Bella, an adorable cat from Cambridgeshire, was recorded as having a loud purr of 54.6 decibels, equivalent to the noise of a boiling kettle.
Record breaking purr
The cat's incredibly loud purr shatters the previous record of 50 decibels for a cat currently alive. Bella's devoted owner, Nicole Spink, couldn't have been prouder, saying,
Dave Wilson, an official Guinness World Records adjudicator, oversaw Bella's record-breaking attempt. He and an acoustic engineer blocked out external noises in Bella's home and set up recording devices.
As Bella settled down on her favourite cushion in preparation for her record-breaking moment, her thunderous purring began, and the results were immediately apparent, earning herself a Guinness World Records title.
Feline competition
Bella's record-breaking achievement wasn't without fierce competition from two cats who have since passed away.
Smokey from Northamptonshire once hit a remarkable 67.7 decibels in March 2011. Then, Merlin from Devon, at 13 years old, controversially outdid Smokey with a purr measuring 67.8 decibels. However, Smokey's owner argued that no decibel reader could provide an entirely accurate reading, with a margin of error ranging from 0.6 to 2 decibels. Guinness World Records ultimately honoured Merlin and Smokey as the loudest purring cats, revising the 2011 attempt up to 67.8 decibels.
