George, 24, contender for Shropshire’s oldest cat

A new contender for the crown of Shropshire’s oldest cat has come forward at the grand old of age of 24.

Last week the Shropshire Star reported on 22-year-old moggy Bradley, from Shrewsbury, believed to be the county’s oldest feline after clocking up the equivalent of 105 human years.

But now Bridgnorth grandmother Margaret Davies has laid claim to the title with her incredible 24-year-old cat George.

The veteran tabby – who is an ancient 118 in human years – was born in 1988.

Mrs Davies said: “He was one of a litter that was born a few weeks before my daughter got married. She was going to look after him when she got back from her honeymoon, but she didn’t in the end and he has been with me ever since.”

Mrs Davies, who is now retired, ran a cat rescue stall in Bridgnorth for 20 years. She currently shares her home with 12 cats including her eldest, George.

Mrs Davies said: “I couldn’t be precise on any of the other cats’ ages but I can with George because of my daughter’s wedding.”

She said George ‘is quite a quirky character’. “He likes to sit in front of the television,” she said. “He lost his teeth – he used to have two fangs but they fell out. But apart from that he has always been in good health – touch wood.”

The oldest cat ever recorded by the Guinness Book of Records was Creme Puff, a female from Texas, who died at the age of 38 years and three days in August 2005.