When I was a kid my parents had 4 cats. Do to some failing in understanding of cat anatomy they thought they were boys.

Then one day they all got pregnant at the same time! We then had 20+ cats.

You should have heard my mom tell the story of the day the vacuum cleaner sales man showed up.

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Originally Posted by loraxc The yard is apparently cat-fenced.

Considering a cat's jumping and climbing skills, does that mean their backyard is actually a giant cage?

 

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Originally Posted by ABrez I haven't read all of the replies but in my opinion it depends on the level of dedication in taking care of them. One of the executives where DH used to work had fifty or so cats. But she lived in a mansion and had a full time cat nanny that scooped litter boxes constantly as well as groomed, washed, played with kitties etc. I still envy the cat nanny job because I love cats! The cat nanny was making almost $40,000 a year!

 

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Originally Posted by EFmom Personally, I think that any more than two is a sign something's a little off. I've had five at one time...

I have 7 right now. 2 totally feral but live here, 4 young cats that are outside and then my 15 yo neurotic cat inside

I also feed any and all cats that come around and that could be as many as 15-20 not counting my own depending on the time of year and the number of dogs running loose. The more dogs running loose = less cats

I dont think there is such a thing as to many as long as they are cared for.

 

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Originally Posted by MCatLvrMom2A&X I have 7 right now. 2 totally feral but live here, 4 young cats that are outside and then my 15 yo neurotic cat inside I also feed any and all cats that come around and that could be as many as 15-20 not counting my own depending on the time of year and the number of dogs running loose. The more dogs running loose = less cats I dont think there is such a thing as to many as long as they are cared for.

Well I'm shocked!!!

Of all people you, MCatLvr, I never would have guessed it.

JK

 

I had three for a while and that felt like way too many. I definitely started to feel like a crazy cat lady. Once one died, I didn't replace her, and I am actually down to one now. I would sort of like to get another, as my one guy is getting up there in years, but I may end up waiting until he passes to get another. Definitely will never have three again all at once.

 

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Originally Posted by phatchristy Cats are so much easier than dogs to take care of. Having lived with both, to me 6 cats = 1 dog in the amount of work.

Totally.

Our neighbors have 15 cats. Some are indoor/outdoor cats, and some are just indoor. We don't know the neighbors that well, apart from the occasional chit chat, but as far as we've been told, they are taken to the vet, fixed, and even micro chipped. We've never been inside the house, though, but I am guessing it's not the cleanest place on earth.

We have two cats and one dog. We've debated getting a third cat, but decided it would be too much for us. If we hadn't gotten the dog, we would have gotten a third cat. I agree with the opinion that dogs are way more work than cats. But I just may be more of a cat person than a dog person. Or maybe our dog is just rotten.

 

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Originally Posted by eepster Well I'm shocked!!! Of all people you, MCatLvr, I never would have guessed it. JK

 

15 cats!

You guys must have big ovens. I can only fit about 3 or 4 cats in mine at a time..

If you use the clay pot roasters, just be sure to set the oven low at first and then slowly move it up in small increments over 10 minutes. Teriyaki should do the trick for flavoring.

j/k. I love my cats. They are really tasty. mmmmm... here kitty kitty.

 

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Originally Posted by GearGirl I would say two is still normal, and three or four could happen if you are involved with rescue or something. With 5 plus I think there are some issues going on unless you are actively trying to create a shelter type situation in the country or somewhere with land.

No issues here and we used to have five. I had two cats and DW had two cats. We get together and, volia, there's four cats. We found a little kitten in the road that had just been hit and brought it home. That made five. Unfortunately, we had to put our 15 year old cat to sleep last month because of cancer. We do not have any plans to replace her. We actually want a dog, but have agreed not to get one until we are down to two cats. And that might be awhile because they are only 10, 8, 7 and 4. They are all strictly indoor cats.

When we moved into our current home, we noticed a lot of feral cats running around. Come to find out, it is a registered feral cat colony. We work with a local feral rescue group to catch, spay/neuter, vaccinate, and eartip the cats. We have approximately 12-15 feral cats outside that we have helped and feed daily.

