We have 2 cats..how much different will a 3rd make?

[MrsKingfisher]

I'm musing, not actively looking to add to the family. If you had 2 cats and then had another was it very different?

Obviously costs go up but what about the dynamic in your house between the cats?

I believe cats can be very stressed by having to share territory and be in proximity to other cats.

I think we should always prioritise the welfare of our existing creatures so wouldn’t risk it.

We went from 2 to 3 by accident as my dog found a cat abandoned in a bag in a back lane and no rescues had room for him and when they id we had had him so long he was part of the family. It did change the dynamics and one of our existing cats moved to living exclusively upstairs for a few months. Its just over a year now and they have all settled down and know their place. They share 1 big bowl of food and water quite happily. We haveve 4 litter trays spread around the house but they all use all of them. The main difference in expense is food as the extra cat is a huge eater!

I went from 2 to 3 very recently. It hasnt made any difference to my other 2, the still go about as before. The younger of the two has really taken to the new kitten especially. You just have to introduce them really gradually and dont rush them

I have 3. The dynamics vary during the day!
Original cat used to have a companion. They got on fine but sadly that cat died quite young. So, we got a pair of kittens.
Original cat rubs along fine with one of the kittens but less so with the other. One kitten is easy going the other is quite arsey.
So, I'd say it entirely depends on the personality of the cats. But even the ones that don't get on so well will eat and sleep in the same room and don't fight, although they do sometimes get a bit annoyed with each other.