A Devonshire family said they were astounded when they found out their cat was the oldest in Bermuda on record.

The Bothello family said that their cat, named Monkey, was two months away from being 25 years old — and she still had a few years left in her.

Jane Bothello, 56, added: “I always ask the vet if there’s anything more I should be doing for her, but he looks at her and says ‘whatever you can do, I think you’re doing it’.”

Monkey, a domestic shorthair, lives with Mrs Bothello and her husband, Mark.

She was born on February 24, 1999, according to her vet papers at Ettrick Animal Hospital in Warwick.

The pair said that they learnt of Monkey’s new record when they took her for her annual checkup at Ettrick.

Mrs Bothello explained that her doctor, who used to call Monkey “the oldest cat in Bermuda” as a joke, said that his records indicated that this was actually true.

Cats on average live for about 12 to 18 years.

But at 24 years and nine and a half months old, Monkey is no average cat.

When asked about her secret to longevity, Monkey declined a request for comment.

But her owners said that it was a combination of a stress-free life and “lots of cuddles”.

Mrs Bothello said that the family got Monkey from the Feline Association of Bermuda in 1999 when Monkey was about nine months old.

She explained that she grew up alongside their daughter, Paige, since she was 3.

Mrs Bothello said that she was “super skittish” when the family first got her and constantly hid under furniture.

She admitted that, even as she got used to the family, and later another pet, a tomcat named Amigo, Monkey was never “the friendliest cat“.

She added that it wasn’t until she turned 15 that she started to warm up to everyone.

Mrs Bothello said: “She started to just cuddle and sit in our laps or sleep with us.

“It was just the cutest thing. She would just jump up and curl up in our laps. We’d just have to sit there until she woke up.”

Mrs Bothello said that the family did not think that Monkey had much longer to live after this moment, especially since Amigo had died around that time after 12 years.

But she said that, once Monkey reached age 18, they noticed that she was hanging in for the long haul.

Mrs Bothello added that, by the time Monkey reached 20 years of age, they made her a birthday hat with her age on it to celebrate- and switched out the age every year after.

She admitted that Monkey still had her health problems — she was blind, hard of hearing and suffered from arthritis.

Mrs Bothello added that there had been some health scares in the past that they believed Monkey would not make it through.

But she said that, despite everything, she always came back home, so much so that it became a running joke.

She added that, by all accounts, Monkey still seemed to be happy and not in pain.

Paige Bothello, now 27, said that Monkey felt almost like a sister for her because they grew up together.

She said: “I quite literally don’t know my life without Monkey.

“She’s seen me graduate kindergarten, high school and college. She’s seen me get married. She’s been by my side through the good days and the bad.”

Mrs Bothello added: “Animals are so special, and I feel so grateful that I’ve got to share as much time with her as I have.

“She’s truly a staple in our family and is so incredibly loved. At this rate, she’ll outlive us all.”