Is 2 cats to much??

[GraceAva]

hi everyone, im in the process of adopting a cat from the local shelter. when we went to visit them there was 2 ginger tom brothers (about 3yrs old) that we fell in love with a little bit! we decided to think about and not just take them there and then. so does anybody have 2 cats? i have a 1yr old daughter so would it be too much? they would be let out after a couple of weeks so there not going to be house cats. do you think 2 is a lot more trouble than 1? any bodys view would be a lot of help,thanks!!

 

[Pandora II]

Less trouble I think.

My parents have always had at least 2 cats at any one time - and they have Siamese who are much more work than most - and on the whole the cats play together/bicker pretty well. An only cat, unless they are one of the ones who likes that, can be lonely and much more needy.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

We have two cats. They have a love hate relationship (VERY different personalities) but do keep each other company.

 

[Lauren8211]

I swear having two is easier. Other than a bit more money for food, litter, and medical care, it's no big deal. They keep each other distracted and entertain one another when we're gone.

I've always preferred to have two!

 

[MustangGal]

I have 3 cats, a big dog and a 2 year old son, and it's just fine. I think 2 cats that already get along would be great. They'll hang out together and probably not get as lonely. One of my 3 hangs out with the dog instead of the other cats, she was the latest addition and just has too much energy for the older two.

 

[amc80]

Two is way easier. We got cat #2 because we felt bad that cat #1 was alone all day. Thinking of getting a third. Can't aren't like dogs. An additional cat just means you have to clean the cat box a little more often and put extra food out (depending if you free feed or not).

 

[dcgator]

I had one cat for about 6 years, since he was only a couple months old and he was ok. However, anytime I left for more than 2 days, he would get REALLY p*ssed and bite a whole in my leg when I got home. After settling into a new place, we thought it would be a good idea to get a second cat and it really was the best thing we could have done. First off, when we leave for a weekend, we are greeted with love and no bites Secondly, while they do chase eachother around and act like they can't stand eachother, we will find them snuggled up together sometimes when we come home. Also, I find my older cat gets a lot more exercise now then when he was by himself, so that's a plus too. I would recommend getting a second litter box and food bowl though, just in case.

As for the child issue, I am pregnant now so I can't comment on how 2 cats are with kids, but I can't imagine there is any serious issues there. Just make sure to establish boundries on where the kitties can and can't go and make sure to keep an eye on your LO when ever the cats are about. Good luck and enjoy your potential kitty brothers!

 

[Dreamer_D]

If they are relatively balanced and non-neurotic cats then 2 is easier. If they are mentally disturbed then two is worse than one Can you tell the difference in the time you have spent with them?

 

[somethingshiny]

lol. I just had to post to say that when I saw the topic I seriously thought it said "Is 2 cts to much??" I was thinking, "um, no."

As far as the cats though, we just got one, thought maybe we should get her sister but decided against it because the one we have is good with the baby and I don't want to risk having a crazy cat as #2.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Both my cats are good with my DD. One is so sweet. I swear, she is an angel. DD will pull her tail and be rough and this cat just takes it. The other keeps his distance. We have never had any issues.

 

[movie zombie]

currently have 4 cats....had 9 at one time.

having an only cat is not a good idea. my experience is a solitary cat gets into too much trouble that can be taken care of by simply having a 2nd cat to play with. lots more fun to watch, too!

MoZo

 

[amc80]

lol. I just had to post to say that when I saw the topic I seriously thought it said "Is 2 cts to much??" I was thinking, "um, no."

That's exactly what I thought. Ha!

 

[taovandel]

2 cats is waay easier....especially with children that take up your time....they can entertain eachother.

 

[MsP]

i have a 1yr old daughter so would it be too much? they would be let out after a couple of weeks so there not going to be house cats. do you think 2 is a lot more trouble than 1? any bodys view would be a lot of help,thanks!!

Can you explain what you mean by "let out"? They're going to be outdoor-only cats?

 

[MichelleCarmen]

Two cats isn't too much. For nearly all my life, I've had a cat (or two or more!) and found that if the cats get along, then having a pair of them is fabulous. If they bicker, then you will go kinda nuts.

FWIW, after years of having 2 or more cats, we decided to just have one and he's a great cat but because he's alone he's sort of not aware that he's a cat, but thinks he's human (talks a lot . He IS a super lover and attention seeker. He sits and waits by the door when we're gone and follows us around the house when we get back. It's wonderful because I'm home during the day. If I worked out of the house, it'd be kind of a bummer for him.

