He lived life to the feline fullest.
Rubble, long considered the world’s oldest cat, has passed away at the age of 31 — or 150 in human years, according to People magazine.
“He was an amazing companion that I had the pleasure to live with for such a long time,” said his owner, Michele Heritage of Exeter, England.
Now 52, Heritage was given Rubble as a gift for her 32nd birthday.
“He was part of a litter of cats that my sister’s friend had and I had just left home,” she recalled. “I was lonely living on my own, so I got him in as a kitten.”
Heritage attributed Rubble’s longevity to her doting care and attention.
“I have always treated him like a child,” she said. “I don’t have any children and had another cat who passed at the age of 25. If you care about something, no matter what it is, it does last.”
Rubble’s condition suddenly began to falter towards the end of his life and he eventually stopped eating and would only drink water.
“He was a creature of habit,” she added. “[He] had his favorite places to sleep and liked his food, so when that stopped happening, we knew.”
The aged feline recently left home one day and never returned.
“We believe he went off to die as cats do,” Heritage told People.