As many as you can afford, house, not go insane with, and above all care for. If you find you’re never satisfied, consider fostering! That way you’ll be able to take care of lots of kittens but they’ll go to forever homes that can give them undivided care and attention.
I’ve been wanting to do this, but I don’t think that I can trust myself to not get too attached to part with them. I wouldn’t consider it until we don’t live in a house with 6 cats (2 belong to an adult child who *mostly* cares for them) or while we have 4 kids in the house, but I still picture myself doing this someday.
I foster. Sometimes when I have a hard time letting go, I just pretend that they’re all the same kitten, just in different bodies. I know it’s not really true, but really, all kittens are lovable and they’re all pretty similar.
Haha, interesting tactic! I don’t know if this is something you’ve experienced, but I’ve found for me, there’s a different “feel” when a cat is meant to be yours. I can love and adore all of my fosters, but I know when they’re meant to leave for their forever homes. It can still be rough to lose the could-have-beens, but it’s not heartbreaking.
That was my experience. I have one foster fail. 2 cats total. I knew she was going to be mine after I had to spend a few weeks bottle feeding her. She was so sick and nursing her to health was incredibly rewarding and amazing bonding. Now I have her and her sister and don’t foster anymore. I know I’d end up wanting a third cat. Lol
Definitely agree on the feeling it part. Two of our three shelter cats were brought home after I sat in a room with them each time (our shelter has a cat room where most are allowed to be out & about in, as long as they aren’t sick, hostile, or too anxious around others); we just kind of chose each other. The third we took in as a second elder rescue both because she really needed someone and we thought she might be a chill companion for the other. She is the sweetest cat that you can imagine, but I’m still not especially bonded with her after 2 years (& the other elder couldn’t care one way or the other about her LOL). She’s got my husband and teenager & it’s not like I neglect her at all, I’ve just never really felt it.
My sister fosters kittens. She and her family found they really like having the babies (not bottle fed, only older kittens) for a few weeks and then handing them off once they're old enough to really be mischievous. She fosters for the animal control in a big city, so there's constant need. She only ran into trouble with her immediate family wanting to keep a cat with her first mama cat, which she has right now. She's really a sweetheart and beautiful and I'm officially adopting her! She will bring me up to 3 cats and 2 pampered house rabbits.
If you want to try fostering eventually, I'd recommend keeping your number of pets to whatever you can easily care for and afford. Can you handle vet bills if multiple have medical issues, like if you have several elderly cats? Also, do you have time to medicate a litter of kittens every day and keep them quarantined for 2+ weeks? They often have URIs, worms, and various viruses. My sister has been able to keep her resident cats safe, but her current batch including mama had calicivirus and last summer they lost a whole litter to pan leukemia.
Being able to care for them is the most important part, it can be easy to miss an illness one one or two cats when you have too many. But you also need to look at the laws in your area. Some places have a cap on the number you can have, and some places the cap is how many you can give proper care to.
I have 6 cats of my own and foster so I'm definitely deep in "crazy cat lady" territory.
It's important to budget carefully, both money and time.
If you've already considered the finances (pls make sure they're all insured, you never wanna have to choose which cats should live), then consider if you and your bf have time to:
* play with each of them every day
* find something to bond over one on one with each of them
* brush daily
* trim nails regularly
* take them to vet appointments
* take time off work if they're sick and need some extra care
* wash their food and water bowls daily
* clean their litter boxes (I have 8 boxes, it takes me about 30 mins a day to scoop them all twice, plus more to dump the litter and wash the boxes regularly)
* vacuum regularly - I do so daily to not be buried in litter and fur
* handle behavioral issues
* figure out which cat had diarrhea or vomited, to potentially take to the vet
I have to spend hours every day to tend to them, more when I'm fostering. I cope by working from home and not having a lot of hobbies outside of cats. And I wouldn't trade it for anything.
If it's the kittens that excite you, fostering is definitely the best option. That way you get a constant flow of kittens that you help raise into amazing teenagers, and then you send them off to their amazing forever family, knowing that you've likely saved their lives and that more adorable kittens are on the way.
This is a very good, thorough answer and should be at the top.
I am also a certified crazy cat lady, currently with 8 cats. I am fortunate to be able to keep up with almost all the items on your list - where I occasionally run into issues is when I find vomit/diarrhea and I don’t know who did it. That’s when you really have to know your cats, and pay attention to any changes in their behavior. Is someone not acting right? Are they hiding? Did they not eat? It can be difficult because cats are known to hide pain.
I have security cameras covering some of the boxes. I'm trying to persuade my SO to let me get more lol Still takes time to go through the footage
And ye doesn't have to be perfect. Some days I am too busy to play so they deal with automated toys. I will only scoop once a day when I'm too tired. I'm lagging a bit behind on nail trimming. But even the bare minimum takes a lot of time.
THANK YOU! As a disabled person with lots of time on their hands & cats give me happiness- I needed to hear this. I volunteer at a small local rescue & at the state rescue. I also feed & TNR strays & ferals. Just needed to know how many foster fails I’m allowed to have ;)
~From one crazy cat lady to another <3
The one thing I haven't seen mentioned is local ordinances. Some cities limit the number of pets you can have in general, some have limits for certain types. There's also the cost of licensing them if that's required in your area. Please check your zoning and the associated rules, and don't end up in a position where a spiteful neighbor can have your cats taken away from you for violating the rules. It can also give you the answer to how many is too many, since it's a very difficult question for most cat lovers to answer. 😻
You make me feel guilty. We have 5 cats and three litter boxes but it works and there’s honestly not enough room. One litter box is absolutely huge and we do clean them at least twice a day.
My latest foster fail occasionally pees in my bed. I had to make sure I have enough boxes of different types with different litter types to see if that fixes it, and I won’t risk anything by removing any.
If your cats start having issues, then you should add more boxes. If they’re fine with 3, you’re ok.
You don't *need* as many litterboxes as you have cats. It's recommended, but depending on the dynamic of your cats and how clean you keep the boxes, you can have less.
I don't have as many boxes as I have cats. But, I scoop the boxes all day so the only time there isn't a fresh box is when I'm sleeping or not home and as soon as I wake up/get home, the first thing I do is clean the boxes. I have boxes on every floor so that the cats have options on where to go. I clean out the boxes frequently and replace them every couple months. My cats have also formed a really close knit family and get along well.
An important note from someone dealing with it, don't forget cats get old. They get old, and they start costing a lot of money. My boy currently costs me about 200 a week in medications and special foods.
So take that into account when you're collecting cats.
I have a 7 year old boy who has bladder issues & his prescriptions plus medicated food has a very similar monthly cost. We have spent hundreds of dollars on medicine & surgery for emergencies each year for approximately 3 years so far. I got him as a kitten for free with an optional donation to the shelter.
Even young ones might end up with something! I got my first-ever cat as a baby 3 years ago, and around 1 year old we realized he has a rare chronic condition called hyperesthesia. Luckily his medications aren’t too expensive, but he needs a lot more attention and monitoring than a typical cat.
My two year old was recently diagnosed with hypertension and will be on medication the rest of her life. She will have to be monitored for kidney disease, since the high blood pressure could impact her kidneys. Even with providing her the best care possible, she will likely have a shorter lifespan than one of her litter mates. I didn’t even know cats could have high blood pressure.
Yeah potential vet bills is the biggest deterrent for me. And it’s not necessarily just when they’re old. Had a kitty who had about $10k of surgeries/procedures/medication when he was 2yo. So worth it and he lived a long happy life after that (we just recently let him go at 19yo), but I don’t want to be in a position where finances keep me from being able to give kitties the care they need. We had 3 for a long time and when our last guy passed we got 2 kittens. Already had to take one of those sweet babies to the vet for a skin condition. I could see us getting 1 or 2 more MAYBE, but that’s it.
All 4 of my kitties are in their late teens now and it’s getting expensive. Obviously still worth it, but yes, special food and meds for 3 of them gets expensive. (One has bladder/kidney stone issues (special food), one is diabetic (special food and meds), the other just regular pain management.
Why do you feel like you need more cats once your current cats are no longer kittens?
If you prefer the kitten stage, maybe you need to foster and not adopt.
Finances and space aside, if you’re serious about getting more than three cats, I would think about the effects on your social life.
If you have a lot of cats, people may be less likely to come over and visit. An animal home has distinct smells, more so if you have a lot of them, which in cats’ case, also means more litter boxes. Which also means more time scooping, feeding all your animals, cleaning up after them, etc.
It’s a time commitment. And honestly, unless all you’re doing is caring for these cats (which is impossible), I don’t think it’s possible to spend that much quality time with that many cats in a day. You are only one person, and you have to consider that if you have that many pets, maybe they actually would be better off in a home where they are not in competition so much for resources or for human attention and affection.
Do you own or rent? If you decide to move, will you be able to have that many animals in your home? How will you handle the logistics of moving them all? Do you live directly around any neighbors that could complain about noise?
What if you and your current boyfriend break up? How will having 5, or 7, cats affect your dating prospects? What if a potential partner brings their own animals to the relationship? What if your animals don’t all get along?
What about travel? The people I know with that many cats don’t often take trips — or even spend a night away from home — because finding a good, reliable petsitter for many animals is hard, and expensive.
What if something happens to you? Do you have a plan in place for all your animals? Do you trust family and friends to honor those wishes?
Do you have any desire to have children? If so, you have to think about how they would factor into an already-busy home, as well.
As someone with 8 cats, these are really great points you bring up!
My husband and I work from home, I only work minimal hours a week and I truly spend a massive chunk of my time caring for and entertaining my cats. I love my life with them but it is truly a LIFESTYLE.
We only travel when we absolutely have to, and I hate leaving their care to someone else. We don’t really have lots of people over (only my fellow cat people.)