 

Oh geez...I'm in trouble (don't look at my sig!) I have a ton of critters and love it! We are getting ready to move to 9.5 acres and looking forward to having a farm full of chickens, goats, peacocks and eventually horses. Call my crazy, but I love my animals! My house is always clean and ready for company. I've often had people walk in my home and say "I thought you had animals"

I think 15 cats is a little much but if they are well taken care of, who cares.

 

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Originally Posted by EFmom Personally, I think that any more than two is a sign something's a little off. I've had five at one time... If the person can take care of all of them, if the house doesn't reek and isn't coated in hair, and if it doesn't negatively affect her family, I'd just figure she loves cats.

I love having 5! They get along so well, they take care of each other a lot- probably just like a large family of kids. My house is not crowded with them even though it's only a medium house. You don't see 'cats everywhere'; if you did, that's when it's too many.

I think the people saying 2 sound just like people saying 2 kids is perfect... and yet I bet many here would have more than 2 kids! 3 cats is not harder than 2; 4 is not harder then 3

Oh, and I have had 15... when finding stray kittens.

 

We currently have 6. I don't think we are THAT nutty......but the nutty ones never realize they are, so who knows

I don't really see how cats are dirty, they use a litter box and sleep for 14 hours a day. My 4 kids, 2 dogs, and even the bunny make more mess. We don't have any carpet and the litter boxes are in the basement so I don't think we have "cat smell". We do have "dog smell" occasionally though. My big dog is pretty stinky!

If you are a reasonably clean person the mess would be cleaned regularly in the course of things. I vacuum the furniture, steam mop the floors, and wash down the counters all the time anyway, so crumbs or cat hair make no difference. Dirty kid prints or dirty paw prints are all the same at the end of the day. Scooping the litter box, the dog poop in the yard, or washing the poopy diapers are all in the same category. It all needs to be done with a high degree of frequency. If these things aren't done THAT is the issue, not the number of pets (or kids). Clean houses are clean because they are made that way. Dirty houses are still dirty even without the cats (the cat smell may just make it more obvious

).

I think having a large number of cats can easily just happen. More so than any other animal because cats just find you. Feral dogs or guinea pigs showing up on the doorstop is not a likely occurrence, but cats have a way of picking out the fur friendly people a mile away! And trying to keep a newly adopted, unaltered cat indoors when she is in heat can be a difficult task (which is how we ended up with 6....all fixed now BTW).

I would base my opinion of someone on their behaviours and actions more than the number of creatures that share their home

 

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Originally Posted by vegemamato My opinion is that it's fine as long as the cats are well cared for, the house is sanitary and there is no breeding (i.e. cats are fixed).

Yes, this.

I have 8 cats of my own and a constant fluctuating population of fosters. I foster special needs cats for a nonprofit cat rescue. I have had upwards of 20 cats in my house, and my house is currently on the market. The comments after showings indicate that the house shows well (fur, etc not a problem) and there is no cat smell.

When friends come over, they never know how many cats I have, because they never see more than 3 or 4 at a time. I have a great set up with many litterboxes cleaned daily, tons of cat furniture (so they dont nasty up the human furniture) and each cat gets loving and brushing as often as they want. All the cats are fixed except for the two kittens, and everyone gets needed veterinary care. I recently got some wonderful complements from my veterinarian on how I care for the cats. It was lovely.

Friends, family, vets, and community would describe me as stable, sane, and generous with my time, so I'm not going to let the negative judgments upthread bother me.

These lives matter, and I'm working on being the change I would like to see in the world.

eta All are indoor only, except for 3. And I'm selling my house in town so I can move out to the country. Animal control knows about the cats, makes an exception for me, and has been known to show up at my doorstep with cats with special needs they have found. (Once they even brought me an injured pigeon to rehabilitate. Sure, bring the cat lady a bird! lol He survived, though, and flew away a couple months later.

