Rosie, a fluffy tortoiseshell, died peacefully in the hallway of her home in Norwich, Norfolk, with her owner, 73-year-old Lila Brissett, by her side.
Born in 1991, Rosie was an unofficial contender for the title of “world’s oldest cat,” surpassing the current record holder, Flossie, a 28-year-old cat from Kent, born in 1995.
Rosie celebrated her 33rd birthday on June 1 and passed away at the equivalent of 152 human years.
A heartbroken Lila, who adopted Rosie as a kitten, said, “I miss her so much. She wasn’t well, and one day she just walked into the hallway, laid down, and passed away.”
Lila reminisced about the many fond memories they shared: “There were lots of good memories, and I’m happy we had our time together.”
Rosie came into Lila’s life in the 1990s after a cat rescue reached out, needing to rehome her when her first family discovered their daughter was allergic. Lila, who is widowed, gladly welcomed Rosie into her home.
As Rosie aged, Lila grew anxious about her inevitable passing, admitting, “I often check to see if she’s still alive and breathing. I worry about the day she crosses the rainbow bridge. She’ll leave a big void.”
Despite her concerns, Lila was adamant, “I’ll miss her when she goes, but I’ll never have her put down.”
According to the Guinness World Records, the current oldest living cat on record is 27 years old.
