Guinness World Records has just confirmed that Scooter, a 30-year-old Siamese from Mansfield, Texas, is the new Oldest living cat.

Born March 26, 1986, Scooter lives with his owner Gail Floyd, who was there the day the kitten was born – and he’s been right by her side ever since.

As a kitten, Scooter liked to play in Gail’s hair and even became accustomed to riding on her shoulder, going with her wherever she went. Nowadays, nothing has changed. He wakes Gail up every morning at 6 AM, “talking” and jumping around, and is always waiting by the door when she arrives home from work.





On Scooter’s longevity, Gail believes keeping him active is what keeps him happy. She says, “He likes to see new places and he likes people.”

Scooter has travelled to 45 of the 50 US states with Gail and often pays visits to the nursing home where Gail’s mom lives.





Friends of Gail echo her sentiments and describe Scooter as an active cat, full of energy and playful.

However, this record-breaking cat’s life has not been without pitfalls. At four weeks he sadly lost his mother, and in October 2014, Scooter broke his leg and has been undergoing medical testing and treatment ever since.





Despite his struggles though, his veterinarians say, “Scooter is quite an amazing cat, with a strong will to live.”

He enjoys getting blow dried after a bath and his favourite snack is chicken – which he’s treated to every other day.

The record-breaking feline claims the title from previous record holder 26-year-old Corduroy (b. 1 August 1989), of Sisters, Oregon.

video

While impressive, Scooter’s record is still short of the Oldest cat ever — Crème Puff of Austin, TX, who lived 38 years 3 days (more than double the average life expectancy of the species).