 

[movie zombie]

missed the "let out" part...... outdoor cats are a problem for a many reasons: bring in dirt and other things [think fleas, ticks], they get beat up by other cats and have to go to the vet. they get diseases and have to go to the vet. they get hit by a car and have to go to the vet. you get the picture. going to the vet is expensive. perhaps rather than asking if two cats are too many, the real question is should the family have a cat at all.

MoZo

ps the pain and suffering of being an outdoor cat isn't really noticeable until its your cat that's doing the pain and suffering. not only is it expensive, its not a fun experience to watch one's cat in pain and suffering.

 

[missy]

I agree with the other posters. Two cats are better than one. Cats get lonely and need company and they will be happier and better company if you have two cats vs one in general. My sister who is a veterinarian told me this when I got my first cat and so I added a second and she was so right. Of course at the moment I have four because I can never say no to an animal in need. But 4 is our maximum for sure! And though it is a bit more work with 4 I have to say 2 cats is very little trouble to take care of usually. Good luck and good for you in saving a life (or 2 I hope)!

 

[missy]

missed the "let out" part...... outdoor cats are a problem for a many reasons: bring in dirt and other things [think fleas, ticks], they get beat up by other cats and have to go to the vet. they get diseases and have to go to the vet. they get hit by a car and have to go to the vet. you get the picture. going to the vet is expensive. perhaps rather than asking if two cats are too many, the real question is should the family have a cat at all.

MoZo

ps the pain and suffering of being an outdoor cat isn't really noticeable until its your cat that's doing the pain and suffering. not only is it expensive, its not a fun experience to watch one's cat in pain and suffering.

Oh, I missed this as well...not a big fan of letting the cats outside usually because too many risks for the cats IMO and not the best quality of life for the cats.

 

[Haven]

missed the "let out" part...... outdoor cats are a problem for a many reasons: bring in dirt and other things [think fleas, ticks], they get beat up by other cats and have to go to the vet. they get diseases and have to go to the vet. they get hit by a car and have to go to the vet. you get the picture. going to the vet is expensive. perhaps rather than asking if two cats are too many, the real question is should the family have a cat at all.

MoZo

ps the pain and suffering of being an outdoor cat isn't really noticeable until its your cat that's doing the pain and suffering. not only is it expensive, its not a fun experience to watch one's cat in pain and suffering.

Oh, I missed this as well...not a big fan of letting the cats outside usually because too many risks for the cats IMO and not the best quality of life for the cats.

I agree. Please don't adopt any cats if you are going to let them outside.

If you are going to keep them as indoor cats, I think two aren't enough! We have three now, and I've had as many as four at a time in the past. One is harder than two for the reasons already given.

 

[zoebartlett]

We have 2 indoor-only cats from different litters and we got them (as kittens) a few months apart. We're glad we have 2 cats and there's not more work involved. Yeah, sure, we make 2 vet appointments instead of 1 and things like that, but other than cost, there's no difference.

 

[GraceAva]

thanks for all your replies everyone! well we now have the 2 cats,monty and morty! picked them up last night. there 8yrs old and are brothers, not letting them out isn't really an option as they've been let out all there lives and are just sitting by the door waiting to go, but i am keeping them in for a month so there used to us. i didn't mean that they would be outdoor only cats though, they can come in and out as they please. i have no worries about them getting injured by other cats as there as big as a small dog!! also i live in the welsh countryside in the uk and everybody lets there cats out here. but i must say that they really don't seem very happy and i'm wondering if i've made a mistake. last night they were fine as my daughter was in bed but today they are very freaked out by her and i feel cruel as they obviously do not want to be anywhere near her and im sure you all now how noisy a 1yr old is! im keeping them in the kitchen but she keeps trying to go in there. im really not sure if this is the right home for them. has anybody adopted an older cat? or had this problem?

 

[missy]

Hi there Grace and congrats on the new additions to your family!

It will take time for the cats to feel comfortable. I have added adult cats to our home and it is intimidating for the cats at first. They need to get used to their new home and used to the inhabitants. Kids can be especially tough but give it time and it should be just fine.

