Is it okay to have a lot of cats?
OUI well south. You can have as much as you can. This is not just a weirdo that has a bedroom full of 250 feline pets, as reported in the news. A large number of cats in your home does not necessarily lead to chaos. You may have heard a person asking why their neighbor’s five felines get along so well, while all three always fight.
Most people have found that adopting cats can be habit-forming. It starts when you see a stray kitten, bring it home as a welcome addition to your cat family, and next time, you take one more and another, and so on, because by then one more won’t make a difference.
However, keeping all cats together in a crowded space is not only unfair to them, but also to their caregiver. It is more sensible to bring a stray cat to a sanctuary where it can be cared for by professionals who can find it a new home. How about having a few cats, say three? Or else, how many is better?
If you have read a few articles on cat hierarchies, you will realize the importance of personal space for felines. How cats get along in a home depends on several factors, such as how they move.
Therefore, it is quite difficult to achieve balance in a multi-cat family. You should always observe your pets to immediately notice any signs of discomfort. For example, most people know that problems can arise once a cat reaches sexual maturity.
When the cat is neutered, the problems go away, but only for a time. However, they are not aware of another stage in the life of a cat, in which the feline is no longer a teenager, but has become an adult adult (that is, reaches social maturity). This occurs when a cat is between 2 and 4 years old. This is the time when he will seek a new place in the feline hierarchy.
The cat may even go for the first position when the feline is both bold and strong. When the current cat doesn’t like to be challenged, there will surely be fights.
There are cats that are happiest when they are alone and will not fit in a house full of many cats. Therefore, when considering adopting a new cat in a multicat household, it is important to gather as much information as possible about the prospective adoptee.
Lastly, keep in mind that even if you have 1, 2 or 3 cats, except if you have a huge house, your territory has been completely occupied. Any additional cats have to blend in by sharing another’s territory. As a suggestion, the territory can be expanded to include another cat tree, litter box, and more food bowls.
Also, keep in mind that in the event that one of your cats passes away, this does not necessarily mean that you can get another member to fill the vacancy. Feline social hierarchies are known to be delicate, and when they lose a member, establishing a new hierarchy will only cause significant disorder.