Owning just one record-breaking cat may seem like a rarity.
But this silver Maine Coone is the fourth feline of a US family to have smashed a Guinness World Record, thanks to its remarkable tail.
Altair, a five-year-old cat from Michigan, has the longest tail of any domestic cat alive, measuring at an astonishing 16.07 inches.
This stretches around four inches more than your average furry friend – equating to nearly three iPhone 10s lined up by length.
But Altair isn’t alone, with his brothers Cygnus, Arcturus and Fenrir having all broken unbelievable records of their own.
Altair (pictured) is the fourth feline of a US family to have broken a Guinness World Record
Their owner, Dr William John Powers, believes that both genetics and a ‘special diet’ may have a part to play – with their features abnormally large.
‘His brother Cygnus has the record for the longest tail ever, so genetics certainly played a part,’ Mr Powers told the Guinness World Records.
‘But I’ve had four Guinness World Records title-holding cats now, so I suspect it’s likely at least in part to the special diet that I designed for them.’
On average, cats generally grow to around nine or 10 inches in height, with tails measuring at around 11 inches for males and nine inches for females.
But their breed and diet can influence this quite heavily, with large amounts of protein often desired to make a cat grow in size.
Sadly, both Cygnus and Arcturus vanished after a blaze devastated Mr Powers’ home in Farmington Hills and were never seen again since.
Despite this, Cygnus continues to be remembered as the longest cat tail recorded, measuring at a whopping 17.58 inches.
Meanwhile, Arcturus – a two-year-old Savannah cat – was once the tallest feline across the globe, with a height of 19.05 inches.
The five-year-old cat from Michigan – has the longest tail of any domestic cat alive, measuring at an astonishing 16.07 inches
On average, cats generally grow to around 9 or 10 inches in height, with tails measuring at around 11inches for males and 9inches for females
Cygnus (pictured) continues to be remembered for the longest cat tail recorded, measuring at a whopping 17.58 inches
Arcturus, a two-year-old Savannah cat, was once the tallest feline across the globe at a height of 19.05 inches
Fenrir, a cat measuring 18.83 inches tall, is now considered to be the tallest domestic cat that’s still alive
This title has since been taken on by Fenrir, who, at 18.83 inches, is considered to be the tallest domestic cat that’s still alive.
While Mr Powers admits that it’s quite nice to hang another record-breaking certificate on the wall, he says his cats aren’t trophy pets.
Instead, Fenrir and Altair are often used as ‘therapy cats’ at Mr Powers’ clinic where he helps patients with HIV.
He continued: ‘At the time of the original fire, I was president of a cat shelter. I really wanted to be able to do the charity work with these guys that I barely got to do with the original world record holders.
‘Because I have that certificate, my cats work as therapy animals at the clinic (telling someone they have HIV is a lot easier for them to hear when they’re petting a 35 lb 19-inch-tall cat).’
READ MORE: How to get your cat to love you, according to science
Cats are famous for their independent and aloof nature, but a new study has revealed the way to the heart of even the most standoffish feline.
Scientists from the Paris Nanterre University sat in a ‘cat cafe’, where kitties roam freely and can approach customers, to test out different ways of winning them over.
They found that cats responded most quickly to human strangers when they offered vocal and visual cues together, like calling their name while reaching out their hand.
But when the human ignored the animals completely, they were more likely to wag their tail – a sign of frustration or agitation.
The researchers hope their findings will improve the quality of human-cat relationships and cat welfare.
Scientists from the Paris Nanterre University found that cats responded most quickly to human strangers when they offered vocal and visual cues together (stock image)
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