How Many Cats....

[Ndgo]

do you have to have before you're considered to be a "cat lady"...You know, those eccentic women sans a hubby who substitute their kitties for actually having a life... NOT that there's anything really wrong with that...  per se... I'm just a little worried about the label.. how many cats can a girl have before she's considered to be that crazy old cat lady without a life.... ?

What's the magical number? Is 2 okay... or maybe 3 puts her over the limit... or are you allowed to have 3 and the 4th kitties but you over the line... ?

I dunno.,... Aphro -- I'd especially like your input on this!!!

[Aphrodite64]

I know I'm getting labeled as the "Cat Lady" in my new neighborhood because all of the sudden I'm getting "drop offs" on my porch.  People see me feeding the strays, know I have taken in dire cases....
As far your question:

You have to look at the square footage of your home and the number of rooms you have.  There should be at least ONE litter box for every two cats.  Do you have enough available rooms in your home to house a litterbox for every two cats?  I have 5 cats in my home right now and there are three large, automatic litterboxes. (2 upstairs and 1 in the basement).

Also, cats establish territory within a home.  Do you have enough space for each cat to have ample "space" for sleeping and playing?  Is there enough room for each cat to have his/her own special place? 

I have an entire room devoted to my cats (outfitted with a bed, sleeping baskets, a cat condo, litterbox and an assortment of play things).  There are also baskets in the dining room, living room and master bedroom for them to sleep in if they choose (of course all of them end up on the bed with us!)

Lastly, money.  You should be able to afford REGULAR veterinary care for all of your cats.  Each one should be spayed/neutered and have its basic vaccinations.  Each cat should see your vet at least once a year for a general check-up, teeth exam, possible blood work to alert you to early signs of disease.

How do you know if you've pushed the limit and perhaps have TOO many cats?

When you walk in your home, do you smell cat urine?  There should be NO tell-tale smell of a litterbox in your home.  If there is, your litterbox is overburdened by too much waste.  Perhaps there is just too much waste for you to keep up with.

Are your cats calm and peaceful?  Do they get along well together?  They don't have to be "lovey-dovey" with each other, but they should be courteous to each other.  Fighting is often a sign that there is not enough space in your home for each cat to establish its own "comfort zone."  Going to the bathroom outside of their litterbox can be a sign of the same thing (although medical problems are usually at the root of toilet problems).

You can't afford regular veterinary care.  Your cats are not spayed/neutered and they are multiplying rapidly because you don't have the funds to get them fixed.  You have to buy poor quality food in order to feed them all.

I think those are pretty good guidelines.  This week, I am pushing the limit, man.  I have three of my own, plus the one-eyed rescue who is currently in need of a permanent mommy and a little boy living in my basement who showed up on my porch one morning.  Just got him neutered and am trying desperately to find him a home.  With four cats, it's sometimes hard to give everybody the attention they need and they need alot, my cats.  They DEMAND my attention.  Two are affection junkies, one wants you to play with him every night and one wants you sleep with her.

[Starchild]

Okay, Aphrodite is not the one to ask because she is clearly already a cat lady.  And she doesn't even know it.  She's up in here trying to give rational answers, talking about square footage and what not.   

The answer is simple.  If you have 3 cats, you're right on the cusp of cat-ladyness.  4 puts you dab smack in it, and 5...how do you clean up all that cat hair?

[Aphrodite64]

how do you clean up all that cat hair?

 

I LIVE WITH CATS, I'm supposed to have cat hair on me.  Works out great for me.  I sell to veterinarians.  When I met with them, I always make a point of brushing off a few stray cat hairs, making a big showing of it.  LOL  That gets me in like Flynn.  Shows them I'm just one of them, not too "citified"

If you have cats/dogs, you have to accept that there will be cat hair, but a vacum is the best method for cleaning sucking it up, that and those magnetic dust cloths. 

I can always recognize my suitcase on the airport conveyer belt, because it's COVERED IN CAT HAIR!!!!!! LOL LOL

[Ndgo]

....If you have 3 cats, you're right on the cusp of cat-ladyness.  4 puts you dab smack in it....

ROTFL... you know.. I like you Starchild... you put it right out there... just like that... hmmmm... and it sounds pretty good to me... "....cusp of cat-ladyness...".... hahahahahaha!!!! you had me rolling on that one.

Aphro.. .I never did think of the points you mentioned.... square-footage per cat and what-not.... I have two resue cats... part siamese... one chocolate point, the other lilac from the same litter... brother and sister.... resued them when they were wee little kittens and then got them spayed and neutered.... AND they've prolly reached their early adulthood ... they are very vocal, and kinda annoying at times.... ignoring me when I call them,,,, coming over when they feel like it...

I kinda need something between a cat and a dog.... maybe a cag or a dat or a cog or something... I want something that comes when it's called and sits when you tell it to and goes and playsfetch... but I also want something that I don't have to walk and can leave alone for a couple of days.... I have a automatic litter cleaner, so litter order is never an issue anymore.... I just thought a kitten might liven things up around here.

We do now have salt water fish... OMG... it's so expensive... dang... my son twisted my arm on this one... he gave me a couple of options... a snake...     an eel.....  or a salt water tank with a dwarf lion fish...    I chose the later... the Tank is finally up and running... already got 4 fish, a star fish and other assorted snails and nasty looking things and we're going to pick up the dwarf lion fish tomorrow...    They don't know it yet ... but 2 of the fish are for fresh food for the lion fish... 

Anyway... in the midst of all this... I thought a cute little kitten might be a good thing.... BUT I don't want get too close to the line and cross over into cat-ladydom... now THAT is scary stuff to me. 

