Everyone want to have their best furry friend by their side at all times. Michele Foster is a very lucky lady.

Rubble, now a 31-year-old cat from Exeter, England, was given to her as a present for her 20th birthday in May 1988.

Michele claims: “I got him right before my twentieth birthday. He was a kitten from a litter that my sister’s friend had, and I had just left the house. I felt lonely living alone, so I brought him in as a kitten. It was May of 1988.”

This stunning Maine Coon-type cat turned 31 in May, making him the world’s oldest living cat as of November of this year.

The two had been inseparable friends for all of those years. Michele said that he is extremely devoted and caring, but that he has become grouchy in his old age.

She believes his longevity is due, in part, to a whole lot of love and pampering.

Rubble has been quite healthy on his own, although he does have high blood pressure right now.

“Rubble is likely the oldest cat in the UK and is still going strong,” says Dr. Shawn Moore of City Vets, who takes wonderful care of him. He is on blood pressure medication, but other than that, he is in wonderfully good health.”

His official status as the oldest cat in the world has yet to be confirmed by the Guinness Book of World Records. “He has plenty of life left in him,” Michele continues, “but I don’t believe we will go down the Guinness World Record road because I am not sure he would enjoy thousands of people coming to visit him or a fuss being made out of him.”

He is becoming older and would like not to be disturbed. We would rather that he be allowed to live out his golden years in peace.”

The average of house cats lives approximately 15-20 years, and an outdoor cat lives a low average of only 2-9 years.

Happy 31 birthday, you sweet kitty…