Worlds Oldest living cat
[ Follow Ups ] [ Post Followup ] [ Reflections and Tributes Forum ]
Posted by tabbypoodle on August 04, 2002 at 17:19:01:
From the Springfield (Mass.) Union-News:
CAT, 33, MAY BE WORLD'S OLDEST
Saturday, August 3, 2002
By PAT CAHILL
SPRINGFIELD — Record books, take note.
The oldest cat in the world may be living right here in Western
Massachusetts.
Peter is 33 years old, according to owner Lorraine L. LaCombe of
Brightwood Towers, Springfield.
LaCombe, 70, says that she helped deliver the kitten into the world,
tail-first, on Feb. 13, 1969, and has had him ever since.
This would make him the Energizer Bunny of the feline set.
Cats rarely live beyond the age of 20, says Deborah Whitehead of the
city's Rowley Memorial Animal Hospital.
Until last year, the title of oldest cat in the world belonged to a
ginger-colored tomcat named Spike in Dorset, England. He was 31 when
he died in 2001.
In 1998, a cat named Grandpa died at 34 in Austin, Texas. Cat Fancy
magazine had featured it as a centerfold the previous year.
Peter seems to be gaining fast on these geriatric champs, but LaCombe
may have trouble making her claim official.
Her cat has never been to a veterinarian, and he is no "aristo-cat"
with an introduction to life documented.
His mother, which belonged to a negligent neighbor, died soon after
giving birth to the litter. LaCombe took over arranging to have the
kittens nursed by a cat belonging to a friend of her sons.
She still has some faded pictures, small and rounded at the corners,
of baby Peter and his siblings fighting for the milk.
This is the only record of his beginnings and, though the size and
shape of the pictures suggest 1960s vintage, the photo developer did
not list dates on the back.
Once a cat reaches its teens, says Whitehead, veterinarians can no
longer judge age accurately by teeth.
Peter, a long-haired tabby with white bib and paws and a pink nose,
looks healthy for any age. LaCombe believes he is a Norwegian forest
cat, a breed similar to the Maine coon.
He is spry enough to jump on the kitchen table to touch noses with a
visitor.
LaCombe says she does not have advice for other cat lovers seeking to
increase their pets' longevity.
"It's instinct more than anything," she says.
LaCombe, who has been rescuing animals all her life, attributes her
rapport with them to her Cherokee heritage.
She adds, "I trust in God, and I pray to Him."
There are a few other clues to her success.
"Give 'em plenty of love," she says. "Give 'em plenty of water, but
most of all love."
Peter has been an indoor cat all his life.
His favorite brand of food is Fancy Feast, though not the fish
varieties. Purina Special Care is provided for hairball control.
And no beef.
"Beef will give him the runs," says LaCombe. "Now and then I give him
Beechnut baby food as a treat."
He loves to be brushed, she says. She uses Q-tips and baby oil to
clean the nose and eyes, and Gold Bond Powder for the ears.
Peter sleeps with LaCombe, and complains with loud "miaows" if he
loses track of which room his mistress is in. LaCombe has rigged up a
closed buggy out of a shopping cart, and she pushes it around the
block.
She has had three strokes. She says that if Peter survives her, it
will go to her youngest son, William A. ("Billy") Desoe of West
Springfield, who has inherited her passion for rescuing animals.
In an effort to get Peter his due, LaCombe tried unsuccessfully to
enter him in the Cat Fancier Association's Aug. 10-11 show at the
city's Greek Cultural Center.
Show manager Roland Miller explained that participating cats must be
up to date on shots for their safety, and cautioned that submitting
such an old cat to inoculations for the first time might be risky.
Also, shows can be stressful for cats not used to them.
LaCombe has not given up. She plans to write to the Guinness Book of
World Records about Peter.
"Something inside," she adds, "tells me he's the oldest cat."
Follow Ups:
