National Pet Day Main

Many love their pets more than they love people – and we can’t blame them when they are as cute and cuddly as some of our record holders.

While every owner thinks their pet is amazing in their own way, there are some that are Officially Amazing because they hold Guinness World Records titles.

So in celebration of National Pet Day, check out some of the most talented furry friends we have in the record books.

Bini the Bunny

Bini the Bunny

Bini is no ordinary bunny! The eight-year-old pet bounced his way into global success for his spectacular record-breaking ability to do the most basketball slam dunks in one minute by a rabbit. In a matter of sixty seconds, the Holland Lop rabbit can put a miniature basketball through a hoop seven times – an impressive total for such a tiny animal. Owner Shai Asor affectionately jokes that Bini developed an interest in basketball thanks to him. He says that basketball is Bini's favourite activity, and that he even practices his dunks every night before going to bed. On the days he’s not trying to become the next basketball legend, Bini wakes up very early and runs around the house, before eating some fresh greens for breakfast. Bini is a well-rounded rabbit, and enjoys the arts as much as sports. He is capable of styling hair and painting, by holding a paint brush in his mouth.

Nala Cat

Nala Cat

Those who know Nala might recognize her from her brilliant blue eyes and characteristic faces. After all, she is in the Guinness World Records 2020 book for having the most followers on Instagram for a cat. But while Nala boasts 4,323,973 followers on the platform (and counting), she wasn’t always insta-famous. Like many animals across the United States, her story began in a pet shelter in California, where her owner Pookie adopted her back in 2011. Pookie began Nala’s renowned account to share with friends and family, but she never dreamed it would get the amount of attention that it does today. After nurturing her original followers, interacting with fans, and developing Nala’s persona on her profile – it is now one of the most thriving pet accounts in the social media world and has led Nala to have opportunities such as having her own pet food line and writing a book.

Loving words from Nala’s owners: “It wasn’t until she was adopted and cared for, that she became the lovable cat she is today. Even though I never really intended to adopt a kitten that day, when I saw her, I just knew it was meant to be.”

Nala’s book is family published this week. The book title is, "Living Your Best Life According to Nala Cat". At the end of the book is a step-by-step guide to adopting your cat and keeping them happy!

Abbie Girl the Surfing Dog

Abbie Girl the Surfing Dog

Abbie Girl is a kelpie who holds the record for the longest wave surfed by a dog (open water) after surfing a 107.2-m-long (351-ft 8-in) wave at Ocean Beach in San Diego, California, USA, on 18 October 2011. Kelpies are an Australian dog breed. They herd sheep, occasionally jumping on the backs of stubborn individuals to steer them while balancing on top - exactly the same balancing skills needed for surfing! Abbie Girl's owner Michael adopted her as a shy rescue dog five years ago. To build her confidence, he would take her to a beach used by other dog owners. She would follow him into the water and enjoy jumping on his surf board. One day he allowed her to float with the wave and she didn't fall off. Since then, she's always loved to surf. Nowadays Abbie will attend local dog surfing competitions and spends most days in the water!

Mochi

Mochi

When it comes to tongues, Mochi “Mo” Rickert, a female St Bernard from South Dakota, USA, has the competition licked. Officially measured by a vet at 18.58 cm (7.3 in) – the equivalent of two-and-a-half Jenga blocks in a row – Mochi’s was verified for having the longest tongue on a dog (current) in 2016. Mochi’s owners got their extraordinary, peanut-butter-loving pooch from Big Dogs Huge Paws rescue home when she was two years old. They never expected for their pet to have a Guinness World Records title! Obstacles Mochi faces as a result of her long tongue include breathing challenges, extra slobber when she’s nervous, dirt, dust and leaves sticking to her tongue and needing help when picking things up off the floor. However, that doesn’t stop her from doing some of her favourite things like posing for photos and snacking on sweet potatoes!

Blue Skipper

Blue Skipper

An exceptionally talented Macaw parrot named Skipper from Los Angeles, California, achieved the record for the most rings placed on a target by a parrot in one minute with 19 back in 2016. Following the Guinness World Records guidelines, his trainer Wendy made sure to not touch Skipper Blue during the attempt, but only prompted the talented parrot to pick up the rings by sliding them towards him one at a time. Skipper has a knack for following commands and was able to do so seamlessly. When he achieved the record on GWR Day back in 2016, Sofia Greenacre, the adjudicator on hand mentioned: “Skipper bounced up and down which can only be understood as she was very happy for this record!”

Frankie and Freddie the Rats

Frankie and Freddie the Rats

Frankie (a golden Siamese) made it into the record books first with a lightning-quick 28 “high-fives” in half a minute on 5 Oct 2019 – though given the diminutive size of his paws, he was permitted to hit a single finger rather than his owner’s entire palm. It took a lot of training to get Frankie to be able to achieve the most alternating paw tricks by a rat in 30 seconds – but nonetheless he prevailed! His brother Freddie, (a wheaten rex) – who was almost called “Curly Wurly”, also accomplished his own talent with the most jumps through a hoop by a rat in 30 seconds with a total of 8. Did you know? Frankie and Freddy’s owners, Luke and Jess, were recently engaged to be married. With both their rats and record-breaking having featured as key milestones in their relationship, Luke felt it only fitting that both things should form part of his proposal in Dec 2019!

Bombel the Miniature Horse

Bombel the Miniature Horse

Doing it for the little guys is a miniature Appaloosa from Poland. Bombel ("Bubble" – so-named for his rotund shape) is the shortest male horse, standing just 56.7 cm (1 ft 10 in) from hoof to shoulder blades. Bombel is by far the smallest equine resident of KasKada stud farm in Łódź, where he lives alongside many larger horses. His owners Patryk and Katarzyna Zielińska insist that, despite his small stature, their vertically disinclined stallion has "a huge personality and a huge heart”. While his status as the smallest horse in the world may now have confirmed him to be one-of-a-kind, Bombel hasn’t let the glory go to his head. He still finds time to do some voluntary work. Once a month, he visits a local children's hospital to help brighten the day of the young patients. Having seen horses going into US hospitals as emotional support animals, Katarzyna was inspired to do the same.

Barivel the Longest Cat

Barivel the Longest Cat

A two-year-old Maine Coon cat from Italy measures an impressive 120 cm (3 ft 11.2 in) - that's longer than a baseball bat! The large cat, who's named Barivel, lives with his owners in Vigevano, Pavia, and was crowned as the longest domestic cat (living), after the record was verified on 22 May 2018. Barivel leads a pampered life, eating plenty of biscuits, chicken and fish - and even gets taken for walks in a buggy! His size and attention inspired his owners to start an instagram account that for him so they can share his incredible characteristics with others, and many around the world are shocked to see his size! Barivel is still growing and may become even longer. For now he safely holds the record among his fellow felines.