I’m a die hard cat fanatic. If you tell me that X number of cats is too many, I’ll probably cheerfully tell you that you can never have too many cats then start rambling about my dream of one day having a home with cats numbering in the dozens, if not hundreds. But seriously, how many cats is too many cats, and when does an abnormal love of cats turn into an unhealthy love of cats?

Well, it depends

There’s no one-size-fits-all answer to the question of how many cats is too many. The right number of cats for any person (or rescue or shelter for that matter) is going to depend on their resources, commitment and passion as well as the cats themselves. For some, 50 cats might be a very comfortable number, for others, two cats might be one too many.

Ask your cats

The cats in your household will play a big part in determining the right number of cats for you.

Cats are social creatures by nature. While they hunt independently and don’t naturally form packs, feral cats do live in colonies, rather than as solitary animals. As such, most cats will adapt well to sharing a house with other cats.

Intact cats are more inclined to territorial behaviour like marking with urine/feces or fighting, so spaying and neutering our cats makes for huge improvements in increasing harmony in a multi-cat household (as well as avoiding unwanted kittens, also very important.)

Unfortunately, some cats just do not like other cats, period. An adjustment period where the hierarchy gets sorted out is normal after adding a new cat to the home, but some cats would truly be better off being an only-cat. Forcing these types of cats to share a house with other cats can be a huge source of stress for everyone. Solitary cats in multi-cat households often vent their stress on other cats through fighting, stalking and unprovoked attacks, which is not good for any of the cats involved, and will often mark territory with urine and feces, which is a big stress for you, the cat owner.

Providing enough territory

It probably sounds obvious, but you can comfortably house more cats in a large home than in a small one. The amount of available territory is an important factor in determining the right number of cats. There should be enough space in your home to allow each cat their own space, where they can get away from all the other cats. Overcrowding isn’t good for anyone.

Giving your cats access to the outdoors can increase available territory, though it’s important to consider the health and safety risks faced by outdoor cats. Also, if you live in a place with harsh winters your cats may all be inclined to stay inside during the coldest months anyway. Groups of cats who quite comfortably share a yard and house during the summer can get cooped up and cranky during the winter months when everyone is staying inside and conflicts can increase.

When looking at the available territory in your house, keep in mind that cat territory not only includes horizontal space (floor space) but also vertical space (furniture, shelves, cat trees, window ledges etc.) Even if the square footage of your home is small, territory can be increased by adding vertical territory, such as wall mounted shelves, windowsill platforms, cat trees and other cat furniture, making it easier for everyone to live in harmony.

If you have lots of space and spare rooms, you can keep groups of cats separate to reduce territory conflicts. Fluffy, Muffin and Spot might all get along with each other but not with Ginger and Toby. Using physical barriers to prevent territory overlap can make for a much more peaceful home.

Living within your means

As a responsible cat owner, your financial situation is  pretty important in determining how many cats you can keep.

Not only must you be able to provide day to day care in the form of quality food, litter, toys and treats, it’s important that you be financially prepared to provide routine vet care such as spay/neuter, vaccinations and deworming, and emergency veterinary care for unexpected illness or injury.

If you have limited finances and aren’t able to put away savings or buy pet insurance, it may still be possible to come up with the funds to handle a single cat emergency. For a multi-cat household, it’s important to take a realistic and honest look at your finances. Consider the worst that could happen and potential emergency scenarios (for example, an upper respiratory infection affecting every cat in the house, which is not unrealistic or uncommon.) If something like this were to happen how many cats could you provide emergency vet care for? Keep this number in mind – often when emergency vet bills become unmanageable, euthanasia is tragically the only option people are left with.

It’s also important to keep in mind that your vet expenses will likely increase as your cats get older. We can’t be sure what our money situation will be like in five or ten years but we should still do our best to plan for different what-ifs.

Share the love

Beyond financial means, the amount of time you personally can devote to your cats is also an important consideration. While cats may seem to be independent, low maintenance creatures they do require a certain amount of care and attention.

Scooping litter boxes, preparing food, clipping claws, grooming, tooth brushing, administering medication & training all require a time commitment which goes up with each cat. Cats also need individual attention and affection. If you’re at work all day then two cats may be better than one (to keep each other entertained) but you should be able to give each of your cats some one on one petting and play each day. Beyond just basic care, it’s really important that your cats’ emotional and social needs are being met, which for many cats means daily petting and cuddling sessions.

