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The litter tray

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Original poster

It would be silly to have 4 cats isn't it ?

51 replies

Catfriend1978 · 29/11/2017 15:51

We already have 2 - one boy (5) and one girl (7), a friend of mine wants to give me her 2 kittens...I said yes to one but not 2..because 4 cats in a 3 bedroom houses with a garden in London would be mad isn't it ?

OP posts:
sweetkitty · 29/11/2017 20:06

No give the kittens to me instead Grin

I have 0 cats just now, DH said I can't have any kittens until the Summer.

MikeUniformMike · 29/11/2017 20:07

Ooh lots of beautiful cats.
Get both.

I wouldn't get another as it would upset CharlieAlphaTango. Spoilt brat.

thecatneuterer · 29/11/2017 22:09

eachandeveryone yes they do use the pods.

Cats in pods

It would be silly to have 4 cats isn't it ?
It would be silly to have 4 cats isn't it ?
It would be silly to have 4 cats isn't it ?
Ohffsmalcom · 29/11/2017 22:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

WTAAF · 30/11/2017 13:32

I have 18 happy healthy loved cats aged months to 22 years. Cats enjoy colony living provided they are well fed, flea and worm treated, and live in a clean and fairly tidy home. Hitting the £300 per month Catfood bill has been a blow though...

MikeUniformMike · 30/11/2017 13:49

Should I get CAT a pod? He has an igloo but only used it for a fortnight.

If you have that many cats, which one gets to sleep on the laudry you were about to put away?

WTAAF · 30/11/2017 14:13

All of them. We have several roombas that run on repeat through the day through the whole house. All clothes are tumble dried to remove hair. We run both scoobas daily to remove hair and smell. The whole house has hard floors - essential. All ornament's are unbreakable - brass, wood, stone...

On the plus side...we keep mess under control so well that people wouldn't know we has pets as the house tends to be very clean and we never have fur on our clothes (apart from tripping over them...).

swimbikerun123 · 30/11/2017 14:25

We have 5 cats, all short haired, in our house. They range in ages from 18months to 20years. One likes to go outside in the day, the rest stay in. As long as you have enough litter trays, keep on top of the trays, keep up to date with vaccines and worming/fleaing, it's lovely!
However, 5 cats in the bed at night is a bit of a squeeze, but 5 cuddled on the sofa in the evening with you is very warming!

Justonedayatatime11 · 30/11/2017 15:14

Thecatneuterer the cat in the bottom right of your first photo with the stripe on his head looks gorgeous!

DuckOffAutocorrectYouShiv · 30/11/2017 15:25

I’d be concerned about psychological stress for animals that need territory. Certainly double figures in average sized UK homes seems excessive, even if you are on top of the trays and whatnot. Though think that’d be a full time job, 2 of my 3 are litter tray users and I have to change 2 trays twice a day. What do you do with all the waste?!

WTAAF · 30/11/2017 15:51

I'm lucky, I'm extremely rural and in a house with lots of rooms and nooks and cranny's. There's always someone home, we don't tolerate any bickering and divert the cats if there is any hint of it. Our 18 cats (plus 3 dogs, poultry, peacocks and lizard) have a very good life indeed. But it does involve a great deal of work. It's not for the faint hearted.

Re waste - flushable cat litter! We are so rural that we have to drive to the bins and driving with used cat litter is no fun at all....

EachandEveryone · 30/11/2017 18:18

When you say you change the trays twice a day do you mean the whole thing? I scoop twice a day and flush it straight down the loo. I don’t empty the actual trays for a couple of weeks.

Branleuse · 30/11/2017 18:22

ive got 4 cats and I think its lovely. Have had my two new kittens for about a month now and theyve settled in well. Old faithful ginger cat was cross at first but now has adopted them. Anxious cat is still cross and swipes them, but he will get there. It was never going to be quick with him.

I think its best to get two kittens, as otherwise theyll be lonely. I think mine settled better for having each other

Plaintalkin · 30/11/2017 18:22

Might not be a problem for you or if they’re house cats but if they all go out and choose one neighbours garden as a giant toilet I’d be miffed if I was that neighbour!!

DuckOffAutocorrectYouShiv · 30/11/2017 18:24

Yes, I empty and clean the whole thing. I can’t imagine scooping for two weeks. Surely the litter would get urine soaked well before the two weeks was up? Or are your trays rarely used?

EachandEveryone · 30/11/2017 18:26

Clumping litter Worlds best the lumps of wee go straight down the loo as well

Middleoftheroad · 30/11/2017 18:29

I had three and now two. I can't afford to have three again with food and vets bills.

InLoveWithLizML · 30/11/2017 18:46

Not necessarily if you can afford it ok. We always had an array of pets, cats are good in that they pretty much look after themselves. They all have different temperaments. If they're outdoor cats you've little problem, if you're using a litter tray, it's going to smell pretty groovy.

DuckOffAutocorrectYouShiv · 30/11/2017 18:57

I use clumping litter. The wooden one in big green bags, natures gold or something. But it in huge bags from zoo plus. It clumps to a point but still leaves sandy, urine-y residue that needs cleaning. The trays are in my kitchen so I want them scrupulously clean.

Nonibaloni · 30/11/2017 19:04

Our local crazy cat lady (certified, rspca come and collect a van full every so often) took in a parcel for us. We had a loooong debate about who was less likely to come back with the parcel and a pocket of kittens. That’s what happened the last time.

Anyway 3 cats, 1 dog 3 bed house is fine.

MsMims · 30/11/2017 20:01

@thecatneuterer Love those photos and the pods. Where are they from? (The pods not the cats Grin )

OP when you say your friend do you mean they’ve bred the kittens themselves or just want to rehome them. I think the most we’ve had at one time is 10 but the caveat to that is all of them except one are rescues so they’ve been taken out of either really dire conditions or a little pen in a rescue centre, and into a warm loving home for life. No way would we have had so many if there wasn’t such a crisis with animals in rescue centres. I would never buy kittens off someone who had just let their own moggy breed. Even if I indirectly end up with those type of cats via rescue, it’s the principal of not encouraging BYB.

It’s hard work and you need to be committed to that for potentially 20 years.

Regarding insurance, one of our cats reached five figure vet bills within 18 months and while his insurance covered some, it didn’t cover all. I’d go for £7k cover at least as the trouble is with multiple cats they don’t consider whether you’ve had time to replenish your savings after one has been sick before the next one goes downhill Wink

We’ve also had trouble with tension between females, ideally I wouldn’t have more than 2 females at once in the future but I guess individual personalities could also have a part to play.

So a yes to 4 cats but if your friend has just bred these kittens I’d urge you to go to a rescue centre instead!

Original poster
Catfriend1978 · 30/11/2017 20:53

No she is not a breeder, her circumstances have just changed that's all. I'm trying to put the pros and cons at the moment, this thread helps :)

OP posts:
thecatneuterer · 30/11/2017 22:57

@MsMimms here you are donut cat pods

MsMims · 01/12/2017 00:04

Thanks @thecatneuterer I’ll take a punt on one of those, fingers crossed at least one of the cats likes it!

Costacoffeeplease · 01/12/2017 00:11

I currently have 15 cats and two foster kittens - it's fine 😄