[Aphrodite64]

he gave me a couple of options..

That is sooooooo funny, because that is sooo like kids, isn’t it.  If you had of said “no”, you know what would have happened, right?  One of those, probably the snake  would have just “appeared” and you would have been stuck!   Ha, Ha…I used to pull that trick with my mom.  I’d promise I’d take the animal back to wherever I got it from, but I never did.

Three is not bad at all.  Three can be fun!

Your cats don't come when called?  Mine do, I trained them all to come by their name for safety reasons.  I use a different tone of voice for each cat and when they hear that "tone", they come.  Really, I don't even have to call though, the minute I wake up, move to a different room, sit down to read a book, whatever, there they are, all over me!  They follow me around like puppies.  If I lock them out of the bedroom at night, they have a fit and then come flying into the room in the morning, staring at me as if to say, “How dare you lock us out!!”

I’m really surprised by your cat’s attitude because that breed is supposed to be very dog-like.

[Bambi eyes]

They follow me around like puppies.

LOL... for me, it's almost as if I'm the pied piper.  My one and only cat follows me everywhere.  I have to put her in the basement (which is fully finished and quite comfortable) if I want to be left alone.  Sometimes it gets very annoying, being one who loves my solitude.  Then if I shoo her away, she sits there and looks at me as if I've lost my mind, like "how dare you want to be left alone, what's the matter with you"!  lol  I don't think I could stand that from 5 cats, that would just drive me up a wall.

[DianaPrince]

Like the saying goes...Two is company, three is a crowd...
If I didn't have birds, I'd have gotten a kitty by now...but the last time I have "incompatible" pets, a cat a fish, things didn't end so well for one fo them, so I'm now hesitant.
What I'd really like is a mid size dog, like a Jack Russell, but I'd have to have someone else here all seven days a week to walk it and scoop its poop.

[bigmomma]

I FINALLY get to answer a thread!!! Been a bit busy......"
I CAN'T get a third cat even if I wanted one.." Mandy would not let me!!! When we were still in Bahrain, I would bring in a few strays I found outside and such. Keep them in the Big bathroom, for SAFTY reasons. For one, they may have cat AIDS and they had ticks and fleas. Also, Mandy................." She may be small and whimp looking...." But, she is a MONSTER!!!!!!!! She would attack me and Mouse when she smelled the NEW cat in the house. Even, a few days after I got the cat OUT of the house into the Shelter.
We do want to get a dog in the future. But, Mandy has to be cool with it.

[Aphrodite64]

LOL@Bambi--

You know what that means, don’t you?  You’ve done an exceptional job at establishing a bond with your cat.  Almost too well.  LOL…..She literally sees you as her “Mama Cat.” 

Well, my cats have kinda worked out a “turn” system, it’s part of the hierarchy.  Nayla gets premium cuddle time (when I wake up in the morning, before I go to bed).  Benjamin has to sit on my lap while I brush my teeth with the electric toothbrush (it takes a full 10 minutes).  Song sneaks in when Nayla is downstairs eating her grub and Ubu, sneaks in whenever she thinks Nayla isn’t paying attention.  LOL

[Ndgo]

Okay... I finally have an update...

I took in another cat... It's on loan and I have NO intention of keeping it forever... The problem is this... The cat is fat and lazy... and eats all day long... how do I stop the fat cat from eating up all the food when I'm gone most of the day..

Since the fat cat is bigger, she's hoards all the food and even claimed the kitchen area as her own and chases the other 2 cats out the kitchen... They are getting skinny, while she keeps growing fatter...

Any advice on what to do? I'm perplexed... 

[devineone]

Okay... I finally have an update...

I took in another cat... It's on loan and I have NO intention of keeping it forever... The problem is this... The cat is fat and lazy... and eats all day long... how do I stop the fat cat from eating up all the food when I'm gone most of the day..

Since the fat cat is bigger, she's hoards all the food and even claimed the kitchen area as her own and chases the other 2 cats out the kitchen... They are getting skinny, while she keeps growing fatter...

Any advice on what to do? I'm perplexed... 

I love cats, dogs, ponies, horses, you name it.  I grew up on a small farm so I love just about all animals with the exception of a few. 
At any rate, I'd isolate that fat cat.  Put it in a room separate from the other cats.  Provide food for it and that's it.  Litter box, room food and that's it.  The cat won't starve and the food shoud be rationed.  It won't hurt if this cat is given a meal in the morning and another when you come in from work.  Is that possible?

[bigmomma]

ok....

I have a Stormy..."
Mandy will have to get used to it when we get her back!!

[Ndgo]

Good Advice... yes, I totally agree... Fat Cat MUST be stopped!!!

But I don't have a room that I could dedicate to the fat beast. My home has an open floor plan so I can't really close anything off without ruining the flow... And I can't see devoting one of my bedrooms to a cat to muss up.... sooooooo, I have a plan! And the answer was right in front of me the whole time...

Fat Cats can't jump.... they are too big and clumsy.... so I've decided to put a small portion of food out for Fat Cat in the am... but I'm going to leave the cat feeder on top of my kitchen table...Fat Cat won't be able to get up there... she's too fat to jump...    and she's afraid of heights too...

Although I really HATE allowing the cats to eat on my table!!!     I taught them NEVER to jump up there... (in my presence, at least)... I'll put a table cloth on the glass top... and hope for the best...

It's only a temporary solution, I hope... 

[Bambi eyes]

Perfect solution, lol "fat cats can't jump".... hahahahahahha