How many cats do you have?.. Shall I get another?

[sarah5]

I have two - have had Thomas for 8 years and got Scrabble in the summer. The two of them get on really well, they sleep, play and eat together.

I am REALLY tempted to get another, but should I just be happy that my current two get along together?

My two children (age 5 & 3) adore them both.

Pleeeease help me make up my mind!!!! :D

[dandysmom]

Only you can make up your own mind, but I had three and it worked out very well, as Misty and Patches didn't get along too well; not fighting, but not friends either; got Dandy the little Pura boy and it was a great choice, as he and Misty bonded and Patches was left in peace!
You never know how they're going to react, but I've heard the more you have the easier it is to add another cat....

[smudgley]

As DM said, only you can decide.

I have 3 & that suits me just fine, no more.... that's my limit. I have been tempted a couple of times with cats I have fostered, but realistically for me & my family 3 is good.

But some people like 1, 2, 3 or 10... it's really only you that can choose.

Just consider your vet bills, last week alone we had an emergency Sunday call out & then one of them had an abcess on the Monday & had to go into the vets for the day to have it drained. So 2 big bills to deal with just before Christmas.

Also introducing another cat is never easy. A kitten would be much easier to introduce than an adult cat to your 2 adults.

[sarah5]

Of course you are absolutely right, we have to make the ultimate decision. Scrabble is only 9 months so he is still marking his territory here. Thomas is 8 and was very much the big boss before but I'm not so sure nowadays lol .. Scrabble gives very much as good as he gets!!

Thomas used to be an incredibly grumpy cat, always hissing at us and attacking whatever body part he could get hold of, not very nice. Within days of introducing Scrabble, he became far more affectionate and happy.. perhaps because they often race around playing chase so it's possible he was incredibly bored and grumpy before.. who knows?!?

I am worried about rocking the boat in introducing another (I would definitely introduce another youngster - up to about 4 months old). And obviously the vet bills must be taken into consideration too, you are absolutely right.

I took 8 years making the decision to get my second cat and it was one of the best decisions we made, I can't believe we put it off for so long!

[dandysmom]

Smudgley made two good points that I missed: vet bills! Do you have pet insurance? Also, I should have mentioned a kitten also: Dandy was a kitten when he was introduced to the adult girls. Went very smoothly, as it did with Misty (kitten) when she met the adult Aby. I had (and am having) a problem with introducing two adult females.

[smudgley]

Well I would suggest perhaps not pondering over it for 8 years this time if possible :-D . I think to introduce a youngster to 2 cats is fairly easy & generally goes smoothly. So if you are thinking about getting a youngster & you have taken into acount the extra vet bills & holiday time cover, then I say in the New Year get off down to your local cats protection branch & find a new kitten, or if you are feeling adventurous & fancy a ride out to a village near Stourbridge ;) then come & get a little rescue one from me. Always plenty to choose from here, in all shapes & sizes. :cool:

[cybeeb]

We have 25 indoor cats. They get along for the most part. Sometimes you have a little tiff, but we had that when we only had 6.
All of ours are either rescues or from the shelter or they just show up!
I'm sure by now that we have put all the vet's kids through college and bought new cars for the family but we decided a long time ago that this was our calling.
We never decide to get a new cat, they find us.
My mother was a huge animal lover and when she passed away all manner of cats and dogs found us. I keep saying she is putting them in our way for us to help. So turn about is fair play. Whenever we sadly lose a pet, I always ask Mom to look out for them till we get there.
With 25 cats it is definitely a house full of love. There are warm furry bodies everywhere (and I do mean EVERYWHERE) you look.

[Grete]

That sounds like such heaven Cybeeb :) I'd love to have more cats but I think I push my luck with having 2. My husband doesn't really like cats but he understands my need to have them and is all the more comical that Bubbles adores him (and he her I'm sure he'd admit very privately) ;)

I think the number of cats you have is a very personal thing and of course is restricted by finances and space - if you have both available then why not ;)

I do highly recommend Smudgely's kitties too (even if I am a bit biased) ;)

[Liz]

We have 36 cats and 2 kittens came a fortnight ago when Elaine and I rescued them skittish but not feral!