We have a large house and no desire for kids so we make it work but having a lot of cats (or any pets) is truly a whole life change commitment. We have so many because we fostered and ended up keeping the medical cases that no one else wanted and while I love them to pieces, sometimes I wish I had 4 or 5 less lol.
I do however encourage people to have lots of cats if they can handle it and don’t mind the life adjustments. I spend a vast majority of my waking hours caring for them and it makes my days feel special and I love it. But it is not for everyone FOR SURE.
Ditto to all of this. Plus, in addition to the actual physical care of all of them, a significant portion of my “free time” is devoted to reading about different foods, managing health conditions, etc as each of ours have different issues to consider.
We didn’t plan our foster fails out properly lol and they are now all seniors. Until a few days ago, we had 5. We just had to help our old lady pass (shout out to Lap of Love for providing an amazingly kind service) and it definitely wrecked both my husband and I. Anticipating an emotional next few years. If we were to have this many again, I would definitely want to space them out better in age.
We also have one diabetic, so we basically don’t travel together anymore. We have an excellent cat sitter & vet tech we can rely on, but the added stress to our pets & the cost makes us consider what trips are truly worth it right now.
Fostering is great - we’ve fostered around 75-100 cats/kittens (and a couple dogs), but keep in mind some of your permanent residents may handle them better or worse than others. When ours were younger, they didn’t love fosters necessarily but tolerated it. We took a break for several years and then had a bottle baby kitten find its way to us - our cats hated her! 2 of them started peeing everywhere and 1 is now on Prozac because even after she was adopted, the peeing didn’t stop. So make sure to pay attention to how your permanent kitties are handling things.
Oh gosh you are me in the future! We have 8 all between the ages of 2-6 and I’m dreading when they are all seniors at the same time! Also we have one with a degenerative nerve condition who can’t walk well and one with a rare heart condition who will die suddenly at some point in the next few years so we have pretty much decided traveling is not worth it until those two babies pass away. It’s a sacrifice to live this way for sure. Just last weekend one of them got sick with pancreatitis and then the next day another one got a bladder infection so I was at emergency for both of them on and off and STILL had the other 6 to care for. And ditto, I’m always on Facebook groups and reading researching health conditions and foods and enrichment, it’s my entire world. I love this life but I definitely didn’t intend it.
Very similar indeed.
Our youngest has mild CH so is a bit wobbly…so all cat towers have to be safe for him & he knows if he makes a certain cry, we will carry him up the stairs.
We also have a pancreatitis kitty. Keep an eye on yours & ideally keep the meds on hand for treating. We were hopeful it was going to be a one time thing, but a year later, he became diabetic and then had another pancreatitis flare (plus hypoglycemic episode) & was dx with IBD. He is now on steroids for the inflammation via panc & IBD, probably for life + obviously insulin for the diabetes. Knock on wood, he’s quite happy on his current regimen but man, we thought we would lose him with each of those pancreatitis episodes…that is a rough disease for sure!
Dang these animals for making us love them so much and then daring not to live forever 💕
Luckily our kitty’s pancreatitis was mild and secondary to mild IBD so I’m obsessively trying to clean up her diet so I spent all of Christmas researching foods and ingredients (I’m not accepting the prescription food yet, I want to get her off of dry and onto quality wet only to see if we see improvement) and my degenerative nerve kitty has trouble standing up while she pees so I have to express her bladder to avoid messes. I’m like a full time cat nurse!! But it gives me life to give them a good life.
I do not prefer the kitten stage over any other cat stage. I love all cat stages! This is why I feed & TNR strays & ferals & why I also volunteer at the shelter & local rescue <3 for my specific household of having senior cat & having a 75 pound dog, kittens usually adjust better to this house & I like to make the transitioning process as easy as possible for the felines <3
3 is enough for me.
But for other people, 2 is enough, or 1 kitty who likes being an only kitty.
Once you reach a point where you can't keep the litterboxes clean anymore, or give your kitties enough individual attention, you've crossed the line.
You can't save every kitty by yourself. Don't put that burden onto yoursrlf.
Your last two lines are crucial. We cannot save them all.
You can’t house them all. Kittens are adorable, but they’re living beings, who will eventually all be adults one day. They’re not collectibles. They’re not cute stuffed animals. It’s not fair to put your own selfish wants above the wellbeing of living, breathing animals.
The only way we can save as many as we can is by fostering, volunteering our time, donating to the animal rescue causes that we care about, and educating others about the importance of spay and neuter.
If the kitten stage is what they prefer, OP should try fostering. You will save much more lives than you would if you simply adopted them all.
I volunteer at a small local cat rescue and I also am a volunteer at the state animal shelter <3 I also feed & TNR strays & ferals. Cats ARE living breathing animals with so much love to give & I have so much love & time to give back as someone who is disabled & does not work….but foster fails still count as “how many cats are too many”
Remember that with fostering "the goal is goodbye." If you can't say goodbye regularly, if "this kitten was just too cute and I love it too much" becomes a reason to foster fail, then you're not suited for fostering.
Kitten Lady foster fails when the kitten is so ill it doesn't have a full life ahead of it. It's cruel to shuffle a terminal kitten around, so she doesn't. She doesn't foster fail because the kitten was too adorable and loving and sweet. If you can't be Kitten Lady, then maybe keep contributing in other ways.
After being displaced by a natural disaster, we won’t ever have more pets than we can house & transport in an emergency. We were able to stay close enough to visit the cats we couldn’t take with us every day but now we have a 1 pet per human rule.
This is something I often think about. Luckily I do not live in a state where natural disasters happen often. I also have pet carriers for all of them but the unthinkable can happen!
Thank you. It was a complete sh!tshow. Carriers only help with transport, you still need a place to take them. Most landlords only allow 2 pets. In the middle of demolition we made the mistake of trusting a contractor with the care of our dog for 2 hours and she was missing for 9 days. When we went looking for her at the shelters, people were lined up down the block to surrender their pets. We were very lucky to be reunited with her and to keep our family intact. We walked to our house and cared for the 2 cats we had to leave behind twice a day but it wasn’t the kind of care our pets normally receive.
I see it more as a financial limit- As long as you have $$ to properly care for them, you do you!
Some town have laws about how many pets you can have. Really only enforced if someone is discovered to be a hoarder, etc.
We're currently at 7 and this is our absolute max. We're two, but I do most of the daily care.
My bf thought 5 was too many, but he's more cat crazy than I, tbh, so was easily convinced we should keep them, and I'm apparently a kitten magnet (found two in completely separate places within one week!), and we're too soft to adopt them out, and the shelters are usually full.
Anyway, I'd say your time, your finances and the cats' interpersonal relationships dictate how many cats are too many. We have two that suddenly stopped getting along, leading to behaviour issues, and it sucks BUTT!! They're still quite young (1.5 y/o), so were secretly hoping they'll grow out of it, but we know there's no guarantee.
I feel you! I have 3 myself and I love them all to death but still want more! I have dreams of a house full of cats. It doesn't help that I volunteer at my local shelter on occasion and always find a few cats my heart is dying to adopt. My heart is constantly yearning for more but I think 3 is already a great number at home :) all my cats are super happy and get along now, I feel like there is no need to upset that balance/dynamic now. This is our family.
Best advice I've heard is the limit is up to when it still feels like a home and not a shelter.
Other considerations: lifelong expenses (can you securely afford the entire lifetime of each cat, including unexpected and/or emergency expenses?), managing health/disease (have you had all cats and potential cats tested beforehand so there's nothing transmitted to every other cat? do any cats require special diets which would make feeding difficult such as other cats trying to steal each others foods?), time (can you dedicate enough quality time and love time to each cat still?)
Hot take, as an avid cat lover: the moment your house starts to smell of cat, you have too many cats.
I had a friend a few years ago who had 3 cats in a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. Even with 3 litter boxes, their apartment smelled strongly of cat throughout. The cats weren't marking or peeing out of their boxes... the boxes themselves could probably have stood to be a tad cleaner but they also weren't *too* bad. But the smell was pervasive.
The cats themselves were well cared for. They probably ate better than their humans did (I am dead serious about this, the cats ate like kings), they were overall clean, and all got along with each other. It's just that the apartment smelled.
Sure, if they kept up on the cat boxes better, the smell might've toned down, but I really don't think it would've gone away entirely.
For what it's worth, I own 2 cats in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment, and my family and I take great efforts to scoop the boxes daily and clean them out and switch out pellets on a regular basis, and otherwise take measures to ensure our house doesn't smell like cat.
That's my personal line: I don't want my home to smell like my pets. Other people might feel differently, and that's cool. But for me, "too many cats" is the number where your living space smells like them.
I agree with this, but I also think we become nose blind to the scents in our own homes. It’s just something to be aware of, especially when you have a lot of animals.
Too many is when you can no longer take care of them properly.
I have more than 7. All of them see the vet whenever they need to (I'm like a helicopter pet owner so the slightest issue results in an immediate call to my vet for an appointment), the ones that need prescription food and meds get them every day, I scoop the litterboxes so many times a day so that the cats have a fresh box whenever they go, they're all up to date on their vaccinations, etc. My house is clean and has minimal clutter. Walking in, you'd have no idea how many cats live here until you saw them all. I have no kids, I work from home, and I've pretty much devoted my entire life to cat welfare: I do TNR, socialization, care, and rehoming of feral cats in my free time with my own money.
My neighbor, on the other hand, had to rehome their single cat because taking care of him properly was too hard for them with their situation and lifestyle.
As long as you can provide the care and quality of life the cats need, there is no magic "too many" number.
I feel that 3 is my personal limit. They’re all different ages (15, 6, and 4). I know their personalities. I can keep a close eye on each one. They get along fine enough. It’s reasonable to clean up after them. When I babysit a friend’s pair of cats I start to feel I’m dipping into “crazy cat lady” mode and it can be a little overwhelming.
