The unofficial world's oldest cat celebrates his 30th birthday

published 5 June 2018

Rubble's 30th birthday was fairly low-key, considering he's now the unofficial oldest cat in the world.

A Maine Coon, Rubble lives in Exeter, England, with his owner, Michele Foster, and three other cats. When he turned 30 in May, he went to the vet, where he underwent a complimentary check-up, and was treated to his favorite food. Foster said she got Rubble in May 1988 on her 20th birthday, and she's been showering him with attention ever since. "He's a lovely cat, although he has got a little grump in his old age," she told Fox News. Rubble is on blood pressure medication, but is otherwise healthy.

The Guinness Book of World Records says Scooter, a Siamese, broke the record for world's oldest cat when he turned 30 in 2016; he died not long after this milestone birthday. Don't expect to see Rubble fight for the title, though; Foster said she's "not sure he would like lots of people coming to see him or a fuss made out of him. He is old now and would not like too much attention or be hassled. We would prefer if he was just left to live out his old age in peace." Catherine Garcia

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox