X-Message-Number: 12591
Date: Mon, 18 Oct 1999 21:27:28 -0700 (PDT)
From: Doug Skrecky <>
Subject: Britain's oldest cat

From the October 16,1999 edition of The Vancouver Sun

Britain's oldest cat equivalent to 203 human years.

     Reuters
  London - A 29-year old ginger and white tomcat called Spike has been crowned
Britain's oldest cat - he's the equivalent of 203 in human years.
  Owner Mo Elkington says the six kilogram puss has lived so long because she
feeds him the "healing" aloe vera plant, whose extracts are commonly used in
skin moisturizers.
  "I put some in his food every day. It keeps his fur healthy and protects him
against rheumatism," said Elkington.
  She only discovered Spike was a record-breaker when she took him to a vet.
  "I'd no idea his age was that unusual but the vet was staggered so I called
the record people."

Additional note by poster:

  I have on hand a number of Oregon-R drosophilia melanogaster fruit flies, 
that are now middle aged (>30 days old). I will shortly be testing the
effect of various doses of aloe vera on fly longevity, and will report the
results.

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