Even if your cats are not affectionate, it’s important to regularly give them individual attention. Only by knowing our cats normal quirks and behaviours on a day to day basis will be able to spot signs of illness and injury while still in their early stages.

Taking care of yourself

In addition to the welfare and well being of your cats, you should also factor in your own well being.

Even the most passionate cat lovers, who have devoted their lives to rescuing cats, need to take care of themselves. Caring for your cats should not prevent you from maintaining your home, holding down a job, having a social life, spending time with friends and family or doing all the other things that healthy human beings do. Just as you enhance the lives of your cats, so should your cats enhance your own life.

Allowing your self to become completely overwhelmed will be detrimental to you and the cats in the long run.Even well meaning people who take on far more cats than they can handle can become so overwhelmed that they lose site of the needs of the individuals in their household, allowing the situation to turn into neglect.

If you share a home with other people, their thoughts and feelings should be considered as well. Not everyone is as passionate about cats as we are, and pets can be a source of stress and resentment for someone who doesn’t want them or like them.

Local by-laws

Expanding beyond your individual circumstances for a moment, we can’t forget local by-laws. Many municipalities have restrictions on the number of pets you can legally keep. Exceeding that number may result in fines or worse. Other areas may not have a restriction on the number of animals you can keep but require that they all be licensed or microchipped.

Before you grow your feline family make sure you’re familiar with the laws in your area. The last thing you want is to grow your joyous feline family only to be forced to break it up or be slapped with big fines.

A note on animal hoarders

Animal hoarding is a tragic situation where a person takes on far more animals than they can care for, usually under the belief that they are rescuing these animals. Animals in hoarding situations are neglected and not cared for properly, often resulting in illness, malnutrition, filthy living conditions, out of control breeding and death, yet the hoarder is unable to recognize and admit that they are incapable of caring for the animals. Animal hoarders tend to become extremely attached to their pets, unwilling to give them up even if it is clearly in the animal’s best interests.

Animal hoarding should not be confused with people who have a large number of cats but who provide proper care for them. It is entirely possible to keep and care for a lots of cats. The OSPCA has more on animal hoarding.

How many cats is right for you?

Adding a new cat to the family should be a carefully considered decision. Being familiar with your living situation will allow you to make an informed decision about the size of your cat family. An abnormal love of cats need not become an unhealthy love of cats. By keeping in mind our current cats, human family, finances, time commitments and local by-laws, we can ensure a happy, healthy feline family, be it large or small.

So how many cats is right for you? Do you plan to add more cats to your household soon, or are you at capacity?

Too Many Cats illustration by Erin Taylor. Please visit her Etsy shop for beautiful prints.
Cat in a cone photo by tray.
Stressed photo by zweettooth.
Cuddly cats photo by ArtBrom.

Romeo and Pugsley of romeothecat.com are two rescued Persian cats who are on a mission to raise money for animal charities around the U.S. Just this past month, they raised $1300 for Animals in Distress, a no-kill animal sanctuary in Pennsylvania. With the help of the online community, the pool for April’s donation is already over $1000.

Nominate your charity of choice

You can help select which charity will be the recipient of the April’s donation by posting your nomination. If you know if a deserving animal charity that is a U.S. organization, an official non-profit (501 C3) and includes cats in its efforts, drop by the blog and nominate them. Romeo also offers suggestions for improving the chances of your nominee being selected, such as spreading the word to your friends, Twittering and blogging about the campaign.

Drop by to nominate your favourite animal charity, donate if you have a dollar to spare (and you can help with as little as $1!) or help spread the word. This is a great campaign by cat bloggers giving back to the community. I’d love to see a cat blogger undertake a similar campaign for Canadian animal charities. (Hint to all you blogging Canadian cats out there who are looking for a project )

Not all cat litter is created equal. With a wide range of options on the market, spanning a huge variety of different materials, prices and features, choosing the right cat litter can be a challenge.

There are a host of factors to consider when choosing a cat litter. Between you and your cat you’ll be able to prioritize which qualities are most important and choose an appropriate litter that makes everyone happy.

