UK's oldest cat living in Norwich dies aged 33 at home

Rosie passed away the hallway of her owner’s house, in Peckover Road near Eaton Park.

A year prior Rosie enjoyed some salmon cake, cards and naps celebrating a record-breaking 32nd birthday on June 1 last year.

Lila Brissett, who adopted Rosie when she was a kitten, said: "I miss her so much.

"She wasn't very well and one day she just walked into the hallway of the house, laid down and passed away.

Lila Brissett with her cat Rosie, celebrating her 32nd birthday (Image: Newsquest)

"There were lots of good memories though and I'm happy we had our time together."

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Rosie loved eating and sleeping and was often found napping in the window of Lila's home as she became an indoor cat in her later years.

Lila says when she contacted Guinness World Records in 2022, to see if Rosie was a world record breaker, she was informed of a 34-year-old cat in Oxford and an American feline in the USA who was 38.

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However after turning 32 a year later, a spokeswoman from Guinness World Records encouraged Lila to send in an application for Rosie to them for their Records Management Team to review. 

Rosie celebrated her birthday in June last year (Image: Newsquest)

Rosie's mum was a grey rag doll - which gave Rosie her bushy squirrel tail - and her dad is believed to have been a ginger tom.

Being born in 1991 Rosie was around the same time as multiple noteworthy events such as the Soviet Union being dissolved, John Major being the prime minister, Norwich City finishing 15th in the Football League First Division and when the average cost of a pint was £1.42.

WORLD'S OLDEST ANIMALS 

Rosie was one of a number of long-living animals, some of which have etched themselves into the record books.

Cookie, a cockatoo, is not just the oldest parrot ever, but also the oldest bird to have ever lived, living to the grand old age of 83 years and 58 days old when he died in August 2016.

Bluey, a female Australian cattle-dog was recorded as the oldest ever dog reaching 29 years and five months.

Rosie was believed to be the UK's oldest cat (Image: Newsquest)

Tish, a goldfish, was won at a fairground stall in 1956 and cared for by the Hand family until she died on 6 August 1999 - aged 43.

The oldest living land animal in the world is Jonathan, a Seychelles giant tortoise believed to have been born in 1832, making him 192 years old today.

When it comes to humans the oldest recorded person is Tomiko Itooka, who lives in Japan, at 116 years old which was verified last month.

Guinness World Records encouraged Lila to send in an application for Rosie to see if she was a record breaker (Image: Newsquest)