Right after people fall in love with the furry little cats, they can not stop thinking about getting one for themselves. With time, the bonding grows and the owners start adopting or buying more cats. Maybe you are one of them. But how many cats are too many? Have you ever thought about it?
Well, the answer depends on various factors. Such as the maintenance cost of them, whether you can afford or not, are you responsible or careless, etc. If you can manage everything, you may have multiple felines. But if not, then one is more than enough for you.
If you want to know more details, read on to this article.
How Many Cats Is Too Many?
When it comes to cats, I know it is hard to resist getting more of these furballs. But obviously, you must consider their comfort zone and your capabilities too. Here are 6 questions you need to ask yourself before buying or adopting another cat:
1. Can you clean the litter boxes regularly?
You may know that a dirty environment can cause worms and other diseases to cats. So, as a responsible cat owner, you must clean the litter box regularly. One cat may need more than one litter box. If you want to raise multiple felines, you may have to clean more than two litter boxes regularly.
Think deeply if you are ready to do these cleanings or not.
2. Do you have time to spend after each cat?
If you own a cat, you need to spend time with it. The pet will want your attention, love, and affection. You have to play with it and take it on an outdoor tour.
Now if you bring another feline to the family, you will have to give him the same attention and affection. If you have a job or you stay busy most of the day, spending time with them will become harder for you.
3. Can you maintain the expense for the felines for a long time?
Buying or adopting a cat means taking its responsibility for a lifetime. You have to buy cat food, toys, beddings, etc. Regular medical checkups and treatment of the felines are also necessary. All of these things are not cheap. You may need a good amount of money to support multiple cats.
4. Do you have the energy to keep your house clean all the time?
Cats can turn your house into a mess, especially when they do not get along. The felines are curious by nature and try playing with everything they find. Again, these little fur balls can sleep anywhere. The kitties fit a box, a drawer, or any other spaces.
So, if you have multiple cats, you need to keep your place organized all the time. Also, dusty and filthy environments can cause felines diseases. It means you need to keep the house clean all the time.
5. Can you afford vet care for all the cats?
Like us humans, the felines also require regular medical care. For example, flea treatment, deworming, vaccination, dental check-ups, etc. Regular medical care is a must for each indoor cat. It is because in many cases the kitties do not show disease symptoms.
Providing regular and emergency vet care will be expensive. Think if you can bear the expense for multiple cats or not.
6. Do you have a big space?
Raising one cat may not require much space. But when you bring another one into the house, you will have to provide bedding, litter boxes, and all other stuff for it too. So, a bigger space is needed. If you want to raise 3 or 4 cats, then you will need more space for the felines.
Consider the place you are living in if you are thinking about taking another cat.
If you ask me, “How many cats is too many?” I will request you to answer all the 5 questions given above. If you are positive, then you can raise more than one cat. If you have space, financial support, time, and energy, taking 2 or 3 cats will be okay. In other cases, one feline is more than enough for you.
How many cats should I have then?
Well, as I have said before, the answer depends on your ability, resources, and house space. But here is another thing you need to consider. It is very important for the existing cats to be friends with the new cats.
Suppose you can afford multiple cats. But what will happen if they do not get along? From my point of view, this situation is a nightmare for the cat owners. So, observe your existing cat and then plan for getting a new one.
Observe the cat’s personality and how compatible it is with other felines. You can also follow the tips to make the cats get along.
How many cats can you have in your home legally?
If you go a few years back, there was no law about the ownership of cat. But recently, the authorities have changed the rules as sometimes raising multiple cats in a small place is nothing but animal cruelty.
According to current law, a cat parent can not have felines more than 5. Basically, you can bring 3 cats without facing any problem. But if you want to raise 5 cats, you will need a kennel permit.
These laws are not universal. Some local authorities have established these rules in their region. If you ask a vet, he will suggest not increasing the number up to 5. You can have more cats, but you will need more space, resources, time, and energy. Otherwise, cat will suffer a lot.
Too many cats what to do?
Well, sometimes you can feel you have too many cats. What will you do then? I suggest you give them up for adoption. Or you can call animal control and describe the situation. Animal control will rescue and shelter it.
Final words
How many cats is too many? The answer can be 2, 3,5, or even more. Consider the question I have discussed above to find your situation.
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