A 31-year-old cat in Stockport may have one very specific habit behind her long life, at least according to her owner: she only drinks Buxton spring water.

Leslie Greenhough, 71, believes his tortoiseshell cat Millie, who was born in 1995, is currently the oldest living cat at age 31, which he says is equivalent to 146 human years.

Greenhough said Millie, first owned by his late wife Paula, has been drinking only Buxton natural mineral water for the past decade, along with getting “lots of treats” and “cuddles on the sofa”.

“I am very proud she has made it to 31, she is a real trooper,” he said.

“I have been feeding her mineral water for the past 10 years now.

“Nearby to our house work was being done to the water pipes, and because I am old I was classed as a vulnerable person.

“So they began dropping off Buxton water at my doorstep which I drank and also gave to Millie.

“When I turned my taps back on afterward, dirty water came out, so I chose to stick with the Buxton which I have stuck with ever since.”

Millie celebrated her birthday in March with a bowl of chicken.

Greenhough said the heat has become harder for her, and he keeps two fans on her and puts ice cubes in her water. He also said she has “began sleeping on the floor, the air must be cooler down there.”

“But I’m proud of Millie mainly for my wife really, she would be amazed with how well she is doing,” he said.

“Millie is around 146 in human years, I think that says it all really.

“Imagine being 146 years old, I can’t, it is only animals like tortoises that live to daft ages like that.”

Paula got Millie in 1995 as a three-month-old kitten. Greenhough met Paula on the dating site Plenty Of Fish in 2012 and said he first became aware of Millie when he heard her “meowing” in the background during calls. The couple got engaged on Valentine’s Day in 2013 and married in 2014.

He said he had not had a pet in several decades before meeting Millie, apart from a childhood cat called Blackie.

“Millie was such a sweet cat when I first met her,” he said.

“Over the years Millie was bullied by other cats the her neighborhood, so she stopped going out and became more of an indoor cat.

“She’s developed a cautious attitude, she’s very shy.

“I think that’s helped her live longer.”

Paula died in 2020 after contracting COVID-19. Greenhough said Millie also struggled after her death.

“It was incredibly difficult on both of us,” he said.

“Millie and I had bonded before she died, she would sit on my lap and my wife said she could see how much the cat loved me.

“I think Millie knew my wife wasn’t well.

“Millie wouldn’t eat anything at first, I used to give her prawns and chicken, but over time she’s back to eating cat food.”

Greenhough said his “life ambition” is to get Millie into Guinness World Records, but he cannot prove her age.

“Unfortunately, the only person who can do that is my late wife,” he said.

He said the only proof he has is a photo taken in 1995 showing Millie eating from a food bowl.

Greenhough also said Millie has become more “relaxed” and “chilled out” with age. He said she wakes around noon, spends 30 minutes “messing” about with him, and then settles into her usual routine.

“She only drinks Buxton water and has a diet of salmon, prawns, chicken and tuna,” he said.

“Millie likes to do her own thing, I will find her either asleep behind the sofa or asleep in my bed.

“Sometimes she will play out in the garden, a cat is a cat really.”

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