The Oldest Pets To Ever Live

Pets are wonderful additions to individuals and families because they bring so much joy, love, and comfort. The downside is that pets have a short lifespan, with few living past the age of 15 years. On average, cats have a lifespan of 13-17 years, while small dogs usually live between 10-15 years, and giant dog breeds have an average lifespan of 8-10 years. The time we have with our beloved pets will always feel too short, but some pets have surprised their owners and the world by defining the odds and living far beyond their expected lifespan. These pets have claimed records such as the "oldest cockatiel living" or "oldest cat ever" and have gone down in the Guinness World Records to be remembered and admired.

Of course, there could be pets that have lived even longer than these record-holding pets. They might not be documented because their owners didn't know how old they were, never drew attention to their pet's age, or didn't have the resources or documentation to submit an application to the Guinness World Records to prove their pet's age. However, we will only discuss the pets whose ages have been verified by veterinarians, microchip data, and other valid documentation for authenticity purposes. Let's take a look at some of the oldest pets to ever live and what made them so unique.

On 3 August 1967, Creme Puff the cat was born. She lived 38 years and 3 days before passing away on August 6, 2005. Although it's almost been 19 years since her passing, Creme Puff is still the oldest cat to ever live, according to Guinness World Records. Creme Puff lived in Texas with her owner, Jake Perry. However, she was far from being the only pet child to Perry, who has homed around 500 cats from Town Lake Animal Shelter over the years. She also wasn't the only cat of Perry's to live past the age of 30. In fact, one of Perry's other cats, "Grandpa Rex Allen," held the previous record for "oldest cat ever" before he died at 34-years-old, and Creme Puff surpassed his age by four years and claimed his record.

According to Jake Perry in a "Guinness World Records: Primetime" episode, he believed that his cats lived so long because of the "love, care, and the checkups, and the food" they received. Interestingly, his cats weren't on a typical cat diet made of kibble or canned food; instead, they ate bacon, eggs, broccoli, and coffee with cream every day. He also threw birthday parties for his cats and even built a little theatre for them to enjoy wildlife shows. Perry's cats truly were his entire world, and it's evident in his care for them.

Flossie was born in December 1995. As of 2024, she is the oldest living cat, having turned 29 in December. However, her title is still quite new to her, having only been recognized by the Guinness World Records just before she turned 27-years-old. Unfortunately, it was around this age that the person looking after Flossie decided to hand her over to Cats Protection volunteers to find her a more suitable home. Flossie was given up after outliving two wonderful owners, but her old age is accredited to luck and loving owners.

The sad reality is that old cats generally aren't as sought after as kittens, especially at the age of 26, so volunteers didn't think rehoming her would be an easy task. Thankfully, they soon matched Flossie with Vicki Green, who has experience with senior cats, and she eagerly took on the new responsibility. In an interview with Guinness World Records, Vicky, who is the same age as Flossie, said that she views her home as Flossie's retirement home and aims to "make her last years the best that she's had." Despite her old age, Flossie is affectionate, loves attention, is friendly, and wants to jump everywhere instead of using the stairs. She's also strict on breakfast time, waking her owner up at 6 AM every morning.

Cats are considered full-grown at around 18 months, but for Maine Coons, it's usually two years before they've recached full maturity. According to PetMD, Maine Coons aren't on the list of the top ten longest-living cat breeds, and yet, one special ginger and white cat from Devon called Rubble defied the odds. Michele Foster adopted Rubble as a kitten in 1988 on her 20th birthday. Foster spent many precious years with Rubble before his death at the age of 31 years.

Near the end of Rubble's life, he was still full of life, but a little more grumpy. Foster regularly took Rubble for checkups at City Vets, where he was treated for high blood pressure, and because he was their oldest cat patient, he got the attention of royalty. Apart from excellent veterinary care, Foster believes Rubble lived as long as he did because she pampered him like the only child he was.

After Creme Puff, Grandpa Rex Allen, and Rubble, there is Scooter. Although he's not as old as some of the other cats on our list, he also had an exceptionally long life, passing away at 30-years-old. Remember, the life expectancy of a cat is around 15 years, so Scooter lived double the life expectancy of his species. However, Scooter was a Siamese cat, and the breed is known to live a little longer than others, with a life expectancy of 15-20 years. Siamese cats are great companions who bond closely with their owners and are very curious and talkative, which are all characteristics Scooter had. 

