Leslie Greenhough, 71, from Stockport, Greater Manchester, believes his tortoiseshell cat Millie is the world's oldest living cat after she turned 31 earlier this year. If her age is correct, she would be around 146 in human years.
Millie first belonged to Leslie's late wife, Paula, who adopted her as a three-month-old kitten in 1995. Paula died in 2020 after contracting Covid-19. Leslie hopes to have Millie recognised by Guinness World Records, but says he cannot officially prove her age because the records were kept by his wife.
Leslie puts Millie's remarkable lifespan down to a combination of good care, plenty of affection and, for the past decade, drinking only Buxton natural mineral water.
Why Millie drinks mineral water
The unusual habit began around 10 years ago when work was carried out on water pipes near the house. Because of his age, Leslie was classed as a vulnerable person, and Buxton water was dropped off at his doorstep. He drank it and gave some to Millie.
When he turned his taps back on afterwards, dirty water came out, so he decided to stick with Buxton and has done ever since.
"I am very proud she has made it to 31, she is a real trooper," he said.
Keeping Millie cool and happy
As temperatures have risen, Leslie has taken extra steps to keep Millie comfortable, including adding ice cubes to her water and keeping two fans pointed towards her. He said: "She has also began sleeping on the floor, the air must be cooler down there."
Millie celebrated her latest birthday with a bowl of chicken and now spends most of her days relaxing indoors after becoming increasingly shy as she has grown older.
Leslie believes becoming more of an indoor cat has helped extend her life. He said: "Millie was such a sweet cat when I first met her. Over the years Millie was bullied by other cats the her neighbourhood, so she stopped going out and became more of an indoor cat. She's developed a cautious attitude - she's very shy. I think that's helped her live longer."
Grieving Paula and life today
Following Paula's death, Millie also appeared to grieve and initially lost her appetite before eventually returning to her usual diet. Leslie said: "It was incredibly difficult on both of us. Millie and I had bonded before she died, she would sit on my lap and my wife said she could see how much the cat loved me. I think Millie knew my wife wasn't well. Millie wouldn't eat anything at first, I used to give her prawns and chicken, but over time she's back to eating cat food."
These days, Millie enjoys a diet of salmon, prawns, chicken and tuna, although she still only drinks mineral water. Leslie said: "She keeps herself to herself, she will wake up around dinner time and I will mess about her with for 30 minutes. She only drinks Buxton water and has a diet of salmon, prawns, chicken and tuna. Millie likes to do her own thing, I will find her either asleep behind the sofa or asleep in my bed. Sometimes she will play out in the garden - a cat is a cat really."
Leslie added: "But I'm proud of Millie mainly for my wife really, she would be amazed with how well she is doing. Millie is around 146 in human years, I think that says it all really. Imagine being 146-years-old, I can't - it is only animals like tortoises that live to daft ages like that."