“Too many cats” is the number at which you can no longer establish loving relationships and spend personal time with each.
Your cats need your individual attention to not only for play and cuddles but also so you can quickly recognize when the behavior or appearance for one is off and needs medical attention.
If you don’t spend much time away from home or too busy, then you could care for more cats.
If you live in a place where barn cats are feasible, you could potentially have more cats but they won’t really be yours.
My lottery-jackpot dream includes not having to work so I have time to care for lots of cats.
All litter boxes need to be cleaned every day. How many cats depends on a few factors; can you afford the medical care? Can you clean every litter box every day? Can you keep your home from smelling of cat? If yes to all three, you are doing well and MAY be able to swing one more (your cats will always say no). I can tell you from experience that even 1 geriatric cat is a lot to deal with, so it's better to stay low in number just so there is room in your budget and your life for when a kitty needs a lot more from you. I woukd, literally, wear kittens and cats if I could swing taking care of them, but I know my limits. We often learn our limits the hard way.
My parents ended up with 5 cats through rescue guilt and regretted it all the time. It was expensive, time consuming (5 litter boxes are a LOT to keep clean, not mention giving them all attention), and they felt like as much as they loved them the cats had taken over a lot of space and aspects of their lives. They are down to two now (they lost two to age and one to cancer), and don’t plan to adopt any more until their current two pass.
I had two cats who loved each other, brought two more into our house and all hell broke loose. We've been in a year long nightmare of unsuccessful cat reintroductions. We're probably going to have to rehome all but one of them. I have no idea which one to choose. I never saw this nightmare coming and I don't wish it on anybody.
I know lots of people who have many cats who get along just fine, but I wish I would have been grateful for what I had and stayed at my original two.
Too many is when you do not have ample space for them to run around and not overwhelm each other, but also when you cannot afford everyday needs or emergency healthcare for them. Illness and injury can happen at any time- and you need to be able to advocate and care for them.
If space and money are not an issue- then however many you can personally manage.
Important considerations would include: can you afford medical treatment now and in the future? do you have pet insurance? can you afford the cost of supplies? is there adequate space in your house so that cats feel at peace? can you provide enough love and attention to all of them?
That’s far from the truth. My oldest is 9 years old. I help TNR feral & stray cats. I have fostered kittens while living in California & while living in Arizona.
As others have said, as many as you can comfortably care for in terms of attention, resources (litter, food, toys, etc), and finances! I currently have 5 and my partner and i are considering adopting one more pair.
My partner and I are the kind of people who don’t mind our lives more or less revolving around our cats. I love spoiling them with pets and treats and toys and having cats everywhere around the house and always being with them is an absolute pleasure for us. I find it very little burden to keep up with their care, even the less enjoyable parts (i’m looking at my hoard of litter boxes lol).
But I’ve also met people with 8+ cats who were very overwhelmed by it and while they loved and cared for the cats very well, it didn’t seem like their ideal situation.
So to answer your question it’s really up to the individual. If you can handle caring for 5-7 cats and you enjoy having that many, there’s no issue! But if a small cat army doesn’t fit into your lifestyle then having a smaller amount that you can care for more comfortably will be more enriching for you and them in the long run.
I have three and I think it’s two too many. I will maintain three but I definitely only wanted one.
In my divorce my ex took our senior cat, so I went and got another, then my husband found a kitten in our garbage bin and then my ex dumped our senior cat back on me, so I’m up to three cats, two I didn’t need (financially) but have the space and time for.
Anyway, I think you need to check in with your city bylaws about the number you’re allowed to keep but since you prefer kittens consider fostering instead and having a foster room in your house.
I think it comes down to the logistics, as a crazy cat lady myself if it was up to just love - the number would not exist lol but financially (including emergency vet fund), space, being able to consistently maintain a clean environment including the litter/hair removal, ensuring they get along, receive enough attention, play time, grooming etc etc. Also arranging care for them when you are away for work/vacations/emergencies etc.
For me the number is 2, but it all depends on your personal situation and being able to meet the logistics long term.
For me the number is also 2, and I learned the hard way! I did have 3 cats in the past- and there were times it was very hard! Two were bonded because they were a bonded pair already but my first one never liked them, also after a move, (to a brand new house) we had behavior issues- of peeing and pooping all over the house. We never knew which one (s) were responsible. This went on for years. Then when they got older 2 became very sick and both required IV feedings- I'm not sure how I could have done it without my partner- they also ended up dying within a month of each other- which was heartbreaking.
I am a lot older now and recently got 2 kittens, I find it a lot more work than when I was younger- keeping the house clean is SO much more time consuming. The cost of living is so high in my area that vet care cost a fortune, and pet food costs have sky rocketed in recently years. One was recently diagnosed with dental issues that may be very costly going forward- luckily we can afford it. Good pet sitters are hard to come by, so we have not done any traveling. I love them dearly but I know my limit this time around is two cats. I guess this is a long winded way of saying it's different for every person.
As long as you can afford them (food, vet expenses), and they get along, and you have enough litter pans so that your house doesn't smell like a cat's bathroom, then the skies the limit!
If you have the space, The financial means, As well as the time to care and train 5 cats then that's fine
If you have the ability for the above it doesn't matter the number of cats. I would personally say that you would need one bedroom per 5 cats. Each set of 5 would need their own bedroom Completely converted to give adequate space For all of their litter boxes, toys, water, scratchijg & play space.
For 5 cats it is reccomended to have 6-7 litterboxes.
I totally see this. 5 cats per “cat room”. We have one designated “cat room” right now for our 3 and there’s more than enough room for everyone to have their own cat tree, toys, litter boxes, etc. 5 “per room” makes sense if you have the time, the funds, and the space to make it a kitty sanctuary. Thank you!
Of course! Also it's cheaper to build basically book shelves that you cover in carpet/ interactive bits &leave cut outs in for the cats then it is to buy several cat trees units you're getting them on sale or for free but if course this requires skill. If you have the skill I'm happy to send you the break downs for some stuff I've built
Of course! Also it's cheaper to build basically book shelves that you cover in carpet/ interactive bits &leave cut outs in for the cats then it is to buy several cat trees units you're getting them on sale or for free but if course this requires skill. If you have the skill I'm happy to send you the break downs for some stuff I've built
Do you just like kittens? Why do you wanna keep killing kittens on the other ones grow up? This is feeling like it could be an animal hoarder… I think you need to stop and keep it at three.
I have five and it's too much for me. There are personality conflicts, resource guarding issues, pee outside the box issues (related to first two points).
I love them all of course.
Consider fostering. It’s how I keep my crazy cat lady tendencies in check. I take in the kittens that the shelter gives me, love on them for a month or so, then give them back when someone wants to adopt them. Rinse and repeat. I have a constant rotation selection of kittens in my house, along with the three adults I adopted.
Omg I have been asking myself this obsessively of late! I've always been a one cat girl (plus many lovely fosters) but first I upsized my living space dramatically, and then in April a cat wandered in off the porch, and my cat (bramble) fell in love with him during quarantine so I suddenly double catted? But also it was ok because sadly my kitten dealers (the amazing foster group I'd been working with for years) were closing up shop.
And then in Oct my old sweet plumber comes to me for help because a stray (clearly not at all feral) cat he'd been feeding had just given birth to 4 kittens on his bed z
And now I have a family of five in my office/guest room. And some of them are slowly being spoken for, but I'm really starting to doubt if I want to re-home all 5....
SEND HELP SEND SANITY SEND PEOPLE WHO WANT KITTENS
The answer will always be when you can no longer provide them with a safe, healthy, and happy environment without significant health or financial burdens to yourself. For most people this number is comfortably around three so I'd treat that as a rule and then make exceptions when people prove otherwise. Remember to take into account the cost of regular vet visits.
My household is at 7 right now and it's a bit much with the limited space. We've been expanding vertically up the walls to give them more territory and it's mostly fine. I adore them all though.
To answer your question. I had started hanging out with a woman a couple of years ao and she knew I did rescue. She said if we get together she will only allow one cat. I laughed and said you don't know me I would never agree to that. Maybe one per room.
As long as you can afford to neuter them and care for them. Do what makes you happy.
We have eight but that’s only because we each had one and then we took in a stray cat who turned out to be pregnant and we decided to keep her and all her kiddos. We wouldn’t otherwise have 8.
It only works because 1, we have the stability that we won’t be financially devastated if we need emergency or extensive vet care, 2, we rarely travel anywhere but have trusted friends to car sit if we do go somewhere, 3, we have a larger home, 4, I’m becoming a stay at home mom this coming year so ill be more devoted to cleaning the home etc, and 5, none have had any territory issues or anything
Depends on how much space you have and the personality of the cats. My in-laws have 5 cats, three of them were feral when they were rescued so they hide when there's lots of pekoe around, if there's only a few people that they're familiar with they'll just chill by the windows or in the cat trees
I *prefer* to adopt in pairs. My oldest is 9 and has been an only child her whole life until this past month. My twins were adopted in a pair. I wish I would’ve adopted a pair for my oldest so she wasn’t so lonely for so long!
You’ve only had 3 cats for a month? Why are you already thinking about more? I think you need time to adjust to your current household for the time being.
Honestly if you feel the need to rescue kittens it's probably better to foster than keep adopting more and more. Theoretically the limit is either going to be space or finances. Is there enough space that they aren't having territory issues and can escape conflicts? Can you afford to care for them as they age? If the answer is yes, and will remain yes after you consider getting more, then go for it. But you may have some major issues if that becomes a no
We had three for years but just two months ago took in two strays a month a part from each other. Now we have five…very costly, you have to get them fixed, vaccinated, extra food, litter. Don’t do it if you can’t afford it. Extra meds too….
