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A Cat Lived to 38? The World’s Oldest Cats and Kidney Disease
The Guinness record is real. A common age conversion puts 38 cat years at roughly 168 human years.
Can you imagine sharing 38 years with your cat? Creme Puff, a cat from Texas, lived for 38 years and three days. Guinness World Records recognizes her as the oldest cat ever recorded.
She wasn’t the only cat to reach 30. Puss in England reportedly lived to 36, and Scooter in Texas reached 30. In December 2025, Flossie was also reported to have turned 30.
Kidney health matters as cats grow older. A Royal Veterinary College study appeared in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery in 2015. It looked at veterinary records to identify common causes of death.
Among cats aged five and older with a recorded cause of death, kidney disorders were the most common. They accounted for about one in seven deaths in that group.
There are hopeful stories, too. Minky, a cat in South Korea, lived to 28 despite having chronic kidney disease. Let’s meet these remarkable cats and look at a few things you can do for your own cat today.
Did a Cat Really Live to 38?
Creme Puff was born on August 3, 1967, and died on August 6, 2005. That’s 38 years and three days. Using the age conversion below, that works out to about 168 human years.
Creme Puff, who lived for 38 years and 3 days.
Image: Guinness World Records Primetime / Wikipedia.
She lived with Jake Perry in Austin, Texas. Perry also owned Grandpa Rex Allen, a previous record holder. Two record-breaking cats shared the same home.
Perry reportedly credited foods such as eggs and broccoli for his cats’ long lives. He also gave them coffee with cream and a little red wine. Please don’t copy this diet.
The ASPCA lists alcohol and caffeine among substances that are dangerous for pets. They can cause vomiting, tremors, and, in severe cases, seizures. Keep coffee and alcoholic drinks out of your cat’s reach.
More Cats Who Reached 30
Puss, a cat in England, reportedly celebrated his 36th birthday in 1939 and died the next day. His story appeared in the 1990 Guinness Book of World Records, as reported by BBC Science Focus.
In 2016, Guinness recognized a Siamese cat named Scooter as the world’s oldest living cat at age 30. Sadly, he had died before his owner learned of the recognition.
Scooter, recognized by Guinness World Records at age 30 in 2016.
Image: Guinness World Records, 2016.
Rubble, a Maine Coon in England, celebrated his 30th birthday in 2018. More cats than you might expect have shared three decades with their families.
Rubble celebrating his 30th birthday in 2018.
Photo: SWNS.com / City Vets. Published by Sunny Skyz, 2018.
Flossie was born in 1995 among stray cats near Liverpool. She spent ten years with her first owner, then another 14 with that owner’s sister. When Guinness featured her in 2022, she was described as playful and curious.
By then, Flossie was deaf and had poor vision. The charity Cats Protection found old veterinary records confirming her age. Those records helped establish her Guinness title as the oldest living cat.
Flossie, recognized as the oldest living cat by Guinness World Records in 2022.
Image: Guinness World Records, 2022.
Both Creme Puff and Flossie were mixed-breed cats. In the UK study mentioned earlier, mixed-breed cats lived about a year and a half longer than purebred cats. Most cats commonly called Korean Shorthairs are mixed-breed cats, too.
How Old Is Your Cat in Human Years?
You may have heard that one cat year equals seven human years. But cats mature at a different pace from people.
The American Animal Hospital Association’s age chart puts a one-year-old cat at about 15 human years. A two-year-old cat is roughly 24 in human years. After that, add about four human years for each cat year.
Japan’s Ministry of the Environment includes the same age chart in its pet food guidelines.
| Your Cat’s Age | Approximate Human Age |
|---|---|
| 1 year | 15 |
| 2 years | 24 |
| 10 years | 56 |
| 15 years | 76 |
| 20 years | 96 |
| 30 years | 136 |
| 38 years | 168 |
These are rough comparisons to help put your cat’s age in perspective. The 2021 guidelines from the American Animal Hospital Association and the American Association of Feline Practitioners classify cats over ten as seniors.
How Unusual Is It for a Cat to Reach 30?
A 2023 survey by the Japan Pet Food Association reported an average feline lifespan of 15.79 years. That was 1.43 years longer than in 2010.
Cats who stayed indoors lived an average of 16.25 years. With the average in that survey around 16, you can see why reaching 30 is so remarkable.
Kidney Health Matters More as Cats Age
Chronic kidney disease, or CKD, can progress to kidney failure and becomes more common with age. Researchers at North Carolina State University studied cats in different age groups. Their findings appeared in the Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery in 2014.
About eight in ten cats in the study’s 15-to-20-year age group had CKD. That figure included cats in the early stages.
Early CKD may cause few obvious changes. Weight loss or increased thirst can be clues. Knowing your cat’s usual weight and drinking habits can help you notice a change.
