Record Breaking Pets
We pet owners all think our pets are amazing, right? They are the cleverest, most talented pets there are, each one unique. The way your dog lifts his paw for a biscuit? Genius. That noise your cat makes when you ask her a question? Definitely gifted. But some of our furry friends are so talented they’ve made it into the hallowed halls of The Guinness World Records, so in celebration of these pawsome furry friends, we thought we’d take a look at a few of the best animal world records.
Keon – The Dog With The Longest Tail
Dogs wag their tails to communicate with us and it’s often associated with them being happy or excited, but when Keon, an Irish Wolfhound from Belgium, starts wagging his tail, you might want to keep out of the way; his massive 30.2inch (76.8cm) tail broke the Longest Tail on a Dog record and got him into the Guinness World Records in 2017.
Wolfhounds are one of the largest breeds of dogs who were originally bred to chase wolves away from livestock; they needed their long tails for balance when chasing their prey, and while they’re not a vulnerable breed, they are quite a rare breed, with only 238 registered in the UK in 2022.
Merlin – The Cat With The Loudest Purr
If you’re a cat owner then you know how loud a cat’s purr can be, especially at 5am when they’re bored of sleeping and want you to play with them, but in 2015 a cat from Devon broke the record for the loudest purr. Merlin, a 13-year-old rescue cat, registered a purr measuring 67.8 decibels; that’s the equivalent of an air conditioner and almost as loud as a dishwasher.
Cats tend to purr when happy and relaxed, and kittens often purr when being fed by their mother, although interestingly, big cats such as lions and tigers don’t purr at all.
Big Jake – The World’s Tallest Horse
Belgian Draft horses are known for being one of the biggest horse breeds; they’re traditionally used in heavy agricultural work and have broken a few records over the years, but the record for the Tallest Living Horse went to Big Jake in 2010, who was a whopping 20 hands tall (82.75 inches). Sadly, Big Jake passed away in 2021, but even through his retirement, he was well known for enjoying his two bales of hay a day.
Bini – The Most Basketball Slam Dunks By A Rabbit
We’re sure your pet rabbit is great, it has those cute long ears and that little fluffy tail, and it can sniff out a nice juicy carrot from miles away, but how are its basketball moves? Yes, you read that right; in 2016 a rabbit called Bini, who lives in California in the US, managed to achieve 7 slam dunks in one minute, earning him a Guinness World record.
He’s since gone on to have his own YouTube channel, 143 thousand followers on Instagram and has appeared on America’s Got Talent. His other skills include painting, playing the guitar and spinning on command – which is making us all feel a little bit inferior over here, go Bini!
Jonathan – The World’s Oldest Land Animal
In 2019 Jonathan, a tortoise who lives on the South Atlantic Island of St Helena, crawled in the Guinness World Records as the oldest-known land animal alive when he turned 187 years old. Born in 1832, he has lived through both world wars, 7 British monarchs, 39 US presidents, the completion of the Eiffel Tower, and the invention of the light bulb.
There are reported to be only 80 tortoises of his species left in the world and, despite being blind with no sense of smell, he still has a healthy appetite and excellent hearing; one of his favourite things to do is listen to a game of tennis. He spends his days sunbathing and eating, which is pretty much our plan for when we retire!
Whether our pets are record-breakers or not, they’re still superstars in our eyes and we want the very best for them. One way to ensure they get the best is to consider taking out pet insurance for your dog, cat or horse; owning a pet is a lot of fun, but vet bills aren’t, so it’s good to have the reassurance of having a policy that’s tailored to the particular needs of your furry friend. And if you fancy trying to get your dog in the record books, take a look at some easy tricks to teach them, although we can’t guarantee they’ll bring you fame and fortune, you’ll certainly have a lot of fun trying.
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