how many cats is too many
Posted by fufuberry on Jul 22, 2008 · Member since Jul 2008 · 1786 posts
I love kittens so much. Especially when they've been left alone, I just want to take them home and fill their bellies and pet them until they feel the love! I only included even numbers, because cat "families" get along best with even numbers. I was just curious how many most people think is too many cats.
You can never have too many cats!
I think there is a legal limit. Seriously. Hehe, however I have had up to 6 cats at a time...and it was crazy in a small 2 bedroom apartment. I probably wouldn't do it again, but that's me.
Seems to me that if you can feed them, pay their vet's bills and give them space to roam around and be happy and healthy, then you've not got too many. As soon as you can't take care of all them, you need to consider rehoming a few.
Seems to me that if you can feed them, pay their vet's bills and give them space to roam around and be happy and healthy, then you've not got too many. As soon as you can't take care of all them, you need to consider rehoming a few.
I totally agree with what Catski said, but I would also add in being able to care for their emotional needs. You need to be available and have enough time to provide attention and love. Some cats do not need or like a lot of attention, some do.
Seems to me that if you can feed them, pay their vet's bills and give them space to roam around and be happy and healthy, then you've not got too many. As soon as you can't take care of all them, you need to consider rehoming a few.
I totally agree with what Catski said, but I would also add in being able to care for their emotional needs. You need to be available and have enough time to provide attention and love. Some cats do not need or like a lot of attention, some do.
Ditto on both of these opinions. I used to live in a house with 7 cats. For me that was too many because I am allergic to cats and even with taking medicine twice a day I couldn't breathe out of my nose for about 2 years. Now it is just Wilma and I can handle the allergies with just one pill every couple of days. If I didn't have any allergies, I would have a house full of cats.
I think it really depends on a persons living situation and ability to care for the animals--if you live in a studio apartment--I think it would be hard to have any more than 1 or 2--but if you live on 40 acres and can build a kitty like kennel with lots of room and facilites and be able to have a vet come in on a regular basis--then you can have as many as you can hold!!!
With this in mind I choos 6 as the too many number as I figured most people probably live in a 2 bed apt or house--seems like 5 or 6 cats would be a lot in that amount of space. but I'm all for people fostering and rescuing strays--those people are my heros!!!
http://i206.photobucket.com/albums/bb320/satx728/cats-5.jpg
http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d177/crazypsycho_jenn/Funny%20Cats/cat.jpg
As long as you have enough money to provide proper care (including medical), and have enough space to comfortable accomodate enough litter boxes (one per cat plus one extra -- I know, plenty of cats are happy sharing less boxes, but you need enough room just in case), and you are able to keep your home fit for humans to live in, and you have cats who don't mind sharing their space with other cats, then you can have as many cats as you like.
In my own experience... you need at least 2, with 3, two tend to gang up on one, with 4 it evens out again. I haven't tried more than 4. It was more than enough. Right now I have 2, which is plenty of cats for my finances.
We've never had more than two indoor cats at one time. Since we had an old dairy farm in the country and asshole people drop off their cats we've had up to 15 "barn" cats. We would catch them, take to the vet for shots and spay/neuter and also leave out cat food to supplement the small animals they'd catch.
I think this is a personal question. For me, 2 cats is perfect, 3 would be too many. Not that I wouldn't want a third cat, it is just that I can't afford another one, vet bills, food, etc, not with the baby on the way.
Have as many cats as you can handle, but make sure they are all spaded and neutered and taken care of.
How many cats can you support in good health, with enough room and decent hygiene? How much time can you dedicate to them, both caring and loving?
Those are the questions. For me, one was enough, but I live in a tiny apartment with a man who loves me more than he likes cats. I had promised him 5 catless years and they expired in like May. Today he made a joke about getting a cat to scare away the pigeons from our 3rd-floor windowsills.
I wish!
But to find a cat as sweet and gentle as my Saul, in this city where most cats are semi-feral due to lack of socialisation...tough call.
Even one radioactive cat is probably too many. 8)
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa134/dominiquenabholz/radioactivecat.jpg
Although...
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa134/dominiquenabholz/radioactivecatbumbersticker.jpg
OMG! I love this sculpture! I have had the rare chance of seeing it too--it's just fantastic!
I have trouble taking care of myself properly, and travel too much, so sadly, one is too many for me.
But luckily neighborhood kitties are everywhere.
Although...
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa134/dominiquenabholz/radioactivecatbumbersticker.jpg
OMG! I love this sculpture! I have had the rare chance of seeing it too--it's just fantastic!
so, wait, after one half life the cat would be half of it's initial mass, and then it would increase in mass again? is this kitty also nuclear-powered, or does it still eat? hehe...
I'd say four is a lot of cats, but personally I think I only want one once I find a place I can have one. Expensive things do happen to kitties, especially on those forty acres, and it's good to be able to take care of all of them equally.
Well…..I have four currently and am not opposed to having more but I don’t think my princess pooh bear (youngest kitty) could handle it. She doesn’t like the 4th cat we got about 2 years ago and she gets very jealous if I don’t give enough attention to her. So because of that, I’m capped at four. Don’t want to stress the princess out
::) :)>>>
Four was enough in my apartment and it was 1200 sq. feet - unfortunately the cats had 4 distinct personalities and Noah, the oldest got mean with the others (started fights, biting, etc - he'd been a very loveable cat prior to this). He now lives with my parents and LOVES only having one other cat to deal with.
The jewel household now only has 3 kittehs and we will be staying that size, for good!
hmm...well, personally, I have two cats, my friend who's to be a roommate when he moves to town has two as well. When I had a cat runaway, I tried having one cat. My boy kitty was miserable though without a play mate, and was driving the neighbors and me nuts w/ his meowing for the cats in the complex to come play with him. I told him I'd get him a little sister, and that is what happened. I think it depends on the personality of the cat, if he was fine, I wouldn't have gotten another, but he needed a companion.
Mimi says:
"Cat! I'm a kitty cat!
And I dance dance dance, And I dance dance dance!"
I'll have that song in my head all night now. It does look like she's doing that dance.
Good news, BP. Mimi is what is called a "money cat" due to her coloration. Tricoloured cats are supposedly good luck and you will never starve.
Here are my two ladies. Delilah is the black one, and Lucretia is the grey one. Believe it or not, they're the same age, from the same litter.
http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e54/baypuppy/mimisleeps.gif
i just wanted to post this. on vegweb. this seemed like a good spot.
mimi sleeps like this a lot. its cute! :)>>> she looks like she is doing a dance.
Is it weird that I just want to motorboat her belly? ;D
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