British cat's record-breaking purr as loud as an air conditioner

TORQUAY, England, May 14 (UPI) -- Guinness World Records confirmed a British woman's cacophonous cat is the new record holder for having the world's loudest purr.

Tracy Westwood of Torquay, England, said her cat, Merlin, became a minor Internet star in 2013 when she posted a YouTube video of his thunderous purring, and Guinness World Records confirmed Wednesday the cat's purr was measured at 67.8 decibels, beating the 2011 record of 67.68 decibels set by a cat named Smokey.

Guinness, which measured Merlin's purr as part of filming for an episode of British TV special Cats Make You Laugh Out Loud 2, said the purr is comparable to the sound from an air conditioner and nearly as loud as a dishwasher.

"Occasionally when he's really loud I have to repeat myself. When you're watching films you have to turn the telly up or put him out of the room, if he's eating he'll purr loudly. I can hear him when I'm drying my hair," Westwood said.

Guinness shared a preview of Merlin's appearance on the TV special on its YouTube channel.