Scooter, a Siamese cat from Texas, made it into the Guinness World Records in 2016 at the age of 30 for the record of "oldest living cat" before passing away soon after that same year. He was born March 26, 1986, and lived his whole life with his dedicated owner, Gail Floyd. Together, they pursued their shared love of travel, having visited almost all of the US states. He was also a busybody who loved eating chicken, meeting new people, being blow-dried, and playing with his owner's hair. Unfortunately, two years before he passed away, he broke his leg, which limited his playful personality, but he still managed to make the most of each day. 

Although a little different from the rest of our list, some of the oldest cats to ever live were twin domestic shorthairs, Pika and Zippo. They were born in the U.K. in March 2000 and would be 24-years-old today, although the last update on the twins was in 2022, in an article by USA Today. These twins will make you question whether you're seeing double with their identical black-and-white coats and body size. Their current combined age would be 48-years-old. Unfortunately, there isn't much information available on these twins other than that they've lived with the Teece family their entire life.

This cat isn't just turning heads because of his unique appearance, but also because he has long outlived most other cats with his condition. Other than being extremely rare, most Janus kittens that are born alive don't live more than a few days, but Frank and Louie beat the odds and lived for a total of 15 years and 87 days. Sadly, after a long fight with cancer, he was euthanized in 2014. This conjoined cat has two faces and two names but shares one brain and one functional mouth.

On the 9th of September 1999, at just a day old, a breeder brought Frank and Louie, also known as "Frankenlouie," to Marty Stevens' place of work, a veterinary school, to be euthanized. Marty took one look at the kitten and decided to adopt him, despite him having diprosopia, a rare birth defect which would require extra care. However, when talking to Associated Press, veterinarian Armelle Delaforcade said Frankenlouie had "fewer problems than many cats that have very normal anatomies." Although clearly a cat, Frankenlouie enjoyed the company of the family dog most, and just like his canine friend, he enjoyed leash walks and rides in the car.

In 1910, when Bluey was just a puppy, she was adopted by her first owner, William Hall. When Hall passed away, Bluey was taken in by his son, and so began her job of herding cattle and sheep for the next two decades. Although herding is a strenuous job, it's what Australian cattle dogs do best. Bluey, like the rest of her breed, thrives when put to work because the exercise and mental stimulation keep them happy. Without plenty of exercise, Australian cattle dogs can become bored and frustrated.

Bluey was once considered the oldest dog to ever live and passed away on November 14, 1939, just 7 months before her thirtieth birthday. In 2023, Bluey lost her title of "oldest dog ever" for a brief period to a dog called Bobi, but reclaimed it once concerns arose about the authenticity of Bobi's age came to light. Director of Records at Guinness World Records, Mark McKinley, says they don't have enough evidence to "retain Bobi as the record holder."

Although chinchillas usually only live 10-15 years, Radar surpassed the norm and lived to be 29 years and 229 days old before passing away on September 18, 2014 in California. He was born on February 1, 1985 in Germany but spent a large chunk of his life in America after his owner relocated with him. The year Radar was born, the film "Back to the Future" made it to cinemas, and the first ever mobile phone call was made in Britain.

Chinchillas aren't typically the cuddly kind and prefer not to be handled too much, but are still active, highly social, and like to play. It's important to know how to play with a pet chinchilla to keep them active and stimulated. They're bouncy, active at night, and like to hide in small spaces. They can also learn basic tricks, so you can potty train a chinchilla to use a litter tray.

In December 2022, Spike claimed the Guinness World Record title of "oldest living dog" at 23-years-old. The Chihuahua mix from Ohio was adopted by his owner, Rita Kimball, at age 10 when he was wandering around a parking lot and ended up jumping into her car. Although Spike is elderly, almost blind, and hard of hearing, he's still friendly, stays active, and has a big personality. Although he's made a big name for himself, Spike is just a little guy at 9 inches tall. His owner attributes his longevity to maintaining a regular schedule that includes walks, meal breaks, and nap time.

