Nutmeg was taken to the Westway Veterinary Group in Newcastle with breathing difficulties, but vets were unable to save him after he suffered heart failure.

Heartbroken owners Liz and Ian Finlay, from Blaydon, admit the death of their beloved pet earlier this month has left a massive hole in their lives.

The couple adopted Nutmeg after finding him in their garden in 1990.

They took him to Cats Protection, where vets told them he was at least five, making him 32 when he died.

Until his death, he was thought to be the oldest cat in the world, taking the crown of 26-year-old Corduroy, the Guinness World Record holder.

Mrs Finlay said: “I feel like my heart has been ripped out. He is such a miss as he was a huge character, who was dearly loved.”

Nutmeg kept outliving all of his nine lives and underwent lifesaving treatment at Westway’s main veterinary hospital on West Road, Newcastle, after suffering a stroke in 2015.

The moggy marvel battled back to health, but had to be put to sleep following his latest illness, leaving his owners distraught.

Mr Finlay added: “I can hardly put into words how much we miss him. It has left a big hole in our lives, but we still feel he is with us in spirit.

“After his death we just had to get away for a week’s holiday, but it’s done nothing to heal the pain as he was such a special pet.

“He was not our cat, we were his humans and he never let us forget that.

“I think that was the secret to his long life.”