Minky Lived to 28 With Kidney Disease
Minky is Dr. Jaeyoung Kim’s cat. He runs Taeneung Cat Hospital in South Korea. The long-lived Persian joined his family as a young cat in 1995.
Dr. Kim has more than 35 years of experience caring for cats. Minky lived to 28 despite having CKD. He described her as active even on her last day, August 19, 2021.
Minky, who lived to 28.
Image: supplied original photograph of Minky.
Her territory covered the clinic and the area just outside its front door. Dr. Kim felt that watching visitors and spending time with other cats made her days more interesting. When her eyesight faded, he kept the furniture in place.
Minky continued finding her way around the familiar clinic. Dr. Kim described these everyday details in his account of her care.
Her blood test results began changing around age 16. Dr. Kim continued kidney care that included nutritional management.
Minky had received probiotics and omega-3s since middle age. From around age 16, he focused more on her body’s antioxidant defenses and on managing inflammation.
Why Aging Research Looks at Antioxidants and Inflammation
As cats age, damage can build up inside their cells, a little like rust on metal. Antioxidants help limit this type of damage.
Low-level inflammation can also linger. Japanese veterinarians discussed this in a 2025 review in Frontiers in Veterinary Science. They described higher levels of inflammation markers in older cats with obesity.
Researchers have also studied the relationship between nutrition and lifespan. A Nestlé Purina team followed 90 healthy mixed-breed cats, aged seven to 17, for the rest of their lives. The results were reported in the International Journal of Applied Research in Veterinary Medicine in 2008.
One diet combined antioxidants, fatty acids, and a prebiotic, which feeds beneficial gut bacteria. Cats fed this diet lived about a year longer on average than the control group. Because the ingredients were given together, the result can’t be attributed to one ingredient alone.
Resveratrol, a plant compound, is also being studied. Researchers are exploring its effects on inflammation and on how cells respond to aging.
Researchers in South Korea and Japan reported findings in Frontiers in Veterinary Science in 2025. Four overweight or obese cats received resveratrol for four weeks. Afterward, blood levels of an inflammation marker and triglycerides, a type of fat, were lower.
Dr. Kim, Minky’s veterinarian, was one of the study’s authors. The study measured changes in the blood over a short period.
Omega-3s are used to help manage inflammation, but freshness matters. A French research team reported a mouse study in the Journal of Lipid Research in 2012. Mice fed oxidized omega-3 fats had higher levels of inflammation markers.
Findings in mice don’t necessarily apply to cats. When choosing omega-3s, check the packaging and follow the product’s storage instructions.
At Greycoat Research, our view is clear. We believe it’s important to choose nutrients that suit each cat’s health and diet and provide them consistently, starting while the cat is healthy.
The lifespan difference seen in cats fed a combination of nutrients is one reason we focus on nutrition.
Start today with nutritional care tailored to your cat’s health and current diet.
Three Things You Can Do at Home
1. Work Out Your Cat’s Age in Human Years
For a cat older than two, use this formula:
(Your cat’s age − 2) × 4 + 24
A 12-year-old cat, for example, is roughly 64 in human years. If your cat is over ten, pay closer attention to the two changes below.
2. Weigh Your Cat on the Same Day Each Month
Step onto a scale while holding your cat, then subtract your own weight. Try to weigh them at the same time of day, such as before breakfast, so the readings are easier to compare.
A study involving Tufts University examined weight changes in cats with kidney disease. It appeared in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine in 2016. The median weight loss in the year before diagnosis was about 9%.
For a 4 kg (8.8 lb) cat, that would be about 360 g (13 oz). If your cat keeps losing weight without an obvious reason, contact your veterinarian.
3. Watch the Water Bowl and Litter Box
Each morning, put the same amount of fresh water in the same bowl. Note how much is left the next morning. Also look for urine clumps that are larger or more frequent than usual.
If your cat is drinking noticeably more or producing more urine, have your veterinarian check them. These can be signs of kidney disease.
From an Extraordinary Record to Everyday Care
Cats who live past 30 are still exceptional. But there are things you can do for your own cat today. Tonight, try stepping onto the scale with your cat in your arms.
Greycoat Research is here to help you care for your cat’s kidneys, starting while they’re healthy.
About the Author and Research Team
Alex Shin is a pharmacist with more than 20 years of experience advising on medication use in animals. His work includes counseling owners of cats with kidney disease and advising on nutritional formulations.
Greycoat Research works with veterinarians, pharmacists, and researchers in South Korea and Japan to study feline kidney health and nutrition.
Specializing in Feline Kidney Care
Greycoat Research
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Educational Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional veterinary advice, diagnosis, or treatment. It is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
Please consult your veterinarian before making changes to your cat’s diet, supplements, or care routine.