A Handsome ball of fluff named Rubble sadly died last week
after reaching the impressive age of 31. The Maine Coon cat was given the
oldest cat title when he reached 31 years back in May 2020. His owner, Michele
Heritage, was given Rubble as a kitten for her 20th birthday and the
pair enjoyed a close bond ever since. Rubble would have been 150 years old in human years.
When asked about how Rubble lived such a long life, Michele
said she believed it was down to the fact that she had never had children. This
meant that Rubble was given a lot of pampering as she didn’t have children to
take away any of the focus from her cat. Michele happily said that she treated
Rubble as her child along with her other cat Meg, who passed at the age of 25.
Rubble enjoyed a healthy life, but his health deteriorated
very quickly towards the end. He became
quite poorly and went off his food. At Christmas, Michele said to her husband
that she believed it would be their last together with Rubble. Rubble began to
lose weight and one day he crossed over the road taking his usual route and
then didn’t return as he normally would. Michele believed she decided to take
himself off to die, something cats are believed to do.
Rubble loved routine, like cats do. He would have his
favourite places to sleep and liked his food, which is why Michele and her
husband knew something was wrong when he stopped eating. His vets were very
impressed with his longevity, even throwing him a party to celebrate turning 30
in 2019. Rest in peace, Rubble.
Cats often outlive dogs, but the average lifespan of a cat
is between 14 and 17 years old. However, the oldest cat on record is thought to
be Crème Puff, who lived for an astonishing 38 years. Some cats will live into
their 20’s, which is more common for cats that do not live in busy areas. Do
you share your home with an elderly cat? Come and tell us all about them over
on our Facebook page.
