MYMAINS Stewart Gilligan, the world's longest cat, has died. Measuring
just more than 1.23m in length, the cat received his Guinness World Record
title in 2010.
STEWIE the Cat, the longest domestic cat in the world at more than 1.2
metres long from nose to tail, has died.
Stewie was surrounded by family when he succumbed to a year-long battle
with cancer on Monday evening (local time) at his Reno home, owner Robin
Hendrickson said. He was eight.
Guinness World Records declared Stewie the record-holder in August
2010, measuring 48.5 inches (1.23m) from the tip of his nose to the tip of his
tail.
Hundreds of fans flooded Stewie's Facebook site with memories and
condolences on Tuesday.
The maine coon cat was a certified therapy animal that
frequently visited a Reno senior center and helped promote animal welfare
awareness with the Nevada Humane Society.
"Stewie was always very social and loved meeting new people,"
Hendrickson said.
"He has touched many lives, and for that I am
grateful."
Stewie's full name was Mymains Stewart Gilligan.
Hendrickson bought him
from a breeder in Hermiston, Oregon, in 2005.
Last month, he attended the
International Cat Show in Portland, Oregon.
"He did really well at the show, even though he wasn't feeling totally
perfect," said Valerie Horton, the show's entry clerk.
"He loved
being there because he loved the public. He always did."
Officials for Guinness World Records did not immediately respond to
inquiries about a successor to Stewie's record.
The previous record-holder,
Leo, a 48-inch-long (1.21m) maine coon owned by Frieda Ireland of Chicago, died
several years ago.
Stewie was diagnosed in early 2012 with Lymphosarcoma, a malignant
disease of the lymphoid tissues.
He responded successfully to chemotherapy and
was declared cancer-free, but the remission period was brief and a vet recently
found another, more aggressive tumor on his kidneys, Hendrickson said.
"I knew that although we could fight it, the end was near and so I
wanted to simply make him comfortable and let him enjoy the time he did
have," she said. – AP
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