Is this Britain's oldest cat? Cola, 28, was born when Thatcher was in Number 10 and Back to the Future ruled the box office

Black cat will turn 28 this year, or the old age of 140 in cat yearsOwner Mary Goldsmith puts her long life down to lots of treats
Cat's favourite foods are said to be cream, custard and salmon

By Daily Mail Reporter

PUBLISHED: 16:23 GMT, 29 August 2013 | UPDATED: 17:59 GMT, 29 August 2013

When Cola the cat was born, Margaret Thatcher was running the country, Back to the Future was topping the box office and rapper Dizzee Rascal was a newborn baby.

Now, after 28 years, the feline is set to celebrate a milestone birthday - turning 140 in cat years and being crowned Britain's oldest moggy.

Until now a cat called Wadsworth, from Ravensden, Bedfordshire, was thought to hold the crown of Britain's oldest living feline - after celebrating his 27th birthday this year.

Born in the eighties: Cola will turn 28 this year and is believed to be Britain's oldest cat

But Cola, who was born in in November 1985, trumps him by several months. The cat, whose favourite foods are cream, custard and salmon, has only been to the vet once - to get spayed.

Mary Goldsmith, 66, has lived with her pet at her home in Orpington, south-east London, since Cola was a kitten.

She put her cat’s extraordinary long life down to lots of treats and regular walks with her pet dog, and said: 'I don’t throw big birthday parties for her, because every day she is around is a celebration.

'We have had children who have grown up to have their own families and Cola has lived through all
that and is still around. It’s quite a milestone. The years have absolutely flown by.

Curiosity hasn't killed this cat: Britain's oldest feline Cola with her owner Mary Goldsmith

'The secret to her long life is love and spoiling. She loves her luxuries like cream, custard and salmon. She always has a good nibble from my plate as well as her own cat food.

'I’ve got children, grandchildren and great grandchildren who come over to play with her and keep her busy.'

Apart from a touch of arthritis in her old age, Cola has always been as fit as a fiddle.

Mrs Goldsmith, who has four grandchildren and two great grandchildren, said: 'She has been lucky and not really had many close shaves or problems.

'The nearest she came to getting unstuck was on one of our trips out. 

'She used to go on walks with me and our pet Collie dog to the park, she would sit in the tree while me and the dog played and then follow us home.

'But once a Staffie dog spotted her and chased Cola all the way home. That was a nerve-racking experience for her, but luckily she out ran him.

'She was quite a sprightly cat in her day, she loved chasing birds and would catch mice and sometimes bring them into the house.

'She is still reasonably fit for her age and can still jump onto a chair - but she doesn’t have quite the same spring in her step.'

The retired school cleaner said a healthy dose of treats has kept her moggy in top shape.

She said: 'She is quite a hardy cat. I have pampered her a bit with her treats - probably most vets would say she shouldn’t have this or that, but she is still going strong.'

Still not lost her fizz: Cola has reached the grand old age of 140 in cat years

Born at the bottom of a wardrobe at Mrs Goldsmith’s mother-in-law’s home in Bromley Common, Cola
has gone on to have three litters of kittens and was a 'fantastic mum'.

Cola will be Britain's oldest cat when she turns 28 in November

Mrs Goldsmith’s husband Brian, 72, a retired driver, said: 'She has always been very friendly and is a real favourite with our grandchildren - they have kept her fit by playing with her.

'We have always had lots of animals - cats, dogs, hamsters, rabbits, chinchillas - and Cola has got on with them all.

'She has lived to such a grand age. Perhaps she really does have nine lives? She is a lucky black cat, that’s for sure.

'Hopefully she still has a few years left in her, although she isn’t as sprightly as she one was she still has some go in her.'

The Goldsmiths are desperate to discover if their beloved moggy is the oldest in the world - and
said they would be 'overjoyed' if she claimed the title.

Mrs Goldsmith said: 'I’ve never heard of another cat reach her age, so I wondered if she was the
oldest in the country.

'I would really love to know if she is. I would be over the moon if she was crowned the world’s oldest cat.'

According to Guinness World Records, the oldest living cat is 23-year-old Pinky, born on October 31, 1989 from Kansas, U.S.

However, there were reports in June of a 31-year-old cat called Sarah living in New Zealand. The normal lifespan for a cat is between nine and 15 years.

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