4 March 2010

A 25-year-old cat could be on its way to being the oldest pet cat in Britain, according to his owners.

Jess, who is 117 in cat years, was named after cartoon character Postman Pat's pet.

The Denbighshire Free Press reported that his owner, Tracey Derry, rescued the pet when he was found, as a kitten, abandoned in a garage with broken ribs.

But now: "He is spoilt rotten and rules the house," Ms Derry told her local paper.

"He is quite a character and is friendly and is protective of the family."

The pet owner said Jess is reluctant to see his family go on holiday without him, and sometimes climbs into their suitcases and refuses to move.

Jess has been known to fight other cats and dogs but is now slowing down, having lost his 'meow' and going deaf.

He likes to stay inside with his family and sleep, his owner told the paper.

Jess still has a few years to go if he wants to beat the record set by Creme Puff, a Texas cat who lived for 38 years, according to the 2007 version of the Guinness World Records.

The average life expectancy for domestic cats ranges from nine to fifteen years.