• Texture
• Weight
• Odour control
• Smell
• Clumping or non-clumping
• Disposable or reusable
• Biodegradable/environmentally friendly
• Tracking
• Healthy
• Cost
• Availability

For the purpose of this article “organic” refers to litters made from plant based materials such as wood or grain, rather than materials that are grown without the use of chemicals.

Texture

Texture – the way litter feels on the paws – is an important factor for cats. Litters come in a variety of textures, from finely ground clay, sand or sawdust to large extruded paper or wood pellets to coarse crystals. Fussy cats tend to prefer a finer texture such as clay, but many cats readily accept crystals or pellets too.

Weight

Weight comes into play for digging. While many litters may have similar textures, mineral-based litters such as crystals, clays and sand tend to be much denser than organic  litters, such as wood, corn, wheat and soy. Many cats prefer the density of mineral-based litters.

Odour Control

Odour control is important to everyone, both us and the sensitive noses of our cats. We should be scooping the litter box daily and cleaning it completely on a regular basis, but a good litter should do a good job of controlling odour between scoopings. Some litter materials, such as heat treated pine have great odour control properties on their own.  Other litters have additives such as zeolites or baking soda to help control odour. Different clay formulations have different levels of odour control.

Smell

Fresh, unused litter has its own smell. Choose a material that has a scent that is acceptable to both you and your cat, steering away from litters with artificial perfumes. Your cat’s nose is much more sensitive than yours and cats are also highly sensitive to chemicals. Organic litters tend to have their own distinct fragrance when fresh and when mixed with waste, some of which are pleasant, others not so much. Inorganic litters often have less of a distinctive smell.

Clumping vs Non-Clumping

Both options have their pros and cons.

Clumping litter is easy and convenient to clean, just scoop the lumps out to freshen up the box. Clumping litter also allows us to more easily observe our cats’ urinary habits. However clumping litter can stick in our cats fur, in drains and to the bottom and sides of the box. Consumption of clumping litter can be potentially harmful.

Non-clumping is less likely to clog things up and stick to your litter boxes. Daily scooping of solid waste and weekly changing of the entire box makes it easy to keep things fresh, though changing the entire box regularly is more important than if you use clumping litter.

Disposable vs Reusable

The majority of litter products on the market are disposable, however there are a few reusable options available that utilize non-absorbent particles that are regularly washed.

Reusable litter has the advantage of not needing to be replaced regularly and results in much less waste going into the landfill, but options for reusable litter are fairly limited and the special litter boxes that contain the washing mechanism tend to be quite expensive (the Cat Genie starts at over $200,  the Smart Cat Box which is less high tech, at $50.)

Biodegradable/environmentally friendly

If environmental issues are a concern for you then the source of the litter and disposal of it both require consideration.

Clay litters are often strip mined, placing a great strain on the environment, though some come from other sources – if it doesn’t say on the bag, call the customer service number (most companies provide one) and ask. You can also find out what kind of reclamation efforts the company takes after the area has been mined out. Clay litters are also not biodegradable – once thrown out it sits in landfills, taking up space.

Organic litters are often made from recycled materials such as paper or wood, while others may be made from new materials. They can also be composted or, if disposed of in the trash, will break down more quickly.

Tracking

Litter can create a huge mess, being kicked out of the box and tracked out on your cat’s paws. In general, coarse and dense litters tend to stay in the box better, where as light, finely textured litters get spread around more. Pelleted or crystalline litters are the least likely to track, while light weight organic litters such as those made from sawdust or grain are most likely to end up far from the box.

Health

Litter can have an impact on the health of your cat and yourself.

Organic litters such as those made from wheat can be allergenic for both animals and humans. Litters made from pine or cedar may release phenols which are harmful to small animals (companies that produce these litters claim that the processing removes any phenols and risk from limited exposure is probably minimal, but it’s up to you to do you research and determine your comfort level.)

Clay litters can produce a lot of dust which gets inhaled and can cause serious problems for asthmatics and potentially result in health complications with long term use even if you and your cat are healthy.

Pica, a condition that results in the consumption of non-nutritive substances, is not uncommon in cats, and even cats that do not regularly eat litter or other non-food objects will often taste a new litter. Small particles of litter will be consumed while grooming, so it’s important to choose a litter that is non-toxic and that won’t harm them in small amounts.