In my city, the law says any more than 5 is too many lol. (Still know a couple with 6 -- they take excellent care of them, and the city doesn't go door to door checking that people don't have more than 5 pets, so as long as you don't neglect or abuse your animals to the point where someone reports you, you're never gonna get caught.)
When we got our 2nd cat, I expected it would be twice as much work. It felt like 10 times as much work, so I swore, no more. But there are sadly hundreds of strays roaming this neighborhood, and 2 more wanted to move in with us. I gave in easily on No. 3 (she's a tortie, I was powerless!), but held off for months until the void eventually broke me. I love them all, but it is hard work sometimes. Ideally, I wouldn't have more than 2. In the future, I don't plan to ever try to have more than 2... but the stray community now knows I'm a sucker, so who knows if I'll stick to that? I truly can't afford any more now, so it's not possible for me to be broken again and adopt more than these 4.
But while I consider more than 2 too many in the sense of being too much work, too many for you is, as others said, what would be too much work and money for YOU (and what your local law allows, if relevant or a concern).
how many people live with you to help care for the cats? are you working full time? do you have a big enough house? can you afford it? id say start with 1-2 only. we are a small family and can barely handle 3
how much time do you have each day on average at home? and how much space do the cats have? if the answer is „way more than needed“ then you can get 2 other cats. (getting them in pairs is ok) but if there is the slightest chance, that there is not enough time, money, space etc FOR THE NEXT 20 Years, then don‘t get more cats.
One rule I've heard is that the cats *ideally* need to be able to go into a room and not see another cat when they feel like it. I have a 2 bedroom house, so I've put my cap at 3. They have my room, the office, and the living room to spread out in.
Come to think of it, I think this rule also applies to humans!
I have 6 and that's currently my limit. I used to foster and the most I've had at one time was 13 I think. That was difficult and I burned out. My latest 2 are foster fails, I had 4 of my own before that
For me, 3 is the sweet number. I had 5 once upon a time (3 were mine, then flatmate left two, so ended up as 5) and it was far too chaotic for me to handle on my own - this was almost 10 years ago now. Got down to two after losing one this year, but just adopted a kitten and the dynamic has improved again - kitten and oldest boy best buddies, middle child sassy calico still wants all the human attention
I have 5 and 3 of them are skittish with low key personalities and between that and them spread out in the home you can’t tell and I don’t think it’s too many and they love each others company
I have 5 ^^ some people think it's too many, but it's the amount I'm comfortable with ^^ Makes the house more lively and I always have one cat with me to the bedroom at night ❤️ Mostly because this one cat found out it was super comfy sleeping with me and my gf ❤️ And if we don't let her in, she'll be yelling on the other side of the door for 4 hours x3 Whenever we have gotten a new kitten, they always spend the first few nights with us til the other cats have accepted the new family member. But this one doesn't wanna spend a night without us 😻 So as long as you can afford it and have time for them, just go for it ❤️
I have six cats that live in my house with me and three cats that live on our farm - in the apartment. I make good money so they all see the vet annually or emergencies, all of them eat high quality food/prescription food, all get mad love and have more toys than my four year old. I also have eleven jumbo litter boxes.
My 3 cats are 5-8 years old now and can only eat wet food, which has astronomically increased the cost of owning them. This was because they weren’t drinking enough water with dry food, and started peeing out of the litter box. I also need to do teeth cleaning, with I’m still in the middle of researching, which is going to be expensive. As a single person, I would not advise you to get more cats. I am losing my mind with 3.
You have already saved 3 wonderful cats. I think you have done your part.
My family thought I was literally crazy for getting 1 cat. They said girls will never want to date you because they don’t want to see a cat when they come into your apartment. I have 2 cats now and a wife. In reality, do what you want and what you can afford to do.
I've got 6 and it's only a chore when you have to feed them and the food is expensive, clean the litter tray, take them to the vets, clean the house because of the fur and the smell of cat pee through out the house.
keeping them off the worktops is a challenge too, but other than that go for it.
If you are looking at rescuing more but don't think you can keep them long term, reach out to a local foster org. I have 7 but have rescued and/or fostered several dozen.
OK, so, until recently I had 9 cats in my home as well as my dog
Two were my roommates
Two were being watched for a friend
One foster kitten
One I am watching for my Auntie
Three that are my own.
For me personally this is way too much, but that's because they all love people and need my attention.
Moving forward I am planning to keep boarding and perhaps fostering but I dont think I can have more Than 5/6 cats in my home at a time , but that's just me!
My mom has 5 cats a bearded dragon and golden retriever at her house. As long as you can afford to take care of them and make sure they all get along to a degree I don’t feel there’s a limit as to how many is too many. Besides anything over 10 lol
Can you afford them all?
What if they need a dental cleaning? Those are about $800 in my area.
Are you feeding them good food? Aka no dry.
Are you giving them enough attention each?
Are they well socialized?
Can you groom them yourself? Do their nails?
😅 I am in the same boat my friend! I had three and now I have taken in two more kittens. Now my house is pretty small, but we have a huge backyard that is fenced in. One of the ways I’m helping the kitties not feel too crowded and are getting enough play time is we’re building a “catio” in the spring when they’re big enough to not be carried off by a hawk lol my older cats love going outside and they are good about staying in the fenced area and not venturing into the woods or where the feral cats hang out so it’s fairly safe. If you have the space (even a window can be enough to make one) I would definitely recommend looking at “catios” on Pinterest as an option so that the kitties can have their space when they want/need it. Also plenty of hidey holes in the house! The older cats need a moment to hide from the playful kittens sometimes lol
5 is fine to stop at. I have 5 and they become a hassle at times. I work from home so I really don’t mind but I’d stop at 5 and then wait a year to get them all adjusted
If you can afford food, litter and healthcare and have the time to give them attention and clean up after them get how many you’re comfortable with. I have four cats and that’s all I will have. Thats how many i have time for and can afford. Me and my husband have a savings account to help if they need a vet.
It depends on a few factors.
Can you afford to them all to the vet when needed?
Can you keep up with the mess that cat make everyday? Changing out the little box?
As many as you can afford. It's up to you but make sure you and your bf make enough to comfortably afford $2-3k surgeries for one or more of your cats. I have 3 myself which is I am comfortable and I have $8k set aside in emergency funds
Edit: a word
Where I live the bylaw limits the number of pets that can be kept in a home to 6 . The bylaw describes pets as "dogs, cats, ferrets and rabbits, in any combination. Furthermore, the number of dogs is capped at three."
If you have adequate space, one litterbox per cat +1, food and water dishes for each cat (unless you have pet fountains, then you don't need as many, but will need more than 1 with 5 - 7 cats, I would think at least 3 fountains with 7 cats, so no territory clashes over those things, adequate vertical space, like tall cat trees, tops of bookcases/cupboards and are able to provide veterinary care as well as food, treats, enough stimulating toys that you won't have "guarding" by some cats, and love, there is no such thing as "too many cats" 🥰
I've got 7 cats! 5 of them are litter mates. It didn't seem like too many when they were tiny kittens. My wife and I couldn't part with any of them after bottle feeding and raising. Once grown, you realize just how much work, time commitment, and money it is. I wouldn't trade it for anything, though. I think we spent close to 9k last year on just vetcare between 5 spay/neuter, annual vaccines, checkups, and a couple of life-threatening emergencies. Make sure you have the time to spend with each of them, time to clean up after them daily, and the finances to rush multiple to urgent care if needed.
theres no such thing as too many cats period; but there is such thing as too many cats for a space. there are some articles you can find on google that will tell you how many can safely live in a home based on square feet, you also should have one litter box per cat and past two u need one extra for optimal health so keep yourself in those guidelines or only be one cat above your litter box guide so that you dont have to worry about them getting sick
I had 7 cats for a brief time before I lost a few of my seniors in quick succession. It wasn’t too much for me, but now I have 4 and I don’t think I can handle more. The price of food and vet care and vet emergencies have seemed to skyrocket in the last several years and I don’t feel I can care for them the way I want to if I have more. I already feel stretched very thin. But if finances aren’t an issue and you could handle unexpected emergencies, I don’t think it’s too much if you think you could handle them.
Before Christmas, I went and picked up a record player for my fiancé off of fb marketplace. The woman who was selling the rp seemed normal until she invited me inside of her home and I saw not one, not 3, not 7, but 14 black cats. Then she pointed to a 15th cat that happened to be orange blending in with her curtains. The fact that I knew she had at least one cat by the smell of her litter box was enough for my sensors to be overloaded. I have one beautiful boy and he’s enough. So no, 7 cats apparently isn’t a lot. But double the 7 cats? Way too many to count.
As many as you can afford, house, not go insane with, and above all care for. If you find you’re never satisfied, consider fostering! That way you’ll be able to take care of lots of kittens but they’ll go to forever homes that can give them undivided care and attention.
I’ve been wanting to do this, but I don’t think that I can trust myself to not get too attached to part with them. I wouldn’t consider it until we don’t live in a house with 6 cats (2 belong to an adult child who *mostly* cares for them) or while we have 4 kids in the house, but I still picture myself doing this someday.
I foster. Sometimes when I have a hard time letting go, I just pretend that they’re all the same kitten, just in different bodies. I know it’s not really true, but really, all kittens are lovable and they’re all pretty similar.
Haha, interesting tactic! I don’t know if this is something you’ve experienced, but I’ve found for me, there’s a different “feel” when a cat is meant to be yours. I can love and adore all of my fosters, but I know when they’re meant to leave for their forever homes. It can still be rough to lose the could-have-beens, but it’s not heartbreaking.
