Cat sets Guinness World Record with loudest purr

Cambridgeshire, UK - Meow! An elder tabby cat by the name of Bella just set the Guinness World Record for the loudest purr by a living domestic cat.

An elder tabby cat by the name of Bella just set the Guinness World Record for the loudest purr by a living domestic cat.
An elder tabby cat by the name of Bella just set the Guinness World Record for the loudest purr by a living domestic cat.  © Collage: Screenshot/Guinness World Records

Bella's family thought their cat was uniquely loud, and found out she had something worth shoulting about.

They first tested Bella's purr volume on a phone app, but decided to get a professional sound engineer for a more exact measurement.

An independent sound specialist soon confirmed the 14-year-old cat's purr to be a record-breaking 54.59 decibels, a similar volume to that of a kettle boiling or a washing machine.

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"She purrs all day long!" her owner Nicole Spink told Guinness World Records. "If there’s food around, or cuddles, she always purrs."

"Also when watching TV – she likes to be loud with television," she added. "My late husband used to always moan about the sound of her purr blocking the sound of the TV in the evenings."

The cat's family has long believed her purr to be something special. "Friends and family always notice Bella's loud purr. Everyone comments, 'What's that loud noise? Oh, it's the cat,'" Spink said.

"It's just Bella being happy!"

Though Bella now holds the record for the loudest purr by a living domestic cat, the all-time record for loudest purr by a domestic cat is held by cats Smokey and Merlin who tied at 67.8 decibels – 13.21 louder than Bella!

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot/Guinness World Records

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