Being that the cats are older it might take them some more time to get used to your daughter because they might not have been around children before so I would just take it slowly and guide your daughter to be gentle with them. My sister has 2 little girls and she taught them to be gentle around her cats (and dog) by always reinforcing the gentle behavior around the animals.

Good luck and congrats again on Monty and Morty! Pics when you get the chance please!

ps you may find this link helpful:
http://cats.about.com/od/amyshojai/a/13-Tips-for-Introducing-Kids-and-Cats.htm

 

[zoebartlett]

I agree with what Missy said. I think any cat would have to adjust to a new environment, and I would expect an older cat to need even more time to get used to his new home.

 

[GraceAva]

well sadly the bigger of the 2 starting running up to my daughter and biting her toes, i do think he was playing but he is a big cat and was being very rough, and she was crying. by the third time my fiance said they have to go. not just for my daughters sake but for theres, they had obviously lived in a quite house for the first 8yrs of there life and all the noise and hustle and bustle of our home was scaring them. i think at there time in life its not fair to expect them to get used to something they don't like and the lady at the cat shelter assured me they would have no trouble finding them a nice quite home as there such lovely cats. i really don't know if i should forget about getting a cat altogether now. also after you all advised me not to let them out i did some research on the internet about it, i didn't know that in the US most people keep there cats in. here in the UK i think a lot of people think its cruel not to let them out and to be honest i do myself. i know accidents happen but we could all get hit by a car or injured every time we step out of our door but that doesn't mean we never leave the house. i think you need to be very careful with kittens and young cats but a fully grown cat is very intelligent and able to look after themselves.

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

Ah so that's how people double post

 

[hawaiianorangetree]

I'm glad you are taking them back. Two older cats and a one year old don't mix. I'm not sure what the lady at the cat shelter was thinking.

I also think you should hold off on getting a cat until your daughter is older as well. Actually, I don't think you should get a cat at all. You sound more suited to a dog than a cat.

 

[GraceAva]

i agree, i think were not going to get any pets until my daughter a lot older, its not fair on the animal having a toddler chasing them around screaming! i also wonder what the woman at the cat shelter was thinking, when i rang her up to say that we couldn't stay she said they had never lived with children, so why send them to a house with children??

 

[VRBeauty]

My personal rule - borne of experience - is no more than one cat per human hand. That means no more than two cats for me! I currently have only one cat because that's the way Miss Maya prefers it (and since she had to co-exist with another cat against her will for more than ten years, I figure she deserves to get her way now). Otherwise, I agree that two cats are probably better than one, for both the cats and their humans.

 

[missy]

i agree, i think were not going to get any pets until my daughter a lot older, its not fair on the animal having a toddler chasing them around screaming! i also wonder what the woman at the cat shelter was thinking, when i rang her up to say that we couldn't stay she said they had never lived with children, so why send them to a house with children??
the lady at the cat shelter assured me they would have no trouble finding them a nice quite home as there such lovely cats.

Yes, I question her judgment all around. She said it would be easy to find a home for 2 cats who are 8 years old? I highly doubt it because there are so many lovely and healthy cats/dogs in shelters that are euthanized every single day. In NYC 50 healthy cats and dogs a day are killed because there is no home for them and the older ones are much more difficult to find homes for usually since the majority of people want kittens or puppies even though they are much more work.

As for your family I agree it doesn't seem as if you are ready to adopt but I will say that is specific to each family. Many families with toddlers adopt pets and do great. I think the key for your family was to adopt a pet that was already children friendly and that is where the woman from the shelter led you astray unfortunately.

 

[MichelleCarmen]

My personal rule - borne of experience - is no more than one cat per human hand. That means no more than two cats for me! I currently have only one cat because that's the way Miss Maya prefers it (and since she had to co-exist with another cat against her will for more than ten years, I figure she deserves to get her way now). Otherwise, I agree that two cats are probably better than one, for both the cats and their humans.

One hand per hand or per person? Due to circumstances (we took in a stray & also took a cat being abused by a friend) we ended up with five cats. We have four people in our household. Maybe some cat owners can balance that many cats, but we couldn't. It was a nightmare. They constantly fought. They'd keep us up at night...bugging us while we slept, either expecting attention at 3 am or jumping on and off the bed. When we put them out of the room, they'd sit outside the door pawing at it or sticking their feet under the door. Purrr chaos.

We did put three up for adoption. One was given to a couple and the other two who were siblings were adopted by another couple.