Most Survivable Cat: 'Little Man' sets world record (VIDEO)
MADISON, AL, USA -- 'Little Man', a male domestic housecat, (owner Jonny Payne) lived a rather extraordinary life; during his thirteen year life-span, he survived a combined total of eighteen events and ailments, over half of which were life-threatening; he was finally euthanized on June 30, 2015, but not before setting a new world record as The World's Most Survivable Cat, according to the World Record Academy. Photo: Little Man, a male domestic housecat, (owner Jonny Payne) lived a rather extraordinary life; during his thirteen year life-span, he survived a combined total of eighteen events and ailments, over half of which were life-threatening; he was finally euthanized on June 30, 2015, but not before setting a new world record as The World's Most Survivable Cat. Here is a pic of Little Man sort of "guarding." He's wearing his Mighty Little Man superhero cape. All Photos: courtesy Jonathon Scott Payne (enlarge photo)
The Guinness World Records' record for the first animal to receive two bionic leg implants is Oscar the cat (Jersey, UK), and was performed by Noel Fitzpatrick, in Surrey, UK, on 13 November 2009.
Oscar lost his legs to a combine harvester whilst lying in the sun and was not expected to survive. Veterinary surgeon Noel Fitzpatrick pioneered this surgery and hopes that it will be a step forward in animal and human rehabilitation.
Guinness World Records also recognized the world record for the most air flights by a pet; it belongs to a domestic cat called Smarty, who made her 79th flight on 28 June 2005. All of Smarty's flights have been trips between Cairo, Egypt and Larnaca, Cyprus with her owners, Peter and Carole Godfrey (UK) who live in Cairo, Egypt. Little Man, a male domestic housecat, (owner Jonny Payne) lived a rather extraordinary life. Born in a barn, he was promptly stepped on by a horse but was uninjured, which should have been a clue to his nature.
During his thirteen year life-span, he survived a combined total of eighteen events and ailments, over half of which were life-threatening.
Suffering from congestive heart failure (bringing the total number of ailments to nineteen), he was finally euthanized on June 30, 2015.
Diagnosed with diabetes at an early age, 'Little Man' nevertheless lived a life of comfort for most of his life.
Then at ten years of age, shortly after contracting and recovering from ringworm, it is suspected he ingested a neurological toxin from an unknown source.
This resulted in Grand mal seizures, paralysis of the hind legs (his entire back end didn't work), extremely low blood potassium (test results indicated his blood potassium level at "zero"), extremely high body temperature, and accidentally swallowed a sliver from a tongue depressor (a previous world record), any one of which could have killed him.
Not expected to survive, he nevertheless fully recovered from all of these after spending seventeen days in the hospital.
Later, 'Little Man' battled idiopathic seizures of unknown cause and contracted lymphoma (cancer). Still, he fought on.
Then just after his thirteenth birthday it was discovered while he was experiencing difficulty breathing that he had an enlarged heart.
Again, not expected to survive, he miraculously went home from his veterinarian's clinic a few hours later.
Finally, suffering from congestive heart failure at the age of thirteen years and three months, Little Man was euthanized.
However, he NEVER gave up, and in so doing survived an unbelievable number of events and ailments, setting a new world record as The World's Most Survivable Cat. Photo: Jonny Payne pays tribute to his cat, Little Man, in his book "Mighty Little Man: My Story, His Story, Our Story." (enlarge photo)
Little Man's owner, Jonny Payne, said, "One of the most incredible things about 'Little Man' was that he didn't act like he was sick. He met me at the door every day, cuddled, always had a great appetite, and NEVER misbehaved.
"In fact, right up to the very end he still played like a kitten and came to me every night to toss plastic rings to him. His veterinarian referred to him as 'one seriously tough kitty.' A fighter to the very end, he truly was the 'Mighty Little Man.'"
The following is a list of the medically related things he went through. Interestingly enough, he never acted like he was sick at all. From the list below, notice that there are 19 things he suffered, and over half of them were life threatening all on their own. His veterinarian described him as, "one seriously tough kitty."
From birth in April 2002 up to Labor Day 2012:
1. Stepped on by horse shortly after birth
2. Severe Eye Infection
3. Diabetes Mellitus
4. Dermatophytosis (Ringworm)
Then beginning on Labor Day (Sept 3, 2012):
5. Neurological toxin exposure or ingestion (life threatening) resulting in:
6. Grand mal seizures (life threatening)
7. Temperature of 106.4 F ((life threatening)
8. Paraparesis (Paralysis of the hind legs and back end) (life threatening) –
9. Severe hypokalemia (extremely low potassium) (life threatening)
10. Ischuria (Urinary retention) (life threatening) 11. Complete Constipation (Inability to defecate) (life threatening)
12. Swallowed and passed a sliver of a tongue depressor (life threatening and a previous world record)
After Recovery from toxin exposure:
13. Idiopathic seizures
14. B-Lymphocyte Lymphosarcoma (Cancer) (life threatening)
15. Hypertriglyceridemia (high level of fat in the blood)
16. Insulin resistant hyperglycemia (high blood glucose)
17. Tachypnea (Difficulty breathing) (life threatening) due to:
18. Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (Enlarged heart) (life threatening)
The Mighty Little Man was euthanized on June 30, 2015 because of:
19. Congestive Heart Failure (life threatening)
At one point, Little Man was taking 11 different medications and vitamins at the same time.
"Lastly, I wish it known that the Mighty Little Man NEVER GAVE UP" - owner Jonny Payne.
