Meet the dog on course to become Britain’s oldest – thanks to a diet of McDonald’s.
Pampered pooch Titch has just turned 20 – around 100 in human years – just a year behind the oldest pooch in the UK.
But despite his OAP status he loves nothing more than a Maccy D’s and watching a boxset on the sofa.
Pampered pooch Titch has now turned 20 and is on course to become Britain’s oldest dog thanks to an unusual diet
Titch loves nothing more than a McDonald’s for dinner and regularly has the same meals as his human owners
He scoffs McDonald’s around once a week, always enjoying a chicken nugget Happy Meal with a burger on the side – and no gherkin.
And Titch’s vet estimates that he could live for another TEN YEARS as he has no major health problems.
That would make him around 120 in human years – and be a world record-breaker.
The pet lives with owners Luke and Candice Kay in Cleethorpes near Grimsby, Lincolnshire.
He was born in 2000 before being rescued by Luke four years later – and nearly died in a hit-and-run as a nine-year-old.
But he lived to fight another day and regularly enjoys a human meal – including takeaways and fast food.
Candice, 36, said: ‘Titch lives on a diet of mainly human food and always has done.
He scoffs McDonald’s around once a week, always enjoying a chicken nugget Happy Meal with a burger on the side – and no gherkin
‘At the minute he has a runny poached egg on toast for breakfast, a couple of small dog food pouches and a Jaffa Cake or two for lunch.
‘Then for tea he will have a small portion of what we have. He loves lasagna and has his steak medium.
‘He will literally eat anything. Although in the last year he has got a little picky with his potatoes – they have to have mayonnaise or BBQ sauce on.
‘He also has another two little dog food pouches while we eat our tea. This way what we are eating can cool down ready for him to have after.
‘He also has dog treats, Haribo, Wotsits, Mr Kipling cakes and cookies.
‘It sounds awful – but he is healthy and a really good age.
‘I took him to the vets last year – for the first time in ages – about a little arthritis he started to have.
‘He said he had another ten years in him and to keep doing whatever I am doing! He just has half a paracetamol a day and doesn’t limp at all.
‘I don’t think he believed me at first, when I told him about the diet.
‘He said he couldn’t recommend it but added that it’s obviously working for him as he’s very healthy with no problems.
The pet lives with owners Luke and Candice Kay in Cleethorpes near Grimsby, Lincolnshire
‘He has McDonald’s around once a week. He has a chicken nugget Happy Meal with a burger on the side – no gherkin.
‘A Saturday at lunchtime is a Titch tradition. We usually end up getting one on a Wednesday and a Friday too.’
‘He usually goes with me to get it on a Saturday. But in the week, when it’s for tea, I bring it home on my way back from work. He always eats it at home.
‘He loves the Big Mac sauce that they sell, so I buy some and put that on his chips. I have his drink.’
‘It’s always his choice for celebrations. He’s not had his birthday meal yet. He gets really happy as we pull into the drive-thru on a Saturday.
‘He is really missing it [due to the lockdown]. I did stock up on a load of Big Mac sauces for him to put on his food, but it’s not the same.
‘I’ve promised that I’ll get him an extra burger when this is all over.
‘I wouldn’t recommend giving any other dog a diet like this as it could make them poorly and be shock to system.
‘But Titch has lived like this all his life and is used to our food.’
Lorry driver Luke, 34, picked Titch – a Beddlington Terrier crossed with a Whippet – up from a rescue centre in 2004 after his first family moved abroad.
He and Candice then met two years later and subsequently married – with the dog an integral part of the family.
The pair share a son and daughter from different relationships.
Candice said: ‘I don’t treat Titch like a dog – I treat him like another son.
Titch does have little walks but he gets very tired easily so makes the most of his dog pram
‘He likes Modern Family on Netflix. He started watching that with me, but he watches it over and over again on his own now.
‘I leave the television on when I go out, if he wants to watch it.
‘He also likes to go out in his dog pram and sleep. He does have little walks but he gets very tired.
‘Sometimes he’ll have a crazy five minutes where, out of knowhere, he will just start running around jumping up on settee and running in and out.
‘But mainly he likes to snuggle in front of the television. He likes Power, Episodes, Impractical Jokers and Gavin and Stacey.
‘He has just started mixing with other dogs too. He wouldn’t go near them before and would always get mad – but suddenly he doesn’t mind.
‘Now we can go to Pets at Home. He loves going there and meeting new mates, looking at the rabbits and guinea pigs and picking out treats.
‘We’re planning a big 21st birthday party for him next February – his birthday is on the 13th.
‘We’re going to hire a local club. A DJ is going to play, and my son’s band.
‘There’s more people going to that than who came to Luke’s surprise party! I think around 80 are coming.’
Titch is also a fan of lounging around in front of the TV with his favourite programmes including Power, Episodes, Impractical Jokers and Gavin and Stacey
Plucky Titch had a near-death experience eleven years ago, suffering serious injuries after getting hit by a car.
Candice, a saleswoman said: ‘He had to have his jaw rewired and had a broken rib. He was struggling to breathe and also had a lot of internal bleeding.
‘He couldn’t eat solid food for a month and everything had to be mashed.
‘I was lucky – I had such a nice boss at the time who let me take Titch to work for a month once he came out the animal hospital so he could be nursed..’
Former stray Queenie – thought to be Britain’s oldest dog – lives in Salisbury, Wiltshire with owner Bridget Pike, 31. She is a collie and terrier mix.