)

 

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Originally Posted by Pinoikoi 15 cats! You guys must have big ovens. I can only fit about 3 or 4 cats in mine at a time.. If you use the clay pot roasters, just be sure to set the oven low at first and then slowly move it up in small increments over 10 minutes. Teriyaki should do the trick for flavoring. j/k. I love my cats. They are really tasty. mmmmm... here kitty kitty.

that is the best...

 

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Originally Posted by Purple Sage One of the owners of the restaurant where my husband works has something like 27 or 28 cats, and I've heard his house is disgusting. The funny part is that he thinks we're nuts for having four kids and actually calls anyone with any kids "breeders." To each his own!

Kind of funny, because I was thinking something similar as I was reading this thread.

I have three cats. One is recently acquired (adorable 2mo kitten). The other two are 13yo and 4yo. The most I've ever had at one time was four cats.

I'm not a fastidious housekeeper, but my house is not dirty. It gets cluttered, but that would be the case whether I had pets or not. My good friend does foster care for cats, and she also seems to get "stuck" with one every so often. She has five cats right now and her house is immaculate. Cleaning is her favorite hobby (so yes, she probably is a little off....lol).

I just find it amusing that so many people think more than two cats is a sign of weirdness, but MDC is full of people who have 4, 5, 6 (or more) children, which I don't get at all! To each their own, for real!

Also, I might add that I think 15 permanent cats is way too many, unless it's a country house and they're mostly outdoors.

 

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Originally Posted by FreeRangeMama I don't really see how cats are dirty, they use a litter box and sleep for 14 hours a day.)

Well...

My 4yo cat won't eat his kibble out of the bowl. He swipes a whole pawful out and then eats it off the floor. The food area needs to be tidied constantly.

However, I would call that "messy" rather than "dirty."

 

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Originally Posted by 2xy Well... My 4yo cat won't eat his kibble out of the bowl. He swipes a whole pawful out and then eats it off the floor. The food area needs to be tidied constantly. However, I would call that "messy" rather than "dirty."

That is shockingly similar to how my 4 yo HUMAN child eats

. Except she does that on the table and not the floor.........any more

 

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Originally Posted by 2xy I just find it amusing that so many people think more than two cats is a sign of weirdness, but MDC is full of people who have 4, 5, 6 (or more) children, which I don't get at all! To each their own, for real! Also, I might add that I think 15 permanent cats is way too many, unless it's a country house and they're mostly outdoors.

big difference between a child and a cat. I'd have a dozen kids but have a hard time with two cats. Granted, the cat thing is a bit of an issue with me.

 

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Originally Posted by sapientia big difference between a child and a cat. I'd have a dozen kids but have a hard time with two cats. Granted, the cat thing is a bit of an issue with me.

I agree. I said 2-3 seemed like enough cats b/c that would be a lot to me. I am not a cat/animal person at all. Yet, I am a baby/kid person. I would much rather have 8 children than 8 cats. Everyone is different - and I assume that's why the OP asked.

 

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Originally Posted by ABrez I haven't read all of the replies but in my opinion it depends on the level of dedication in taking care of them. One of the executives where DH used to work had fifty or so cats. But she lived in a mansion and had a full time cat nanny that scooped litter boxes constantly as well as groomed, washed, played with kitties etc. I still envy the cat nanny job because I love cats! The cat nanny was making almost $40,000 a year!

I work with a breeder, she pays vet techs to come to her house and help out with her cats. They also watch them when she's at the shows on the weekend. Because of my past experience with exhibition, etc. I've been to several breeders homes. The most reputable breeders had such clean catteries, with no smell. They invest a lot of $$$ into their animals, so they provided well for their wellbeing. And, many of them added a ventilation system to their house because they also lived their themselve.

 

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Originally Posted by 2xy Well... My 4yo cat won't eat his kibble out of the bowl. He swipes a whole pawful out and then eats it off the floor. The food area needs to be tidied constantly. However, I would call that "messy" rather than "dirty."

One of my late cats went a step beyond that. She would pick up the food with her paw in a scooping motion and put it UP TO HER MOUTH! It was so messy, and weird, and that's how she ate. She ate with her paws (and yes, made a mess LOL).

