A cat from Torquay in south-east England is the new record holder for loudest purr in the world, after the Guinness Book of Records declared that he was louder than a dishwasher. 

Merlin, who is 13-years-old, has had his purr measured at an impressive 70 decibels, which is the new record, although his owner Tracy Westwood claims that she has caught him purring at an ear-shattering 100 decibels, which is louder than a motorcycle. 

That kind of purring power can be pretty off-putting though, as she told her local newspaper: "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". 

This video, from a few years back, also has him purring on a regular day, and showcases what it might be like to live with Merlin.

Via Mashable