A Lifelong Commitment: The Oldest Pets of All-Time
A Lifelong Commitment: The Oldest Pets of All-Time
All pets are big responsibilities, but some pets can be very long term commitments!
From a cat that lived from the 1960s to the 2000s to a tortoise who spanned a quarter of a millennium, meet some of the oldest pets to ever walk the earth.
OLDEST DOG
There may be a bone of contention over which dog is the oldest in history. Bluey the Australian cattle dog was a puppy in 1910 and lived for 29 years in his Australian homeland. Bluey was a working dog, corralling cattle and sheep for nearly 20 years.
Another cattle dog living in Australia, Maggie, was said to have been adopted 30 years prior to her passing in 2016. However, Maggie (who lived on a dairy farm) was adopted without her papers, so her exact age is unknown.
OLDEST CAT
They say that cats have nine lives, but it looks like Creme Puff of Austin, Texas was granted a few more.
While cats can live up to 20 years, Creme Puff lived to 38 years, a life that spanned from 1967 to 2005. Creme Puff's owner, Jake Perry, also owned another famously old cat, Granpa, who is said to have lived to age 34.
OLDEST GUINEA PIG
Most guinea pigs live to be four to five years old, but not Snowball. Raised in Nottinghamshire, England, Snowball lived to almost 15 years old, more than doubling the average life expectancy.
OLDEST GOLDFISH
Goldie may not have had the most creative name, but he broke a world record by living to be 45 years old, making him the oldest goldfish ever.
Hailing from the United Kingdom, Goldie became a celebrity for his advanced age and for his unusually large size. His owners used his appearances to raise money for charities until Goldie joined the big fishbowl in the sky in 2005.
OLDEST RABBIT
Is there something in the water in Australia? The oldest dogs hail from Down Under, and so does Flopsy, a wild rabbit turned pet who was found almost 19 years before his passing in 1984.
There was a recent contender to Flopsy's throne, however. Mick of Berwyn, Illinois turned 16 in February of 2019, when he was recognized as Guinness World Records oldest living rabbit in the world. Mick passed away later that year.
OLDEST TORTOISE
Adwaita the Adabra tortoise is believed to have been born around 1750 in Seychelles. He was a pet on the estate of Robert Clive, Commander-in-Chief of British India in Brackpore, India before being transferred to the Alipore Zoo in 1875. Adwaita would live there until his passing in 2006.
If Adwaita's estimated age of 255 is correct, he may have been the oldest terrestrial animal in the world.
Pets have a positive impact on the quality of our lives, and as you can see, they can be a part of your life for a very long time. Give your pets the best medical care with pet insurance from AAA.