 

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Originally Posted by Drummer's Wife I agree. I said 2-3 seemed like enough cats b/c that would be a lot to me. I am not a cat/animal person at all. Yet, I am a baby/kid person. I would much rather have 8 children than 8 cats. Everyone is different - and I assume that's why the OP asked.

I definitely would say there is more of a biological urge to have kids than cats LOL.

Cats IMHO are much less work than kids, but kids are more rewarding. Which is why so many of us have large families.

Incidentally, what's funny is in the cat fancy it's fairly common to see people who don't like kids. So, go figure?

The times I've brought my kids to a show I get one of two responses: either an extreme amount of gushing and fawning over them from the retired grandparent hobby breeders or the icky uncomfortable looks (why are they here) from the never had any kids don't know what to do with them people.

 

I like kids and I have 5 cats.

I was always raised with countless cats, dogs, and turtles (and the occasional exotic iguana or hedgehog, etc.). I think it's only "too many" when you can't keep up with them anymore.

I have no problem keeping up with my cats. If dh wouldn't kill me and I had a decent other place for a litter box, I'd have more. But I'm a crazy cat lady to the core. I can't imagine going a day without one of my babies. They are the perfect roommates. They are quiet, clean, independent, and are good at sensing when you need some love without drooling all over you or barking incessantly at squirrels and leaves.

My house is fur covered, but that's because my 1 and only dog sheds insanely. I mean, insanely. It's gross and I never had hair issues until we got her. My cats are very clean, but one has stomach issues and pukes quite a bit. I just keep on top of it. But then again, my dog had a vaccine reaction and vomits more than that every day. My kids are *far* messier than my cats could ever dream of.

We each have "our" cat but we do share, so they're definitely not under-loved, in fact, I think they'd like to be left alone more. When I was little my mom used to volunteer at a cat rescue home and there were hundreds there. It was absolute heaven for me closed up in a room with dozens of cats and loving on them.

My cats are all indoors only and happy as can be. When I was younger I think the most we ever had was 17 cats. But that may be an undercount. Some went outdoors sometimes. We rescued a lot and had a lot dumped off at our house. But we fed them and loved them.

 

OP here saying that it's kinda annoying to have had this moved to Pets. I actually more was wondering if other people agreed with me that having 15 cats was a sign of someone who's off...not truly asking how many cats are actually too many. I guess I titled it wrong, but I suspect since it's been moved here people might get mad at me! (I assume this forum is pretty full of per lovers!)

 

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Originally Posted by loraxc OP here saying that it's kinda annoying to have had this moved to Pets. I actually more was wondering if other people agreed with me that having 15 cats was a sign of someone who's off...not truly asking how many cats are actually too many. I guess I titled it wrong, but I suspect since it's been moved here people might get mad at me! (I assume this forum is pretty full of per lovers!)

I'm sorry you are annoyed. Definitely in TAO things get more attention. This forum is usually quieter in comparison.

I think that having 15 cats *can* be a sign of being 'off'. It could mean hoarding, it could mean eccentric. Most people I've known who have had that many cats are either hobby breeders or the type that rescue every animal that winds up on somebody's doorstep.

I think the issue is whether they properly care for the animals. Having a lot of animals in one space requires a lot of upkeep, maintenance and multi-cat households are likely to have illness. If the person is letting the cats run free too outside and inside then likely there is going to be a serious illness issue unless the cats are vaccinated and treated with flea preventative.

Animal hoarding nowadays is considered more as a 'mental illness'. If you do some google searches about it you can read more. I've seen one horrendous episode of the A&E program Hoarders...this was a woman and her husband that thought they were 'helping' by feeding and housing all the strays. It was so bad. OMG. Cats came and went, the whole house was covered with hair, urine, feces. And, when they cleaned it out, I think they fould like 40 or something dead ones (quite a few of those were dead kittens too I believe)...illness was rampant, and most of the cats had to be euthanized. But, even in that case I think they neutered/spayed 6 cats and returned those altered ones to the couple after they cleaned their house out.