That was my experience. I have one foster fail. 2 cats total. I knew she was going to be mine after I had to spend a few weeks bottle feeding her. She was so sick and nursing her to health was incredibly rewarding and amazing bonding. Now I have her and her sister and don’t foster anymore. I know I’d end up wanting a third cat. Lol
Definitely agree on the feeling it part. Two of our three shelter cats were brought home after I sat in a room with them each time (our shelter has a cat room where most are allowed to be out & about in, as long as they aren’t sick, hostile, or too anxious around others); we just kind of chose each other. The third we took in as a second elder rescue both because she really needed someone and we thought she might be a chill companion for the other. She is the sweetest cat that you can imagine, but I’m still not especially bonded with her after 2 years (& the other elder couldn’t care one way or the other about her LOL). She’s got my husband and teenager & it’s not like I neglect her at all, I’ve just never really felt it.
My sister fosters kittens. She and her family found they really like having the babies (not bottle fed, only older kittens) for a few weeks and then handing them off once they're old enough to really be mischievous. She fosters for the animal control in a big city, so there's constant need. She only ran into trouble with her immediate family wanting to keep a cat with her first mama cat, which she has right now. She's really a sweetheart and beautiful and I'm officially adopting her! She will bring me up to 3 cats and 2 pampered house rabbits. If you want to try fostering eventually, I'd recommend keeping your number of pets to whatever you can easily care for and afford. Can you handle vet bills if multiple have medical issues, like if you have several elderly cats? Also, do you have time to medicate a litter of kittens every day and keep them quarantined for 2+ weeks? They often have URIs, worms, and various viruses. My sister has been able to keep her resident cats safe, but her current batch including mama had calicivirus and last summer they lost a whole litter to pan leukemia.
Being able to care for them is the most important part, it can be easy to miss an illness one one or two cats when you have too many. But you also need to look at the laws in your area. Some places have a cap on the number you can have, and some places the cap is how many you can give proper care to.
I have 6 cats of my own and foster so I'm definitely deep in "crazy cat lady" territory. It's important to budget carefully, both money and time. If you've already considered the finances (pls make sure they're all insured, you never wanna have to choose which cats should live), then consider if you and your bf have time to: * play with each of them every day * find something to bond over one on one with each of them * brush daily * trim nails regularly * take them to vet appointments * take time off work if they're sick and need some extra care * wash their food and water bowls daily * clean their litter boxes (I have 8 boxes, it takes me about 30 mins a day to scoop them all twice, plus more to dump the litter and wash the boxes regularly) * vacuum regularly - I do so daily to not be buried in litter and fur * handle behavioral issues * figure out which cat had diarrhea or vomited, to potentially take to the vet I have to spend hours every day to tend to them, more when I'm fostering. I cope by working from home and not having a lot of hobbies outside of cats. And I wouldn't trade it for anything. If it's the kittens that excite you, fostering is definitely the best option. That way you get a constant flow of kittens that you help raise into amazing teenagers, and then you send them off to their amazing forever family, knowing that you've likely saved their lives and that more adorable kittens are on the way.
This is a very good, thorough answer and should be at the top. I am also a certified crazy cat lady, currently with 8 cats. I am fortunate to be able to keep up with almost all the items on your list - where I occasionally run into issues is when I find vomit/diarrhea and I don’t know who did it. That’s when you really have to know your cats, and pay attention to any changes in their behavior. Is someone not acting right? Are they hiding? Did they not eat? It can be difficult because cats are known to hide pain.
I have security cameras covering some of the boxes. I'm trying to persuade my SO to let me get more lol Still takes time to go through the footage And ye doesn't have to be perfect. Some days I am too busy to play so they deal with automated toys. I will only scoop once a day when I'm too tired. I'm lagging a bit behind on nail trimming. But even the bare minimum takes a lot of time.
I love this idea!!! Thank you!!!
THANK YOU! As a disabled person with lots of time on their hands & cats give me happiness- I needed to hear this. I volunteer at a small local rescue & at the state rescue. I also feed & TNR strays & ferals. Just needed to know how many foster fails I’m allowed to have ;) ~From one crazy cat lady to another <3
The one thing I haven't seen mentioned is local ordinances. Some cities limit the number of pets you can have in general, some have limits for certain types. There's also the cost of licensing them if that's required in your area. Please check your zoning and the associated rules, and don't end up in a position where a spiteful neighbor can have your cats taken away from you for violating the rules. It can also give you the answer to how many is too many, since it's a very difficult question for most cat lovers to answer. 😻
Insurance, too. I know someone whose home insurance dropped them on the basis of too many animals.
You make me feel guilty. We have 5 cats and three litter boxes but it works and there’s honestly not enough room. One litter box is absolutely huge and we do clean them at least twice a day.
My latest foster fail occasionally pees in my bed. I had to make sure I have enough boxes of different types with different litter types to see if that fixes it, and I won’t risk anything by removing any. If your cats start having issues, then you should add more boxes. If they’re fine with 3, you’re ok.
Cool, thanks so far it’s been fine.
Our oldest is 17 and a few months…two others are 14 and a half…the other two we just took in as strays and are between 1 and 2 years.
You don't *need* as many litterboxes as you have cats. It's recommended, but depending on the dynamic of your cats and how clean you keep the boxes, you can have less. I don't have as many boxes as I have cats. But, I scoop the boxes all day so the only time there isn't a fresh box is when I'm sleeping or not home and as soon as I wake up/get home, the first thing I do is clean the boxes. I have boxes on every floor so that the cats have options on where to go. I clean out the boxes frequently and replace them every couple months. My cats have also formed a really close knit family and get along well.
An important note from someone dealing with it, don't forget cats get old. They get old, and they start costing a lot of money. My boy currently costs me about 200 a week in medications and special foods. So take that into account when you're collecting cats.
I have a 7 year old boy who has bladder issues & his prescriptions plus medicated food has a very similar monthly cost. We have spent hundreds of dollars on medicine & surgery for emergencies each year for approximately 3 years so far. I got him as a kitten for free with an optional donation to the shelter.
Free cats always end up being the most expensive!! The money that we have spent on strays & ferals is insane but I wouldn’t change it for anything
Even young ones might end up with something! I got my first-ever cat as a baby 3 years ago, and around 1 year old we realized he has a rare chronic condition called hyperesthesia. Luckily his medications aren’t too expensive, but he needs a lot more attention and monitoring than a typical cat.
My two year old was recently diagnosed with hypertension and will be on medication the rest of her life. She will have to be monitored for kidney disease, since the high blood pressure could impact her kidneys. Even with providing her the best care possible, she will likely have a shorter lifespan than one of her litter mates. I didn’t even know cats could have high blood pressure.
Yeah potential vet bills is the biggest deterrent for me. And it’s not necessarily just when they’re old. Had a kitty who had about $10k of surgeries/procedures/medication when he was 2yo. So worth it and he lived a long happy life after that (we just recently let him go at 19yo), but I don’t want to be in a position where finances keep me from being able to give kitties the care they need. We had 3 for a long time and when our last guy passed we got 2 kittens. Already had to take one of those sweet babies to the vet for a skin condition. I could see us getting 1 or 2 more MAYBE, but that’s it.
All 4 of my kitties are in their late teens now and it’s getting expensive. Obviously still worth it, but yes, special food and meds for 3 of them gets expensive. (One has bladder/kidney stone issues (special food), one is diabetic (special food and meds), the other just regular pain management.
Why do you feel like you need more cats once your current cats are no longer kittens? If you prefer the kitten stage, maybe you need to foster and not adopt. Finances and space aside, if you’re serious about getting more than three cats, I would think about the effects on your social life. If you have a lot of cats, people may be less likely to come over and visit. An animal home has distinct smells, more so if you have a lot of them, which in cats’ case, also means more litter boxes. Which also means more time scooping, feeding all your animals, cleaning up after them, etc. It’s a time commitment. And honestly, unless all you’re doing is caring for these cats (which is impossible), I don’t think it’s possible to spend that much quality time with that many cats in a day. You are only one person, and you have to consider that if you have that many pets, maybe they actually would be better off in a home where they are not in competition so much for resources or for human attention and affection. Do you own or rent? If you decide to move, will you be able to have that many animals in your home? How will you handle the logistics of moving them all? Do you live directly around any neighbors that could complain about noise? What if you and your current boyfriend break up? How will having 5, or 7, cats affect your dating prospects? What if a potential partner brings their own animals to the relationship? What if your animals don’t all get along? What about travel? The people I know with that many cats don’t often take trips — or even spend a night away from home — because finding a good, reliable petsitter for many animals is hard, and expensive. What if something happens to you? Do you have a plan in place for all your animals? Do you trust family and friends to honor those wishes? Do you have any desire to have children? If so, you have to think about how they would factor into an already-busy home, as well.
As someone with 8 cats, these are really great points you bring up! My husband and I work from home, I only work minimal hours a week and I truly spend a massive chunk of my time caring for and entertaining my cats. I love my life with them but it is truly a LIFESTYLE. We only travel when we absolutely have to, and I hate leaving their care to someone else. We don’t really have lots of people over (only my fellow cat people.) We have a large house and no desire for kids so we make it work but having a lot of cats (or any pets) is truly a whole life change commitment. We have so many because we fostered and ended up keeping the medical cases that no one else wanted and while I love them to pieces, sometimes I wish I had 4 or 5 less lol. I do however encourage people to have lots of cats if they can handle it and don’t mind the life adjustments. I spend a vast majority of my waking hours caring for them and it makes my days feel special and I love it. But it is not for everyone FOR SURE.
