How many cats is too many ?

[Buttons232]

There hasn’t been a time in my life when I’ve been without a cat. I grew up on a farm and spent my childhood taming wild kittens. At the moment I have three, a surprisingly spritely, 13 year old male and two year old brothers. They all get on. They’re insured, well cared for and well looked after. I had no desire for anymore. I’ve always felt that three is the tipping point between acceptable pet ownership and crazy cat lady!

Then a week ago I found a filthy, starving, abandoned and dying kitten! I didn’t expect him to make it through the night but I’ve bottle fed him back to life. He is now in the process of being weened and doing really well. I suspect he’s about 5 weeks old. Trouble is I am now a mother figure to him, he follows me, cries for me and climbs up me to sleep in my hair!

I wouldn’t have chosen this many but I’m not sure I can give him up now. Should I keep him ? Is 4 too many ?

Cats are non native - millions upon millions of birds and mammals slaughtered - I'm on Bill Oddies side - one is too many

Was going to say 3 max but in your situation I would be keeping this kitten assuming the others tolerate it
Enjoy .

You are the one missing out.

Nonsense!!!

A lot of cats are indoor only - mine are.

If you want to be overrun by mice and rats, good for you. I don't!

Sounds like your 19 month old isn't neutered? They tend to roam less if they are.

If he's not done, I'd get him done, both for his own safety, and so that he doesn't produce endless unwanted kittens.

Baby is totally adorable, and your other three look lovely too. As long as they all get on, I think he's joined the family.

We have four. One permanent inside only. One permanent outside only and two who decide depending on the weather 😂 none go further than the garden though.

So yeah four sounds good plus look at him.

We have a long hair black, a black and white, a tortie and a blue.

N+1

My son has just taken on a very brave, possibly suicidal, starving scrawny kitten about 4 months old who had the audacity to come into his cat flap in the middle of the night despite he having an aggressive to other cats Bengal cat of his own. Amazingly after attacking every other cat who came into its own garden his Bengal has taken a liking to this hungry scrawny kitten. My son had a scan Angel come out and it's not been chipped, no collar and has been seen scavenging from dustbins and eating scraps to stay alive. He put up a few posters asking if anyone had lost it but got no response. He's phoned the Cats Protection League to see if it can be given a home but they are packed to the rafters with kittens. He's decided to keep it, he's flea and wormed it and it's eating food well and his Bengal does not seem bothered by it so it lives with him now. It likes to sit on his gf lap purring away. It doesn't even go out into garden much and it's being spayed in 3 weeks. The vet said it wasn't quite big enough yet. He knows there was another kitten hanging around with this one who looks the same, he thinks it is a sibling but he hasn't seen it for over a week so he thinks it might have either found a home for itself or died as it was far less brave than the one he has now. The other one used to come in grab a kitten biscuits then run out again.

The only limit is decided on cost and space so a millionaire with a mansion could have loads!

We have 2 which is realistically the correct number at this time. A 3rd would push the finances too much especially since we also have 2 children and 4 rats. I feel like 4 rats is one too many but only because I'm new to multiple rodent keeping. I had one hamster and it was easy to check she was in her cage/keep an eye on her in the playpen. 3 extra beings to count is a lot more difficult than I thought but I'm only 2 weeks in.

In the future if space and money allows I think 4 would be a nice number, any more and I think it would be overcrowded for an average sized house but never say never.

Your kitten is so cute, where did you find him?? I would love to stumble upon one and be forced to bring it home but it hasn't happened.

Mathematics is irrelevant. You have been chosen.

Supply and demand - lots of rubbish - lots of rats - mice in the house means they have a food source - cut off the source no mice

We’ve just upgraded and now have 2 cats but I don’t think there should be a limit, kittens make everyone happy 😊 Here’s a pic of our little guy smiling in his sleep (he’s either dreaming about the mischief he’s about to cause or remembering his last escapade!)

I have 3 but yesterday I took the kids to our local sanctuary to drop off donations and visit the long term residents and somehow ended up reserving the most beautiful 2 year old black cat. So I guess 4 is fine??

My best friend has 4 cats. An older female who is very much the matriarch and rules the house - then 4 black cats. 2 boys who aren’t related but easy to tell apart - one is a hand rear and a total baby, the other is a chatty hunter who eats squirrels, and then 2 black babies who are sisters and she’s still learning to tell them apart. We look after them when they go away and they pretty much take care of themselves after 3 of them.

baby has chosen you as her mummy 🖤

As long as you can look after them, afford them, and they get on with each other and are happy living in your home - there is no limit.

The ideal number of any pet is n+1 where n is the current number of pets you have. Always room for one more little darling.

No such thing as too many cats! I currently have 3, and if money/house size would allow would have lots more! Mine are all black and look exactly the same (not related) so could easily add a few more without dh noticing!

For me, 3 is my maximum (currently have a 13 year old lady and two 4 month old brothers who we have recently adopted from a rescue), however, 13 years ago I would have said 2 was the limit, until a stray 6 week old kitten decided to adopt us 😁.
Can you afford one more kitten? I.e. the insurance, the routine vet bills, the extra food, the cattery/pet sitter fees when you go away? If yes, then I say go for it. If not, then you would be better to rehome it as it wouldnt be fair to keep an animal that you cant afford to look after properly.

Never too many cats IMO! I have 2 but used to have 3. If I could afford it I'd have loads more!
I have a customer who has 8 cats, they can afford the food etc so it's no issue.
Keep your new little bundle 🤭

But that argument only stands up if you believe that a different mammalian species - e.g. humans - are expected not to behave within their own natural behaviour. Which includes migrating their favourite fuzzy species with them, regardless these of consequences.

Human beings pair bond with cats because they're cuuuuuuuuuute to us. We pair bond with everything because our own young are helpless. We're wired to care for things we find smol and precious.

I've always found arguments to the contrary to be somewhat selective about which species they allow to behave naturally.

If you look after them well, no number is too many. My lifetime dream is to be a mad cat lady - I am in awe!

Embrace the fact you’re now a crazy cat lady.

I miss my boy, he was a ragdoll and the best. I developed allergies to cat hair during pregnancy so once he passed we sadly decided we couldn’t get another as I was constantly coming up in hives.

2 is as many as I can have and still sleep n some degree of comfort.

Dcat1 sits on the pillow and grooms my hair.

Dcat2 is an utter bitch for biting toes even through the duvet.

Before anyone starts. Yes I have a door. Yes I have boundaries. No, I cannot sleep when they're throwing their stupid shoulderless shoulders against the door all night and clawing up the ducking carpet.