The longest I ever had any cats, beside the tom cat that lived about 8 years, was 1.5 years. Cats never did well at my house growing up, which is why I don't have any right now.
But it is amazing that any house cat could live this long. I am glad for the owner, and hope that they will have...
I don't think there is a way around this fee. However, I am not an expert, so I may be wrong. I did a Google search, and found a very good site with 401K withdrawal rules. I couldn't go into a thorough investigation of the site, but I think reading up in there will give you the answers you need.