When you are a creature as magnificent as a cat, breaking records is no obstacle for you. For the most beautiful fur, the longest jump, or the biggest fame on Instagram – in any category you can think of, cats have certainly made their mark in history. Or at least in the Guinness Book of Records! On their official website, when you search for the word “cat,” you get a whopping 5,863 results. Are you ready to discover what cats can call themselves champions in? Let’s go!

The World’s Longest Cat

Who else could hold such a grand title if not the Maine Coon? In 2018, the longest domestic cat was a male Maine Coon named Barivel, who lived in Italy. Official measurements showed his body to be a whopping 120 cm long, but it’s worth noting that Barivel was only 2 years old at the time of measurement. Maine Coon cats can continue growing until they reach 4 or even 5 years old. Although we couldn’t find official information on how long he might be now, even 120 cm at that time is incredibly impressive!

You can find a short story about Barivel on YouTube: https://youtu.be/oKyzEU3jVKI 

The World’s Oldest Cat

We all dream of our furry friends staying with us as long as possible and enjoying a healthy, long life. But what would you say if your cat lived to be… 38 years old? That’s the remarkable age reached by Creme Puff, a female cat who passed away at the age of 38. She was a common domestic cat living with her humans in Austin, Texas. To this day, no other cat has surpassed her extraordinary achievement.

Cat Speed Records

There’s no need to convince anyone that cats can run really fast. If they spot a target within their line of sight, they dash into pursuit in a fraction of a second. Domestic cats’ ability to reach astonishing speeds comes from their wild ancestors, often said to be built for high speeds rather than endurance. And how fast can domestic cats run? The record holders in this category are Egyptian Mau cats, officially recorded in the Guinness Book of Records for breaking the barrier of 48 km/h. Can you imagine a cat running at such speed, be it chasing a toy or dashing from the litter box? That must be quite a sight!

Cats also break records for the length of their jumps. Although the aforementioned Egyptian Mau cats have the ability for long sprints, the record in this category belongs to a cat named Waffle the Warrior Cat from Big Sur, California, who jumped a distance of 213.36 cm. How did he manage that? We don’t know, but he would be unrivaled at the Cat Olympics!

How Many Toes in a Cat’s Paw?

A “typical” domestic cat has 5 toes (and sharp claws) on each front paw and 4 toes on each hind paw. However, some cats can boast a richer array of weaponry at their disposal. The record holder in this category was a cat named Jake, who had 7 toes on each front paw and 6 toes on each hind paw. That’s a total of 28 toes and claws! And 28 adorable little beans under the paws. We wonder if Jake was a fan of manicures or if he caused quite a challenge for his owners whenever they attempted to trim his claws.

Enviable Fur

Long-haired cats definitely have something to brag about when it comes to the abundance of their furry mane. In the Guinness Book of Records, we found an interesting record regarding the longest fur in the history of domestic cats, belonging to a cat named Colonel Meow, whose longest measured hair was a whopping 22.87 cm. Can you imagine grooming such a mane? Colonel Meow was a mix of Himalayan and Persian breeds, so long fur was definitely in his genes. It is said that grooming was required at least 2-3 times a week and involved the participation of both hoomans – we have a long-haired cat named Tosia on our team, and we must admit that it doesn’t surprise us at all!

If you want to see what Colonel Meow looked like, you can find photos on the official Guinness World Records website: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/news/2014/1/colonel-meow-the-cat-with-the-longest-fur-50832-54755   

Records in the World of Cat Scratchers

Finally, we found an interesting curiosity in the Guinness Book of Records that we couldn’t ignore. As you know, we at myKotty love cat scratchers, and although we focused on horizontal ones, the huge constructions of vertical cat trees still impress us. The record-breaking, tallest cat scratcher was built in Shanghai and measures a staggering 9.85 meters with an area of 9.63 square meters. It may not be the most practical solution, especially when you have only a few square meters of typical Polish apartment space, but it’s safe to say that cats’ joy in such construction never ends. You can admire the entire structure here: https://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/world-records/111699-tallest-cat-scratching-tree 

So, what records could your cats break, fellow cat lovers? Or maybe they would set their own, unusual category of achievements where they are absolute champions? We’re waiting for your stories in the comments!