The “world’s oldest cat” has tragically passed away at the age of 31.

Daily Mail reported that Michele Heritage, 52, was given Rubble as a gift for her 20th birthday, and the two were inseparable for decades.

The fluffy Maine Coon was named the oldest cat in May of last year, with age 31 being the equivalent of 150 in human years.

Heritage said that Rubble had no health issues and simply passed away of old age, adding that he went across the road “but never came back.”

The Exeter resident said that he likely lived so long because she never had children and pampered him as if he was her child.

“He would have been 32 in May so it was such an achievement. He was an amazing companion that I had the pleasure to live with for such a long time,” Heritage said.

“I got him just before my 20th birthday when he was a kitten.”

The Guinness Book of World Records states that the oldest cat ever lived to be an astounding 38 years of age.

“We never went down the route of Guinness Book of Records. I didn’t want to do that given his age. The record wasn’t of interest to us,” Heritage explained.

“He grew old very quickly towards the end, I said to my husband at Christmas that I think it would be last we spend with Rubble. He had started to stop eating and only drank water.”

“He became very thin. I went to work as usual and when I got home my husband said Rubble had gone over the road as he did every day and never came back, so we believe he went off to die as cats do,” she added.

“He was a creature of habit, had his favorite places to sleep and liked his food so when that stopped happening, we knew.”

Heritage can still remember the exact moment she first laid eyes on Rubble on her 20th birthday.

“He was part of a litter cat that my sister’s friend had and I had just left home,” she recalled. “I was lonely living on my own so got him in as a kitten. It was in May 1988. I have always treated him like a child – I don’t have any children and had another cat called Meg – who passed at the age of 25. If you care about something, no matter what it is, it does last.”

Rest in peace, Rubble.

This piece originally appeared in UpliftingToday.com and is used by permission.

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