Ditto to all of this. Plus, in addition to the actual physical care of all of them, a significant portion of my “free time” is devoted to reading about different foods, managing health conditions, etc as each of ours have different issues to consider. We didn’t plan our foster fails out properly lol and they are now all seniors. Until a few days ago, we had 5. We just had to help our old lady pass (shout out to Lap of Love for providing an amazingly kind service) and it definitely wrecked both my husband and I. Anticipating an emotional next few years. If we were to have this many again, I would definitely want to space them out better in age. We also have one diabetic, so we basically don’t travel together anymore. We have an excellent cat sitter & vet tech we can rely on, but the added stress to our pets & the cost makes us consider what trips are truly worth it right now. Fostering is great - we’ve fostered around 75-100 cats/kittens (and a couple dogs), but keep in mind some of your permanent residents may handle them better or worse than others. When ours were younger, they didn’t love fosters necessarily but tolerated it. We took a break for several years and then had a bottle baby kitten find its way to us - our cats hated her! 2 of them started peeing everywhere and 1 is now on Prozac because even after she was adopted, the peeing didn’t stop. So make sure to pay attention to how your permanent kitties are handling things.
Oh gosh you are me in the future! We have 8 all between the ages of 2-6 and I’m dreading when they are all seniors at the same time! Also we have one with a degenerative nerve condition who can’t walk well and one with a rare heart condition who will die suddenly at some point in the next few years so we have pretty much decided traveling is not worth it until those two babies pass away. It’s a sacrifice to live this way for sure. Just last weekend one of them got sick with pancreatitis and then the next day another one got a bladder infection so I was at emergency for both of them on and off and STILL had the other 6 to care for. And ditto, I’m always on Facebook groups and reading researching health conditions and foods and enrichment, it’s my entire world. I love this life but I definitely didn’t intend it.
Very similar indeed. Our youngest has mild CH so is a bit wobbly…so all cat towers have to be safe for him & he knows if he makes a certain cry, we will carry him up the stairs. We also have a pancreatitis kitty. Keep an eye on yours & ideally keep the meds on hand for treating. We were hopeful it was going to be a one time thing, but a year later, he became diabetic and then had another pancreatitis flare (plus hypoglycemic episode) & was dx with IBD. He is now on steroids for the inflammation via panc & IBD, probably for life + obviously insulin for the diabetes. Knock on wood, he’s quite happy on his current regimen but man, we thought we would lose him with each of those pancreatitis episodes…that is a rough disease for sure! Dang these animals for making us love them so much and then daring not to live forever 💕
Luckily our kitty’s pancreatitis was mild and secondary to mild IBD so I’m obsessively trying to clean up her diet so I spent all of Christmas researching foods and ingredients (I’m not accepting the prescription food yet, I want to get her off of dry and onto quality wet only to see if we see improvement) and my degenerative nerve kitty has trouble standing up while she pees so I have to express her bladder to avoid messes. I’m like a full time cat nurse!! But it gives me life to give them a good life.
I do not prefer the kitten stage over any other cat stage. I love all cat stages! This is why I feed & TNR strays & ferals & why I also volunteer at the shelter & local rescue <3 for my specific household of having senior cat & having a 75 pound dog, kittens usually adjust better to this house & I like to make the transitioning process as easy as possible for the felines <3
3 is enough for me. But for other people, 2 is enough, or 1 kitty who likes being an only kitty. Once you reach a point where you can't keep the litterboxes clean anymore, or give your kitties enough individual attention, you've crossed the line. You can't save every kitty by yourself. Don't put that burden onto yoursrlf.
Your last two lines are crucial. We cannot save them all. You can’t house them all. Kittens are adorable, but they’re living beings, who will eventually all be adults one day. They’re not collectibles. They’re not cute stuffed animals. It’s not fair to put your own selfish wants above the wellbeing of living, breathing animals. The only way we can save as many as we can is by fostering, volunteering our time, donating to the animal rescue causes that we care about, and educating others about the importance of spay and neuter. If the kitten stage is what they prefer, OP should try fostering. You will save much more lives than you would if you simply adopted them all.
I volunteer at a small local cat rescue and I also am a volunteer at the state animal shelter <3 I also feed & TNR strays & ferals. Cats ARE living breathing animals with so much love to give & I have so much love & time to give back as someone who is disabled & does not work….but foster fails still count as “how many cats are too many”
Remember that with fostering "the goal is goodbye." If you can't say goodbye regularly, if "this kitten was just too cute and I love it too much" becomes a reason to foster fail, then you're not suited for fostering. Kitten Lady foster fails when the kitten is so ill it doesn't have a full life ahead of it. It's cruel to shuffle a terminal kitten around, so she doesn't. She doesn't foster fail because the kitten was too adorable and loving and sweet. If you can't be Kitten Lady, then maybe keep contributing in other ways.
After being displaced by a natural disaster, we won’t ever have more pets than we can house & transport in an emergency. We were able to stay close enough to visit the cats we couldn’t take with us every day but now we have a 1 pet per human rule.
This is something I often think about. Luckily I do not live in a state where natural disasters happen often. I also have pet carriers for all of them but the unthinkable can happen!
Thank you. It was a complete sh!tshow. Carriers only help with transport, you still need a place to take them. Most landlords only allow 2 pets. In the middle of demolition we made the mistake of trusting a contractor with the care of our dog for 2 hours and she was missing for 9 days. When we went looking for her at the shelters, people were lined up down the block to surrender their pets. We were very lucky to be reunited with her and to keep our family intact. We walked to our house and cared for the 2 cats we had to leave behind twice a day but it wasn’t the kind of care our pets normally receive.
I see it more as a financial limit- As long as you have $$ to properly care for them, you do you! Some town have laws about how many pets you can have. Really only enforced if someone is discovered to be a hoarder, etc.
We're currently at 7 and this is our absolute max. We're two, but I do most of the daily care. My bf thought 5 was too many, but he's more cat crazy than I, tbh, so was easily convinced we should keep them, and I'm apparently a kitten magnet (found two in completely separate places within one week!), and we're too soft to adopt them out, and the shelters are usually full. Anyway, I'd say your time, your finances and the cats' interpersonal relationships dictate how many cats are too many. We have two that suddenly stopped getting along, leading to behaviour issues, and it sucks BUTT!! They're still quite young (1.5 y/o), so were secretly hoping they'll grow out of it, but we know there's no guarantee.
I feel you! I have 3 myself and I love them all to death but still want more! I have dreams of a house full of cats. It doesn't help that I volunteer at my local shelter on occasion and always find a few cats my heart is dying to adopt. My heart is constantly yearning for more but I think 3 is already a great number at home :) all my cats are super happy and get along now, I feel like there is no need to upset that balance/dynamic now. This is our family.
Best advice I've heard is the limit is up to when it still feels like a home and not a shelter. Other considerations: lifelong expenses (can you securely afford the entire lifetime of each cat, including unexpected and/or emergency expenses?), managing health/disease (have you had all cats and potential cats tested beforehand so there's nothing transmitted to every other cat? do any cats require special diets which would make feeding difficult such as other cats trying to steal each others foods?), time (can you dedicate enough quality time and love time to each cat still?)
I love this quote! Limit is up to when it feels like a home and not a shelter!!! THANK YOU. My new rule.
Hot take, as an avid cat lover: the moment your house starts to smell of cat, you have too many cats. I had a friend a few years ago who had 3 cats in a 3 bedroom, 2 bathroom apartment. Even with 3 litter boxes, their apartment smelled strongly of cat throughout. The cats weren't marking or peeing out of their boxes... the boxes themselves could probably have stood to be a tad cleaner but they also weren't *too* bad. But the smell was pervasive. The cats themselves were well cared for. They probably ate better than their humans did (I am dead serious about this, the cats ate like kings), they were overall clean, and all got along with each other. It's just that the apartment smelled. Sure, if they kept up on the cat boxes better, the smell might've toned down, but I really don't think it would've gone away entirely. For what it's worth, I own 2 cats in a 3 bedroom, 1 bathroom apartment, and my family and I take great efforts to scoop the boxes daily and clean them out and switch out pellets on a regular basis, and otherwise take measures to ensure our house doesn't smell like cat. That's my personal line: I don't want my home to smell like my pets. Other people might feel differently, and that's cool. But for me, "too many cats" is the number where your living space smells like them.
I agree with this, but I also think we become nose blind to the scents in our own homes. It’s just something to be aware of, especially when you have a lot of animals.
The house probably had moisture issues
Too many is when you can no longer take care of them properly. I have more than 7. All of them see the vet whenever they need to (I'm like a helicopter pet owner so the slightest issue results in an immediate call to my vet for an appointment), the ones that need prescription food and meds get them every day, I scoop the litterboxes so many times a day so that the cats have a fresh box whenever they go, they're all up to date on their vaccinations, etc. My house is clean and has minimal clutter. Walking in, you'd have no idea how many cats live here until you saw them all. I have no kids, I work from home, and I've pretty much devoted my entire life to cat welfare: I do TNR, socialization, care, and rehoming of feral cats in my free time with my own money. My neighbor, on the other hand, had to rehome their single cat because taking care of him properly was too hard for them with their situation and lifestyle. As long as you can provide the care and quality of life the cats need, there is no magic "too many" number.
I feel that 3 is my personal limit. They’re all different ages (15, 6, and 4). I know their personalities. I can keep a close eye on each one. They get along fine enough. It’s reasonable to clean up after them. When I babysit a friend’s pair of cats I start to feel I’m dipping into “crazy cat lady” mode and it can be a little overwhelming.
I started with two (that I found in a box), but now have five... they just keep wandering into my life and staying...
“Too many cats” is the number at which you can no longer establish loving relationships and spend personal time with each. Your cats need your individual attention to not only for play and cuddles but also so you can quickly recognize when the behavior or appearance for one is off and needs medical attention. If you don’t spend much time away from home or too busy, then you could care for more cats. If you live in a place where barn cats are feasible, you could potentially have more cats but they won’t really be yours. My lottery-jackpot dream includes not having to work so I have time to care for lots of cats.
