Chasing mice is a distant memory, and her fur isn’t as fluffy as it used to be.
But at the grand age of 24, Poppy has reason to celebrate – after being crowned the oldest cat in the world.
Guinness World Records announced that the tortoiseshell pet has clocked up 114 ‘cat years’ since her birth in February 1990.Poppy is now frail and spends most of her time indoors, but she has been recognised by Guinness World Records – and is two years younger than Misao Okawa of Japan, the world’s oldest person.
The cat – who was originally called Popsy and had two owners in her early days – has picked up the title following the death of Pinky, a cat from Hoyt in Kansas, US, who passed away aged 23 last year.
At the age of five Poppy was adopted by Marguerite Corner and her daughter Jacqui. When she was ten she went with Jacqui, who had moved in with future husband Andy West.
The couple now have two sons – Joe,11 and Toby, eight – and Poppy shares their home with four other cats, two rabbits and a hamster.