Frivolous Friday – How Many Cats are Too Many Cats?

Some say that cats are like potato chips, you can’t have just one. Many cat owners feel sorry for a lone cat and will bring in a second one to keep the first one company when they’re gone. And sometimes that can backfire on you. The cats bond and leave you out. There are cats who can’t get along with each other no matter how many or how few there are. But typically, each cat in a household will find his or her spot within the group. Those who don’t like each other will simply ignore one another.
Ideally, if you want more than one cat, you would adopt siblings who are already attached to one another. However, most of us acquire a second, third, or sixth cat without even trying. One comes out of a nearby orchard or ravine into your yard. Or a neighbor or friend finds a litter under their porch. Or, heaven forbid, you walk into a pet store when they’re exhibiting homeless cats. Yeah, that’s generally how it happens.
The most cats I had at one time was eight and that included a litter of kittens. It happened after I learned that our kitten had been struck by a car. I was expecting my first child and the hormones were raging, I guess, because I started dragging home every suspected stray I could find. One had kittens a week later. This was not a good situation because once the baby came, I didn’t have good enough time-management skills to take care of everyone properly. I ended up keeping one of the cats—oh, yes, and the baby.
My ideal number of cats is two. Four is doable (now that I’m a great grandmother), but challenging. Three is almost too many. Two seems to fit our lifestyle purrfectly. As it is in our household, Sophie (the tortie) LOVES the man in the house. She’s his cat. Whereas Lily (the tabby) is my baby. She’s never once carried a toy to Dennis—but she inundates me with as many little stuffed toys every day as she can carry. Beyond cute!