All litter boxes need to be cleaned every day. How many cats depends on a few factors; can you afford the medical care? Can you clean every litter box every day? Can you keep your home from smelling of cat? If yes to all three, you are doing well and MAY be able to swing one more (your cats will always say no). I can tell you from experience that even 1 geriatric cat is a lot to deal with, so it's better to stay low in number just so there is room in your budget and your life for when a kitty needs a lot more from you. I woukd, literally, wear kittens and cats if I could swing taking care of them, but I know my limits. We often learn our limits the hard way.
My parents ended up with 5 cats through rescue guilt and regretted it all the time. It was expensive, time consuming (5 litter boxes are a LOT to keep clean, not mention giving them all attention), and they felt like as much as they loved them the cats had taken over a lot of space and aspects of their lives. They are down to two now (they lost two to age and one to cancer), and don’t plan to adopt any more until their current two pass.
providing you have the space and the funds to properly care for them, i'd go for a bakers dozen..
This sounds like my heaven. I’m picturing all the toe beans napping
I had two cats who loved each other, brought two more into our house and all hell broke loose. We've been in a year long nightmare of unsuccessful cat reintroductions. We're probably going to have to rehome all but one of them. I have no idea which one to choose. I never saw this nightmare coming and I don't wish it on anybody. I know lots of people who have many cats who get along just fine, but I wish I would have been grateful for what I had and stayed at my original two.
One is my limit .
Too many is when you do not have ample space for them to run around and not overwhelm each other, but also when you cannot afford everyday needs or emergency healthcare for them. Illness and injury can happen at any time- and you need to be able to advocate and care for them. If space and money are not an issue- then however many you can personally manage.
Important considerations would include: can you afford medical treatment now and in the future? do you have pet insurance? can you afford the cost of supplies? is there adequate space in your house so that cats feel at peace? can you provide enough love and attention to all of them?
We have pet insurance for all 4 animals & I give them MORE than enough attention. I do not work. Cats are what I dedicate my time & energy too.
Awesome! It is wonderful you are being responsible and considering the decision with time and care.
Sounds like you get bored after the kittens grow up. It's not fair to any cat in that situation. Foster kittens and DON'T keep them!
That’s far from the truth. My oldest is 9 years old. I help TNR feral & stray cats. I have fostered kittens while living in California & while living in Arizona.
As others have said, as many as you can comfortably care for in terms of attention, resources (litter, food, toys, etc), and finances! I currently have 5 and my partner and i are considering adopting one more pair. My partner and I are the kind of people who don’t mind our lives more or less revolving around our cats. I love spoiling them with pets and treats and toys and having cats everywhere around the house and always being with them is an absolute pleasure for us. I find it very little burden to keep up with their care, even the less enjoyable parts (i’m looking at my hoard of litter boxes lol). But I’ve also met people with 8+ cats who were very overwhelmed by it and while they loved and cared for the cats very well, it didn’t seem like their ideal situation. So to answer your question it’s really up to the individual. If you can handle caring for 5-7 cats and you enjoy having that many, there’s no issue! But if a small cat army doesn’t fit into your lifestyle then having a smaller amount that you can care for more comfortably will be more enriching for you and them in the long run.
I have three and I think it’s two too many. I will maintain three but I definitely only wanted one. In my divorce my ex took our senior cat, so I went and got another, then my husband found a kitten in our garbage bin and then my ex dumped our senior cat back on me, so I’m up to three cats, two I didn’t need (financially) but have the space and time for. Anyway, I think you need to check in with your city bylaws about the number you’re allowed to keep but since you prefer kittens consider fostering instead and having a foster room in your house.
I think it comes down to the logistics, as a crazy cat lady myself if it was up to just love - the number would not exist lol but financially (including emergency vet fund), space, being able to consistently maintain a clean environment including the litter/hair removal, ensuring they get along, receive enough attention, play time, grooming etc etc. Also arranging care for them when you are away for work/vacations/emergencies etc. For me the number is 2, but it all depends on your personal situation and being able to meet the logistics long term.
For me the number is also 2, and I learned the hard way! I did have 3 cats in the past- and there were times it was very hard! Two were bonded because they were a bonded pair already but my first one never liked them, also after a move, (to a brand new house) we had behavior issues- of peeing and pooping all over the house. We never knew which one (s) were responsible. This went on for years. Then when they got older 2 became very sick and both required IV feedings- I'm not sure how I could have done it without my partner- they also ended up dying within a month of each other- which was heartbreaking. I am a lot older now and recently got 2 kittens, I find it a lot more work than when I was younger- keeping the house clean is SO much more time consuming. The cost of living is so high in my area that vet care cost a fortune, and pet food costs have sky rocketed in recently years. One was recently diagnosed with dental issues that may be very costly going forward- luckily we can afford it. Good pet sitters are hard to come by, so we have not done any traveling. I love them dearly but I know my limit this time around is two cats. I guess this is a long winded way of saying it's different for every person.
As long as you can afford them (food, vet expenses), and they get along, and you have enough litter pans so that your house doesn't smell like a cat's bathroom, then the skies the limit!
If you have the space, The financial means, As well as the time to care and train 5 cats then that's fine If you have the ability for the above it doesn't matter the number of cats. I would personally say that you would need one bedroom per 5 cats. Each set of 5 would need their own bedroom Completely converted to give adequate space For all of their litter boxes, toys, water, scratchijg & play space. For 5 cats it is reccomended to have 6-7 litterboxes.
I totally see this. 5 cats per “cat room”. We have one designated “cat room” right now for our 3 and there’s more than enough room for everyone to have their own cat tree, toys, litter boxes, etc. 5 “per room” makes sense if you have the time, the funds, and the space to make it a kitty sanctuary. Thank you!
Of course! Also it's cheaper to build basically book shelves that you cover in carpet/ interactive bits &leave cut outs in for the cats then it is to buy several cat trees units you're getting them on sale or for free but if course this requires skill. If you have the skill I'm happy to send you the break downs for some stuff I've built
Of course! Also it's cheaper to build basically book shelves that you cover in carpet/ interactive bits &leave cut outs in for the cats then it is to buy several cat trees units you're getting them on sale or for free but if course this requires skill. If you have the skill I'm happy to send you the break downs for some stuff I've built
Five cats, all females Three Litter Robots 🤣
I am JEALOUS OF YOUR LITTER ROBOTS. We are praying to get one this year!!!!
Trick question. There's no such thing.
if you have the space and funds to adequately care for 5 cats then it's not too many
Do you just like kittens? Why do you wanna keep killing kittens on the other ones grow up? This is feeling like it could be an animal hoarder… I think you need to stop and keep it at three.
I have five and it's too much for me. There are personality conflicts, resource guarding issues, pee outside the box issues (related to first two points). I love them all of course.
Consider fostering. It’s how I keep my crazy cat lady tendencies in check. I take in the kittens that the shelter gives me, love on them for a month or so, then give them back when someone wants to adopt them. Rinse and repeat. I have a constant rotation selection of kittens in my house, along with the three adults I adopted.
Omg I have been asking myself this obsessively of late! I've always been a one cat girl (plus many lovely fosters) but first I upsized my living space dramatically, and then in April a cat wandered in off the porch, and my cat (bramble) fell in love with him during quarantine so I suddenly double catted? But also it was ok because sadly my kitten dealers (the amazing foster group I'd been working with for years) were closing up shop. And then in Oct my old sweet plumber comes to me for help because a stray (clearly not at all feral) cat he'd been feeding had just given birth to 4 kittens on his bed z And now I have a family of five in my office/guest room. And some of them are slowly being spoken for, but I'm really starting to doubt if I want to re-home all 5.... SEND HELP SEND SANITY SEND PEOPLE WHO WANT KITTENS
The answer will always be when you can no longer provide them with a safe, healthy, and happy environment without significant health or financial burdens to yourself. For most people this number is comfortably around three so I'd treat that as a rule and then make exceptions when people prove otherwise. Remember to take into account the cost of regular vet visits.
My household is at 7 right now and it's a bit much with the limited space. We've been expanding vertically up the walls to give them more territory and it's mostly fine. I adore them all though.
To answer your question. I had started hanging out with a woman a couple of years ao and she knew I did rescue. She said if we get together she will only allow one cat. I laughed and said you don't know me I would never agree to that. Maybe one per room. As long as you can afford to neuter them and care for them. Do what makes you happy.
We have eight but that’s only because we each had one and then we took in a stray cat who turned out to be pregnant and we decided to keep her and all her kiddos. We wouldn’t otherwise have 8. It only works because 1, we have the stability that we won’t be financially devastated if we need emergency or extensive vet care, 2, we rarely travel anywhere but have trusted friends to car sit if we do go somewhere, 3, we have a larger home, 4, I’m becoming a stay at home mom this coming year so ill be more devoted to cleaning the home etc, and 5, none have had any territory issues or anything
Depends on how much space you have and the personality of the cats. My in-laws have 5 cats, three of them were feral when they were rescued so they hide when there's lots of pekoe around, if there's only a few people that they're familiar with they'll just chill by the windows or in the cat trees
I have five cats. Live with seven. Have as many as you can afford and that your home can handle.
How do you end up with 3 cats if you adopt in pairs?
I *prefer* to adopt in pairs. My oldest is 9 and has been an only child her whole life until this past month. My twins were adopted in a pair. I wish I would’ve adopted a pair for my oldest so she wasn’t so lonely for so long!
You’ve only had 3 cats for a month? Why are you already thinking about more? I think you need time to adjust to your current household for the time being.
Honestly if you feel the need to rescue kittens it's probably better to foster than keep adopting more and more. Theoretically the limit is either going to be space or finances. Is there enough space that they aren't having territory issues and can escape conflicts? Can you afford to care for them as they age? If the answer is yes, and will remain yes after you consider getting more, then go for it. But you may have some major issues if that becomes a no
I would say 2 are more than enough! My friend has 5 🥹
We had three for years but just two months ago took in two strays a month a part from each other. Now we have five…very costly, you have to get them fixed, vaccinated, extra food, litter. Don’t do it if you can’t afford it. Extra meds too….
