Third cat - yes or no?

[EatYourFive]

Hello

We have two cats, both rescues. We have a girl who is around 2.5 years old and the other one, a male, just turned one.
We used to have two females who got on well but sadly lost one to a sudden illness last year, and that's when we got our male cat.

Our two cats tolerate one another, well the male is a bit too hyper for the female, he keeps wanting to play rough and pounces at her, she's only small and doesn't like it. He then doesn't understand that she's not happy to cuddle with him when he's not feeling hyper. But think they have worked out how to live side by side and there's no actual fighting or anything.

I keep seeing Facebook posts by our local rescues all desperately looking for new homes for cats. Would it be a terrible idea to consider adding another cat to the mix? If yes, what kind, another young one? Male or female?

We can afford spay/neuter, vet fees, insurance and upkeep, that's not an issue. Our house is quite big with three storeys so space for cats to get away from one another. We live on a busy road but have had our small garden catrproofed by a protectapet fence system so the cats can be outside in the garden but they are not roaming free.

We've had three for the past few years now - all unrelated. Never had any issues beyond a few hisses and growls at the start.

At the moment we have three boys (8, 3 and 8 weeks) - we previously had a neutered female as well (she was seven) but we lost her unexpectedly back in May.

We've had our youngest since Thursday and honestly it's like he's always been here. He plays with the "big boys" and they're very tolerant of him, but he also seems to understand when they tell him "enough" and he backs off. He's clearly been very well-socialised with other cats which helps.

If you have the funds and the space to separate where necessary then I would say go for it. Mine are much happier in a three - I think because it's less intense and there's always another to bounce off rather than it just being the two of them.

At the moment the kitten is separated when we're not home - mainly so he doesn't get himself stuck somewhere

Yes. Get a third! I know someone who added a third (all males) to their household and the three get along very well.

I'll be honest, I've had three a couple of times and it does feel like a lot of cats. It's a jump in terms of cost too. I wouldn't unless you have the space and the budget.

I wouldn’t, we found three cats to be one too many! Of course it could just be that particular combination of cat personalities, but it didn’t work for us, or the cats.

I have four, they all get on, they have their own space, come and go through the cat flap.
Because my group of four works so well l wouldn't take on anymore. l have 3 males and one female, all neutered and spayed. The female cat is more than capable of holding her own, l am fortunate to have 3 easy going laid back males. They groom and snuggle one another, it was a risk to begin with but has worked out really well.

Get the third! We’ve had 3 cats for 11 years (we have 2 female littermates aged 12 and an 11 year old male and apart from the odd hiss we’ve had no problems. My eldest daughter got her own kitten this weekend - an 8 week old male - but he’s not been introduced to the other 3 yet. He’s still a bit nervous so we’re waiting til he’s more comfortable but I’m sure they’ll all be fine.

Thanks for the input, perhaps it is not the worst idea ever..

Would another young male be the best option? Our male cat is very chilled and likes everyone, a proper lap cat. He would probably love to cuddle up with another cat too, but sadly our female is not having any of it. We'll can't really blame her as he's a lot bigger than her and likes to play rough.

if you were asking whether to have a third child I'd say don't be ridiculous, but a third cat, well why not 😁

My experience overall is that males tend to be more laid back and tolerant of kittens - just because they are quite full on and insane for a while

I think another male would be a good choice.

I've always had two cats, but last year I fostered a hard to home cat for the first time.
She'd been in a cattery pen for a year - with a brief 4 weeks away on a failed homing - and had become depressed, so I felt sorry for her.
She escaped through a window on day 9, lived outside for nearly three months, only coming in at night briefly for food, and I was so mortified that she'd escaped that I chose to adopt her.
She's now a one person, affectionate, mainly indoors cat, and has gained loads of confidence.
She's very stubborn and a bit of a thug!
My other two, younger, cats were intimidated for her for a good six months - they're all female - but it has all settled down now, with the occasional spat.
I love her to bits, but in an ideal world I would probably say that two cats is my ideal number, mainly for practical reasons - I never seem able to have all three inside at the same time, so my window is almost permanently open!
And then there's the extra vets bills.
But, if you can afford three cats and have the space, it should be fine x

Thanks again everyone. I feel quite encourage now. I wonder how an older male rather than a kitten would fit in.. would love to give home to an older overlooked cat but of course need to think what's best for the two we already have.
Now just have to convince DH... 🤔