15 pets with Guinness World Records 

 

Longest tongue

Puggy, a male Pekingese with a tongue that measures 4.5 inches long, lives in Texas with his owner, Becky Stanford. Abandoned by a breeder because of his looks, Puggy was taken in by Stanford and her husband as a puppy, and nine years later he was holding the world record for current longest dog tongue. As you can see, Puggy's tongue is a bit of a mouthful, so Stanford has to chop the dog's food into small pieces because he chews with his tongue.

Most tennis balls in mouth

Dogs love to chase tennis balls, but perhaps no pup loves the chase more than Augie, an 8-year-old golden retriever who holds the world record for most tennis balls in the mouth at one time. Augie has successfully gathered and held five tennis balls in her mouth at the same time.

Longest cat

A 6-year-old fluffy feline from Reno, Nev., is the certified longest cat in the world. Stewie, a Maine Coon, measures 48.5 inches long from the tip of his nose to the end of his tail bone. (That's a little longer than 4 feet.)

Most flying discs caught

Many dogs can catch a Frisbee, but Rose, a 6-year-old Labrador retriever/border collie mix, can catch and hold onto up to seven flying discs — thrown separately — without dropping any of them. Owner Edward Watson says he noticed that once Rose got hold of a disc, she didn’t want to let go to catch the next one, and he eventually discovered her record-winning talent.

Tallest dog

Giant George, a 43-inch-tall Great Dane from Tucson, Ariz., holds two world records: tallest living dog and tallest dog ever. This gentle giant has a developed quite the fan base so his owner, David Nasser, keeps fans up to date with the dog’s activities via his website and YouTube channel. Giant George also has a book, "Giant George: Life With The World's Biggest Dog," which was published by Simon & Schuste

Smallest dog

In terms of height, the smallest living dog is Boo Boo, a long-haired female Chihuahua who proves that good things come in small packages. Boo Boo is just 4 inches tall and weighs in at a mere 2 pounds. She lives in Raceland, Ky., with her owner, Lana Elswick.

First bionic leg implants

Oscar the cat is the first animal to have received two bionic leg implants. Oscar’s hind legs were accidentally chopped off in a combine harvester, and his prosthetic legs were drilled into what remained of his original legs. The bionic legs aren’t suited for an outside environment, so Oscar is now an indoor cat, and he’s surely grateful for his remaining eight lives.

Balloon popping

Popping 100 balloons in 44.49 seconds was just the beginning of Anastasia’s fame. The Jack Russell terrier has also been featured on "Live with Regis Kelly," and she’s starred in a variety of commercials, Web advertisements and print campaigns. Anastasia lives in Los Angeles with her owner and trainer, Doree Sitterly.

First bionic leg implants

Oscar the cat is the first animal to have received two bionic leg implants. Oscar’s hind legs were accidentally chopped off in a combine harvester, and his prosthetic legs were drilled into what remained of his original legs. The bionic legs aren’t suited for an outside environment, so Oscar is now an indoor cat, and he’s surely grateful for his remaining eight lives

Balloon popping

Popping 100 balloons in 44.49 seconds was just the beginning of Anastasia’s fame. The Jack Russell terrier has also been featured on "Live with Regis Kelly," and she’s starred in a variety of commercials, Web advertisements and print campaigns. Anastasia lives in Los Angeles with her owner and trainer, Doree Sitterly.

Highest jump

The world record for the highest jump cleared by a dog is 68 inches and was achieved by a greyhound named Cinderella May at the Purina Incredible Dog Challenge National Finals in October 2006. Cinderella May — or Cindy, as her owners, Kate Long and Kathleen Conroy, call her — is more than just a world-famous high jumper; she’s also a R.E.A.D.-certified therapy dog

Oldest dog

Bluey, an Australian cattle dog, holds the world record for oldest dog at 29 years and 5 months of age. Les Hall of Victoria, Australia, got Bluey as a puppy in 1910, and the dog worked with cattle and sheep for nearly 20 years before being put to sleep on Nov. 14, 1939.

 

Tallest cat

Trouble (shown here with owner Debby Maraspini) holds the world record for tallest domestic cat, measuring 19 inches long from shoulder to toe. A Savannah cat is a hybrid domestic cat breed that’s a cross between a domestic cat and a serval, a wild cat native to Africa. Trouble replaced the previous record-holder in November 2011.

Balancing glass of water

Sweet Pea, an Australian shepherd/border collie, holds a couple of the strangest records on our list: most steps walked down by a dog facing forward while balancing a 5-ounce glass of water (10 steps) and fastest 100 meters walked by a dog with a can balanced on its head (2 minutes and 55 seconds).

Loudest purr

When Smokey is happy, everyone around him knows it. This gray tabby cat gained a place in the Guinness Book of Records with a purr that measured 67.7 decibels, but Smokey has been recorded on previous occasions with a 92.7-decibel purr, which is equivalent to the noise of a lawnmower or a hairdryer.

Fastest skateboard ride

Tillman, an English bulldog, traveled a 100-meter stretch of parking lot in just 19.68 seconds during the 2009 X Games in Los Angeles, winning him a world record and making him the Tony Hawk of the canine world.

Most dogs skipping rope

Uchida Geinousha's dogs are the star attraction of the Super Wan Wan Circus in Japan. The 13 jumping dogs hold the world record for most dogs skipping rope.

If you're a parent, the idea of adding the care and feeding of an animal to your responsibilities might feel like too much work. But having a dog, cat, bunny, hamster or other animal as a part of the family benefits kids in real ways. Studies have shown that kids who have pets do better — especially in the area of Emotional Intelligence (EQ), which has been linked to early academic success, even more so than the traditional measure of intelligence, IQ.