Northampton’s most famous pussycat is seeking an apology from a host of national newspapers after reports claimed a rival had dethroned her as the world’s loudest moggy.
Smokey the cat was crowned as the noisiest feline by the Guinness Book of Records, which recorded her unusual purr at 67.7 decibels in 2011.
However, reports have surfaced that a rival from Devon had been discovered to be even louder.
A number of national newspapers proclaimed Merlin, a 12-year-old rescue cat from Devon, as a rival to Smokey’s crown, describing his purr as “like a jackhammer”. The cat was reported to have been recorded at a deafening 98 decibels.
However, Smokey’s owner, Ruth Adams, says the recording was not conducted in a scientific manner and is not therefore comparable to Smokey’s record.
She has demanded an apology on behalf of her affronted pet puss and reported the matter to the Press Complaints Commission.
Mrs Adams said Smokey’s purr remains in the record books.
She said: “According to film footage shown on YouTube it appears these readings were taken at the cat’s mouth and not at the one-metre distance Guinness World Records specify.
“It is incorrect and totally misleading to make comparisons with other decibel readings, or with Smokey’s record, or make any implication that the cat has taken, or is about to take, Smokey’s record.”
She added: “If I were to take recordings of Smokey at her mouth I would also be able to claim sensational readings of more than 100 decibels.”
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