austin, Texas. Creme Puff was born on August 3, 1967, and died on August 6, 2005 at the ripe old age of 38.

Is there something in the water in Texas, or were both kitties just blessed with good genes? Only time (and a few new Guinness Records) will tell.