10 Unbelievable Cats

Our cats do the darnedest things. Sometimes, our feline friends are simply cute, and often, they’re amazing to us. But here are 13 cats whose life stories are truly epic. The heroes among them had us digging out the Kleenexes.

The Record Holders:

Ludo: The World’s Longest Cat

Measuring a whopping 46.6 inches from tip to tail, Ludo holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s longest cat. A Maine Coon living in the UK’s West Yorkshire, Ludo is longer than many of his wild cousins like the lynx. Ludo’s companion, Kelsey Gill, wanted a Maine Coon after she saw Mrs. Norris on Harry Potter and learned the cat was a real breed.

Didga: The World’s Trickiest Cat

Did a cat just ride past on a skateboard? It could be Didga. Short forDidgeridoo, Didga is an Australian fruit-salad (mixed breed) kitty who can perform 20 tricks in one minute. After receiving Didga's Guinness title, her companion Robert Dollwet said, “I’m so proud of her, and I love cats.” We love cats, too, Robert!

Crème Puff: The World’s Oldest Cat

Living to the ripe old age of 38 years and 3 days, Crème Puff achieved an unbelievable longevity. That’s like a human living to be 168 years old. Crème Puff was born on August 3, 1967 when Lyndon Johnson was president and died on August 6, 2005 in George W. Bush’s second term.

Sophie: The Cat with the World’s Longest Fur

Two men in a truck handed a paper bag to Jami Smith and drove away. Inside the bag was a tiny, yowling kitten. Smith decided to keep the little ball of fur. Within two years, she had a lot more fur. Sophie’s tail hair measures 10.11 inches at its longest point.

Hamlet: The World’s Most Travelled Cat

Many cats have made fantastic journeys, but none have traveled more distance than Hamlet who clocked 373,000 miles. This Canadian high flyer escaped on a plane trip. Discovered hiding behind a panel seven weeks later, Hamlet insisted he was making a movie calledCats on a Plane.  

Towser: The World’s Best Mouser

Towser, a feline employee of Glenturret Distillery Ltd near Crieff, Perth and Kinross, UK, racked up the record for the most mice caught by a single cat—28,899 of them over her 28-year lifespan. After her death in 1987, Towser’s employer built a statue in her memory.

The Heroes:

Masha: The Cat Who Saved an Abandoned Baby’s Life

Masha was the only resident in her apartment building in Obninsk, Russia who heard an abandoned human baby crying in a cardboard box left out in the freezing cold. This outdoor cat climbed inside the box, wrapped herself around the infant, and cried with him until they were heard by a resident. Masha was so concerned about the baby’s welfare she tried to follow the ambulance who picked him up.

Baris: The Cat Who Served as a Symbol of Hope for the Middle East

During the Turkish Army’s final assault on ISIS forces holding the Syrian city of al-Bab,officer Omer Ozkan discovered a kitten among the rubble. Naming it Baris (Peace), Ozkan and his soldiers took the cat with them for 90 miles. Baris now lives at The Red Cat Publishing House in Istanbul where he remains a symbol of the region’s hope for peace.

Koshka: The Cat Who Rescued His Soldier from Suicide

When Staff Sergeant Jesse Knott rescued Koshka, an abused kitten in Afghanistan, he knew he was breaking the rules. He didn’t know he was saving his own life, too. A devastating series of events took Knott to the brink of suicide. Koshka jumped on Knott’s lap and shoulders, pawed his friend, and purred vigorously, pulling Sgt. Knott back from the brink.

Scarlett: The Sacrificial Cat Who Saved All Five Kittens from a Burning Building

On March 30, 1996, Scarlett was living with her five kittens in an abandoned garage in Brooklyn when the building caught fire. After extinguishing the blaze, firefighters discovered Scarlett’s kittens wandering around. Mother Scarlett, face blistered and paws burned, wasn’t expected to make it. She survived, however, and so did four of the five kittens she had carried to safety one-by-one through the blaze.

Tricksters, heroes and ordinary housecats alike deserve to live safe, healthy, and happy lives. We’d love to hear your stories about unbelievable cats you’ve known. Write and tell us about them!