# Your oldest pet **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 20, 2014, 2:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790 "2014-05-20T02:45:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![JohnM](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/848f3c/32.png) [@JohnM](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnM)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/41 "2014-05-21T19:59:39Z")
Add another to the ‘Cat 21+’; I misclicked and hit ‘Cat Other’. Callie was a semiferal rescue when we got her from friends. She was with us for just about all of her 21 years, and didn’t really show signs of age until her last year. It was all over when her kidneys just shut down, and we held and petted her as the vet gave her the shot. Damn allergies; don’t know why my eyes are watering. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [May 21, 2014, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/42 "2014-05-21T22:36:33Z")
My snake is nearing 18, so pretty soon he’ll want to vote. Actually, I don’t know how old he was when I got him. Since he was almost full size, it might be better to assume he’s nearing 21 or so. I have three 6-year-old gold fish. The graduated from the 10-gallon tank to the 50-gallon tank to the 4500-gallon koi pond. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/43 "2014-05-22T01:14:26Z")
Our cat was 19 when he died. He deserves extra credit because he lived 17 years after a potentially fatal heart condition was discovered. ---
**Author:** ![Tethered\_Kite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a5b964/32.png) [@Tethered\_Kite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tethered_Kite)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/44 "2014-05-22T03:38:35Z")
Another nineteen-year-old kitty here. I suspect she died of kidney failure. She went into a coma and I sat with her for the better part of a day. Just before she died she came to enough to give me a parting meow. Sigh. I’ve had several cats which have lived well into their teen years. ---
**Author:** ![ArztWolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a9adbd/32.png) [@ArztWolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArztWolf)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/45 "2014-11-27T17:56:35Z")
I had a horse live to be 22. ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/46 "2014-11-27T19:13:30Z")
Our cat is about 18 and still going but we don’t know exact age as he was a stray. BTW, the last survivor of the Crimean War died in 2004 at the age of 165 years. It was a [tortoise.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timothy_%28tortoise%29) ---
**Author:** ![Helena330](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/helena330/32/531_2.png) [@Helena330](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helena330)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/47 "2014-11-27T19:37:15Z")
I still miss my soul mate horse Dare, whom I lost when he was 24. I’d had him for 17 of those years. Honorable mention to my baby kitty Tickle, whom I’d had since she was six weeks old, and lost two years ago at 19. She was a feral barn kitten when I stuffed her into my tote bag to take her to the vet, and came out a purring indoors-only kitten. Magical transformation! ---
**Author:** ![Sunny\_Daze](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunny_daze/32/438_2.png) [@Sunny\_Daze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunny_Daze)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/48 "2014-11-27T19:42:11Z")
> [@jayrey](#): > > IMHO, Rottweilers are the best dogs on the planet. I had three, at different times, and lost all three to bone cancer, at 22 months, 7 years, and 9 1/2 years, respectively. The one who lived to be 9 1/2 had the best bloodlines, which I think is why she lived as long as she did. I’d love to have another one but knowing my heart would be broken in such a short time is more than I can face. ☹ We lost our Nike at 10 to bloat. She was otherwise healthy. Unfortunately we weren’t home at the time, so we weren’t able to get her to the vet in time. It breaks my heart to think about it. We definitely want another Rottie. ---
**Author:** ![JoseArcadio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9fc348/32.png) [@JoseArcadio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoseArcadio)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/49 "2014-11-27T20:20:35Z")
My dog Lucky, a collie/lab mix. We got him as a wee puppy from a family friend after her dog had a litter, when I was 6 years old. He was a gentle, stupid, asshole who loved to run away and make me chase him through the streets. I loved that dog so much. By the time he was 13 he was mostly deaf, nearly blind, his back legs were giving out, he was in pain and miserable. Having him put down was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. It was nearly 10 years ago now and it still chokes me up to think about holding him for the last time at the vet. He features often in my dreams. ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/50 "2014-11-27T21:22:12Z")
We had a cat that was about 18 years old. It was older than I was when it died. We currently have a rather large turtle, but we got it when it was already big and full-grown, and have no idea of its age. ---