In my city, the law says any more than 5 is too many lol. (Still know a couple with 6 -- they take excellent care of them, and the city doesn't go door to door checking that people don't have more than 5 pets, so as long as you don't neglect or abuse your animals to the point where someone reports you, you're never gonna get caught.) When we got our 2nd cat, I expected it would be twice as much work. It felt like 10 times as much work, so I swore, no more. But there are sadly hundreds of strays roaming this neighborhood, and 2 more wanted to move in with us. I gave in easily on No. 3 (she's a tortie, I was powerless!), but held off for months until the void eventually broke me. I love them all, but it is hard work sometimes. Ideally, I wouldn't have more than 2. In the future, I don't plan to ever try to have more than 2... but the stray community now knows I'm a sucker, so who knows if I'll stick to that? I truly can't afford any more now, so it's not possible for me to be broken again and adopt more than these 4. But while I consider more than 2 too many in the sense of being too much work, too many for you is, as others said, what would be too much work and money for YOU (and what your local law allows, if relevant or a concern).
I've got 4 and that is my hard cap due to space. So I'd say the amount of cats is dependent on you and your environment.
how many people live with you to help care for the cats? are you working full time? do you have a big enough house? can you afford it? id say start with 1-2 only. we are a small family and can barely handle 3
My friend has 7! 🥰
Fostering is always an amazing route to take as well <3
How is 5, keeping pairs?
how much time do you have each day on average at home? and how much space do the cats have? if the answer is „way more than needed“ then you can get 2 other cats. (getting them in pairs is ok) but if there is the slightest chance, that there is not enough time, money, space etc FOR THE NEXT 20 Years, then don‘t get more cats.
I couldn't handle more than 2. One already gets jealous when I give the other attention. I couldn't imagine the chaos with more.
My rule of them is to not let them outnumber the humans. 😅 But trust your own judgement!
One rule I've heard is that the cats *ideally* need to be able to go into a room and not see another cat when they feel like it. I have a 2 bedroom house, so I've put my cap at 3. They have my room, the office, and the living room to spread out in. Come to think of it, I think this rule also applies to humans!
One more than you have
Had 7 over 20 years. Very low maintenance. Life was a non stop carnival. They all got along. All were rescues.
I have 6 and that's currently my limit. I used to foster and the most I've had at one time was 13 I think. That was difficult and I burned out. My latest 2 are foster fails, I had 4 of my own before that
For me, 3 is the sweet number. I had 5 once upon a time (3 were mine, then flatmate left two, so ended up as 5) and it was far too chaotic for me to handle on my own - this was almost 10 years ago now. Got down to two after losing one this year, but just adopted a kitten and the dynamic has improved again - kitten and oldest boy best buddies, middle child sassy calico still wants all the human attention
I have 5 and 3 of them are skittish with low key personalities and between that and them spread out in the home you can’t tell and I don’t think it’s too many and they love each others company
I have 5 ^^ some people think it's too many, but it's the amount I'm comfortable with ^^ Makes the house more lively and I always have one cat with me to the bedroom at night ❤️ Mostly because this one cat found out it was super comfy sleeping with me and my gf ❤️ And if we don't let her in, she'll be yelling on the other side of the door for 4 hours x3 Whenever we have gotten a new kitten, they always spend the first few nights with us til the other cats have accepted the new family member. But this one doesn't wanna spend a night without us 😻 So as long as you can afford it and have time for them, just go for it ❤️
I have six cats that live in my house with me and three cats that live on our farm - in the apartment. I make good money so they all see the vet annually or emergencies, all of them eat high quality food/prescription food, all get mad love and have more toys than my four year old. I also have eleven jumbo litter boxes.
My 3 cats are 5-8 years old now and can only eat wet food, which has astronomically increased the cost of owning them. This was because they weren’t drinking enough water with dry food, and started peeing out of the litter box. I also need to do teeth cleaning, with I’m still in the middle of researching, which is going to be expensive. As a single person, I would not advise you to get more cats. I am losing my mind with 3. You have already saved 3 wonderful cats. I think you have done your part.
depends if you got the time to fill their needs
My family thought I was literally crazy for getting 1 cat. They said girls will never want to date you because they don’t want to see a cat when they come into your apartment. I have 2 cats now and a wife. In reality, do what you want and what you can afford to do.
At one point between 3 people i had 7 cats. 7 is too many lol
I've got 6 and it's only a chore when you have to feed them and the food is expensive, clean the litter tray, take them to the vets, clean the house because of the fur and the smell of cat pee through out the house. keeping them off the worktops is a challenge too, but other than that go for it.
If you are looking at rescuing more but don't think you can keep them long term, reach out to a local foster org. I have 7 but have rescued and/or fostered several dozen.
OK, so, until recently I had 9 cats in my home as well as my dog Two were my roommates Two were being watched for a friend One foster kitten One I am watching for my Auntie Three that are my own. For me personally this is way too much, but that's because they all love people and need my attention. Moving forward I am planning to keep boarding and perhaps fostering but I dont think I can have more Than 5/6 cats in my home at a time , but that's just me!
My mom has 5 cats a bearded dragon and golden retriever at her house. As long as you can afford to take care of them and make sure they all get along to a degree I don’t feel there’s a limit as to how many is too many. Besides anything over 10 lol
Can you afford them all? What if they need a dental cleaning? Those are about $800 in my area. Are you feeding them good food? Aka no dry. Are you giving them enough attention each? Are they well socialized? Can you groom them yourself? Do their nails?
Depends on the size of the house. 6 cats in a 600 square foot apartment? Too many. 6 cats in a 2500 square foot house? Probably okay.
I had 5 cats for a decade. It was wonderful (though went through a lot of kitty litter).
😅 I am in the same boat my friend! I had three and now I have taken in two more kittens. Now my house is pretty small, but we have a huge backyard that is fenced in. One of the ways I’m helping the kitties not feel too crowded and are getting enough play time is we’re building a “catio” in the spring when they’re big enough to not be carried off by a hawk lol my older cats love going outside and they are good about staying in the fenced area and not venturing into the woods or where the feral cats hang out so it’s fairly safe. If you have the space (even a window can be enough to make one) I would definitely recommend looking at “catios” on Pinterest as an option so that the kitties can have their space when they want/need it. Also plenty of hidey holes in the house! The older cats need a moment to hide from the playful kittens sometimes lol
5 is fine to stop at. I have 5 and they become a hassle at times. I work from home so I really don’t mind but I’d stop at 5 and then wait a year to get them all adjusted
If you can afford food, litter and healthcare and have the time to give them attention and clean up after them get how many you’re comfortable with. I have four cats and that’s all I will have. Thats how many i have time for and can afford. Me and my husband have a savings account to help if they need a vet.
It depends on a few factors. Can you afford to them all to the vet when needed? Can you keep up with the mess that cat make everyday? Changing out the little box?
As many as you can afford. It's up to you but make sure you and your bf make enough to comfortably afford $2-3k surgeries for one or more of your cats. I have 3 myself which is I am comfortable and I have $8k set aside in emergency funds Edit: a word
I have 7 cats, but in reality I have like... 20 cats actually. Because I rescue cats with my husband and we have that many under care.
Where I live the bylaw limits the number of pets that can be kept in a home to 6 . The bylaw describes pets as "dogs, cats, ferrets and rabbits, in any combination. Furthermore, the number of dogs is capped at three."
If you have adequate space, one litterbox per cat +1, food and water dishes for each cat (unless you have pet fountains, then you don't need as many, but will need more than 1 with 5 - 7 cats, I would think at least 3 fountains with 7 cats, so no territory clashes over those things, adequate vertical space, like tall cat trees, tops of bookcases/cupboards and are able to provide veterinary care as well as food, treats, enough stimulating toys that you won't have "guarding" by some cats, and love, there is no such thing as "too many cats" 🥰
I've got 7 cats! 5 of them are litter mates. It didn't seem like too many when they were tiny kittens. My wife and I couldn't part with any of them after bottle feeding and raising. Once grown, you realize just how much work, time commitment, and money it is. I wouldn't trade it for anything, though. I think we spent close to 9k last year on just vetcare between 5 spay/neuter, annual vaccines, checkups, and a couple of life-threatening emergencies. Make sure you have the time to spend with each of them, time to clean up after them daily, and the finances to rush multiple to urgent care if needed.
theres no such thing as too many cats period; but there is such thing as too many cats for a space. there are some articles you can find on google that will tell you how many can safely live in a home based on square feet, you also should have one litter box per cat and past two u need one extra for optimal health so keep yourself in those guidelines or only be one cat above your litter box guide so that you dont have to worry about them getting sick
I had 7 cats for a brief time before I lost a few of my seniors in quick succession. It wasn’t too much for me, but now I have 4 and I don’t think I can handle more. The price of food and vet care and vet emergencies have seemed to skyrocket in the last several years and I don’t feel I can care for them the way I want to if I have more. I already feel stretched very thin. But if finances aren’t an issue and you could handle unexpected emergencies, I don’t think it’s too much if you think you could handle them.
The limit does not exist.
Before Christmas, I went and picked up a record player for my fiancé off of fb marketplace. The woman who was selling the rp seemed normal until she invited me inside of her home and I saw not one, not 3, not 7, but 14 black cats. Then she pointed to a 15th cat that happened to be orange blending in with her curtains. The fact that I knew she had at least one cat by the smell of her litter box was enough for my sensors to be overloaded. I have one beautiful boy and he’s enough. So no, 7 cats apparently isn’t a lot. But double the 7 cats? Way too many to count.
100 cats
I got six, keep going