Although Spike has well out-lived his breed's lifespan, Chihuahuas are one of the longest-living dog breeds, with a life expectancy of 14-16 years. The Shih Tzu, Shiba Inu, Australian Cattle Dog, and Toy Poodle are a few other dog breeds known for longer lifespans. Chihuahuas enjoy walks, which Spike gets plenty of each day on the farm when he visits the barn animals.

Pebbles was five months away from her 23rd birthday when she passed away on October 3, 2022. The toy fox terrier from South Carolina loved country music, summertime, cat food, and ribs. Although cat food isn't recommended for most dogs, Pebbles' vet placed her on the diet for the higher meat-based protein content. When her parents went to the shelter to look for a pup to adopt, they went with the intention of bringing home a large breed dog but, instead, quickly fell in love and left with one of the smallest dogs there.

Toy fox terriers have a lifespan of 13-15 years, and although that is a longer life expectancy than many other breeds, it's likely many dog owners would say that still doesn't feel like enough time. So, why do dogs live such short lives? Well, compared to humans, dogs develop much faster and reach adulthood after 1-2 years. They start eating solids from 4-weeks-old, stop growing at around a year, and become seniors at around 7 years old. With that in mind, Pebbles would have spent the majority of his life as a senior.

Tish, the goldfish, blew many people away when he became the record holder of the "oldest goldfish ever lived" because he has passed her species' average lifespan by more than double. Most goldfish live between 10-15 years, and some can make it into their thirties if they're well-cared for, but Tish passed away at the age of 43! He came into his owner, Peter Hand's life as a prize for winning a game of roll-a-penny at a fairground in 1956, making him one lucky fish. Little did Hand know that his prize would end up being a Guinness World Record holder.

According to Guinness World Records, Hand's mother told the Daily Express that she believes Tish lived so long because he didn't "suffer all the pressure that humans have to put up with," along with eating a healthy diet and being in a peaceful environment. Tish wasn't the only goldfish in the Hand family as he shared a tank with Tosh, who lived to be 19 years old. Interestingly, it's not just people who turn sliver with age as Tish's scales changed from orange to silver as the years crept on.

The oldest cockatiel living is Frankie, who turned 32 in July 2024. He was born in 1992 and became the record holder for "oldest cockatiel living" in 2023. Frankie lives in New York and is a great example of how a healthy diet and regular vet checkups can extend your pet's lifespan, as his owner, Carol Gamez-Citron, takes both very seriously. Cockatiels that are looked after properly by their owners have an average lifespan of 15-25 years. They're easy to identify with their bright colors, mohawk-style hair, slender bodies, and a bright spot on each cheek. They've got great temperaments, are interactive with their owners, and are playful, social birds. Although they're good starter birds, they're not great pets for children and don't like to share a cage with other birds.

The average lifespan of a rabbit is around 10 years. However, Flopsy is the oldest rabbit ever on record, passing away at 18 years and 10 months in Australia. However, other rabbits have come close to claiming Flopsy's title. Do, a jersey wooly rabbit, lived to the age of 17 years and two weeks before passing away in January 2013. He was given to his owner, Jenna Antol, in 1996 by a pet shop that wanted to get Do off their hands because no one had previously shown any interest in the rabbit. Antol believes Do lived so long because of the love she gave him, along with his strict diet and good genetics.

Mick also came close to the title when he turned 16 in February 2019. Liz Rench, Mick's owner, has cared for rabbits for two decades. It was at an animal shelter in 2004 that she first laid eyes on him, and she kept up with his life until he needed a new home with other rabbits in 2015. The pair was inseparable with Mick even going to work with Rench each day. Although the Guinness World Records website hasn't updated its viewers on Mick's death, there are rumors that he passed at 16 years old on social media.

Snowball, a guinea pig from the U.K., lived to the ripe old age of 14 years and 10 months before passing away on Valentine's Day, 1979. 45 years later, Snowball still holds the title of "oldest guinea pig ever." Depending on the type of guinea pig, they can live between 4-8 years, so Snowball's lifespan is particularly impressive. 

Guinea pigs develop quickly, which is why they have short lives. By the time they're 6-months-old, they're adults and fully grown. By the age of 4; they're considered seniors. Guinea pigs should be treated with the same care as any other pet and must eat a good quality diet, get plenty of exercise, and have regular wellness checkups.