**Author:** ![GusNSpot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gusnspot/32/436_2.png) [@GusNSpot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GusNSpot)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/51 "2014-11-27T23:29:15Z")
My horse Tony, had big hooves & a big heart. I learned to rope and Bull Dog ridding him when he was 19. He was sold as a still working horse when he was 24 and he was still going strong. When he was 20, he started to lay down to sleep. I would curl up to his tummy and we’d both sleep the night away in the hay. During those years, he was my best friend & I sure liked him better than anyone else I knew who was my age. Dingo dog, Australian sheep dog, made it to 15 + My sisters had some very long lived cats but I do not know details… ---
**Author:** ![zoog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7ea924/32.png) [@zoog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoog)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/52 "2014-11-28T17:45:12Z")
We had a cat that we euthanized in May of this year a couple of months shy of 22 years old. We moved from CA to TX about 3 years ago, and we had a tough time deciding whether to bring her with us or find a new home for her in CA before we left. We were scared to death that the stress of the 2.5 day car ride would kill her, but we couldn’t fathom leaving her behind in a strange home (or worse yet, a shelter) so we decided to take a chance. She did OK with the trip, didn’t exactly enjoy it, but when it was over she adjusted quite well. ---
**Author:** ![eschereal](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eschereal/32/18939_2.png) [@eschereal](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eschereal)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/53 "2014-11-28T19:59:00Z")
Two young cats adopted us when they were about six or eight months old. Sadly, Roarschach contracted FIP and checked out after a little more than a year, but his sister Nefurtari is 16 years old and only just slowing down a bit. When I was a child, we had a newt that lived for about 4 years, which I am told is pretty long. She did not “get better”. ---
**Author:** ![Nefario](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/59ef9b/32.png) [@Nefario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nefario)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/54 "2014-11-28T20:34:24Z")
Around 1970 in my hometown an 1800’s Victorian house was restored that had a large window near the sidewalk. Soon a LARGE cage maybe 4 x 4 x 6’ with a parrot appeared in the window. 44 years later the same cage and (I guess) the same parrot are still there! I’ve driven by to show my kids. ---
**Author:** ![susanlinda823](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ce7236/32.png) [@susanlinda823](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susanlinda823)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/55 "2014-11-28T20:58:31Z")
I had a dog for 18 years. She was a cock-a-poo. She was not supposed to live that long, but when you love something that much. They stick around \<3 ---
**Author:** ![Cicero](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cicero/32/3594_2.png) [@Cicero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cicero)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2014, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/56 "2014-11-28T21:06:48Z")
Yeah vets are lying bastards. They say a pet will last ten years. They don’t tell you they will live 20 years and cost you a fortune. And you would never miss one day of them being with you… ---
**Author:** ![MrsTime](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@MrsTime](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrsTime)\ **Post date:** [November 29, 2014, 10:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/57 "2014-11-29T22:24:36Z")
We didn’t get our sweet Sheba (a name we hated and never used) when she was 8 years old, already a senior cat. She was about 11 when we put $500.00 into her stinky mouth (presto sweet breath again). At 19 she began to look very frail, and at 21 she chose to leave us she was tired of living I guess. I miss her still. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/58 "2014-11-30T03:47:45Z")
the cat I grew up with lived to be 22; Smokey was and indoor/outdoor cat except in the winter when it was frequently too cold with deep snow. she hunted a lot and ate all kinds of prey she was extremely picky about who should would tolerate! only family and only SOME of us ---
**Author:** ![The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/848f3c/32.png) [@The\_Holdsworth\_Effect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Holdsworth_Effect)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2014, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790/59 "2014-11-30T04:21:17Z")
Black GSD, a dropoff the vet said was 8 or 9, and we had him 10 years. He was intact, and had been left with a bag of dog food and no tags. Took him a while to realize his name was Jack, but he loved my girls. Wonderful dog. World’s best gopher killer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-oldest-pet/688790.md?page=2)