At times they all get along but at other times a couple will have a pop at each other - no blood but lots of noise!

Duer to us fostering over the years they are used to incommers and live through the day as 2 mobs - 15 indoor only having the run of the bedrooms and family room and the others get the lounge, conservatory, diningroom, kitchen and utility room and about 8 acres and woodland and garden!

We also have about 8 outside cats who have turned up they are fed the same food as ours and have heatpads in the garage and wendyhouse till we can trap them and see how they are - they will be neutered and live outside if thats what they want!

The new puppy caused more issues than any cat but now they play with him but for a week it was total hell!

[random]

I personally have 5 cats but while i'm staying at my fathers' place it's more like 6 as I do everything for their cat too while i'm at it. I don't think they are much more work once you get past 2, all mine get on really well and with the dogs too. But the vet bills and food bills are x 5 so you have to remember that too. You can't just pop out and get one a treat for a couple of quid, you have to get them all one and end up spending a fortune! We don't have insurance, I knwo some people will nto agree with that, but I put some money in a seperate account each week for the animals in a type of savings account and that has always worked for us.

[Fran]

I have 9 cats and 11 kittens at the minute :shock: My motto - there's always room for one more ;) but take into account the cost of keeping another before you make the decision. Good luck :D

[angieh]

I personally have 5 cats but while i'm staying at my fathers' place it's more like 6 as I do everything for their cat too while i'm at it. I don't think they are much more work once you get past 2, all mine get on really well and with the dogs too. But the vet bills and food bills are x 5 so you have to remember that too. You can't just pop out and get one a treat for a couple of quid, you have to get them all one and end up spending a fortune! We don't have insurance, I knwo some people will nto agree with that, but I put some money in a seperate account each week for the animals in a type of savings account and that has always worked for us.

I really like your idea Random, of putting away money in a separate account for the cats, rather than paying monthly or whatever for insurance. This seems like a perfect way of getting any interest yourself and for the cats if needed, rather than paying some insurance company regularly and maybe for years (if you're lucky) and don't need to claim. I applaud you!

I am so tempted to get another cat - I don't believe that my dear old Merlin can go on for very much longer (21 years), he's up and down - one day very well and the next rushing off to the vet. I have put it off because I don't want to put his nose out of joint, but it may do him good - what do you think?

:D :? :D :?

[dandysmom]

Angie, you know Merlin; my gut feeling would be not to upset the old boy in his golden years. Kittens can be so lively....but then again it might rejuvenate him to have a companion...who knows????

[sarah5]

OOOOH some of you have LOTS of cats, woah I would adore to live like that. Husband says I will become "the cat lady of Milton Keynes" lol!!

Smudgeley I'm trying to work out where is Stourbridge, think it's up in the Midlands somewhere.. might get back to you in the New Year if my local rescue centres don't have anyone appropriate.

I LOVE the idea of cats finding me. My Grandma was a huge cat lover and had about 20 of them, although she adored siamese and bred them for showing, whereas I prefer the good old moggy lol!!

Hubby really wants a Maine Coon but I have looked into the breed and they can be enormously expensive.

Thanks for all your replies, especially interesting to hear about those with larger numbers of cats. I think I will almost definitely get another ;) but when exactly, I don't know. I guess I'll wait until the New Year now and have a look into it more then.

x

[Megsy]

I have 2 cats. Tito who is an indoor cat and TC who comes in and out as he pleases. They get on reasonably well. There is no hissing or growling but sometimes when they play one of them yells and you just know one of them has hurt the other. I am always scared that a full scale fight will erupt, so never leave them alone together. I have often thought of getting another indoor kittten for Tito to play with but to be honest Tito follows us everywhere and sits with us and sleeps with us and I would be scared that another kitty would upset the applecart so to speak.

[Kay]

I have 11 indoor cats. All Persians. I have never had any problem introducing kittens but have had bad experiences with introducing adult cats. I would never get another adult and would suggest that you get a kitten. They adapt so much easier and your other two will not feel threatened as they would with an adult.

Good luck.