Cost

Price for litter can range from $3 for a huge bag to $15 for a small container. You often get what you pay for, and the smaller containers of premium litters will often stretch further than a comparable amount of cheaper litter, but it’s not always the case. For organic litters, similar alternatives that aren’t marketed for cats are often available much, much cheaper (for example, extruded wood pellets for wood stoves are virtually identical to cat litter but much cheaper.)

Availability

Some litters are readily available at every pet store and Walmart you go into, where as others may need to be special ordered over the internet or bought at a feed store. Choosing a litter that is not easy to obtain or that is frequently unavailable can be a source of stress for you and your cat. Be cautious about getting your cat used to a litter if it looks like your supply might dry up at any time.

However, if you have a very fussy cat and find the perfect litter, going the extra mile to get a regular supply of it just might be worth while.

Making your choice

Your personal values combined with the demands of your cat will determine how you prioritize these factors. Finding the perfect cat litter can be a major challenge, but well worth it. A litter that your cat is content to use and that fits your life style, values and budget will make for a happier relationship with your cat, by reducing behaviour-caused inappropriate elimination and allowing you to feel confident in your choices.

Personally, for a long time I used extruded pine pellets (Feline Pine and other brands). Unfortunately, Cajun is extremely fussy about weight and texture and won’t touch pelleted litter. Violet and Clover don’t mind it, but if there is a box with a softer litter they will opt to use that and ignore the pellets. Getting Cajun using the box consistently was top priority so we switched to Dr. Elsey’s Cat Attract, which is a clay litter, and has worked quite well. Because I love the fact that pine is biodegradable, recycled and has amazing odour control, I’ve got a couple of boxes with Feline Fresh Scoopable which seems to meet my needs and the preference of the cats pretty well.

Your turn – what is your favourite cat litter? Were you able to find one that worked for you quickly and easily, or did you go through many different litters before finding one that works? What is important to you in a cat litter?

Photos  by Malingering, Daniesq & Shana Lee.

Today was Bart’s last day. It went much like Tiger’s, with a little visit outside and then a calm ride to the vet. The vet examined him – we we’re as sure as we were with Tiger that it was his time, and Bart has been accident prone and sick off and on throughout his life, but was also incredibly tough and resilient. In the end my mum and brother decided that it was the right time to let him go. He’d had incontinence and chronic pain (managed with meds) from a condition that the vets weren’t able to diagnose but had lately started to deteriorate further. The vet also believes that he was blind (he was very sick last year and had some problems with his eyes at the time) though we never would have guessed – he navigated the house so perfectly, jumping on the furniture, moving around the rooms and chasing the other cats, if his senses were diminished at all it never showed.

Bart was a very fine and special cat, and came to us in a special way. One day my father reached behind a shelf in our house to plug in the fax machine and discovered a tiny ball of fur. Bart’s mother Rosette, a stray in the neighbourhood, snuck into our house and gave birth to her single kitten in our office. They lived outside in our yard until we made the decision to adopt them and bring them inside.  Bart was a tiny, adorable kitten with a little triangle shaped tail – we never would have guessed that he would grow into the longest, skinniest cat I’ve ever met.

Aside from his mother, Bart was never fond of other cats, but he loved people. He was always extremely affectionate, cuddling, purring, laying in your lap and climbing under the blankets with you. He was the perfect bed cat. When he really got relaxed and happy he would purr like an engine and drool like crazy.

He was always an energetic and daring cat, but extremely accident prone. If cats have nine lives, he certainly took advantage of the supply. He loved climbing trees and leaping on to roof tops, and would often travel to the roofs of the neighbours’ homes. He would go onto the sunroom roof and then paw at the bedroom windows asking to be let inside. With all his antics he incurred a few injuries, including tearing off a dew claw. We were extremely lucky not to lose him in another accident – we found him one day laying prone on our back porch, with the other cats sitting around him. Some how he’d managed to drag himself up the stairs with a shattered pelvis (the vet suspected a car accident.) He surprised us many times throughout his life with how tough and brave he was.

Bart was our sweet, handsome boy. We enjoyed 14 great years with him, though it was not long enough. We love him and will miss him very much.

(Unfortunately I’m short on pictures of Bart on this computer.)

Tiger went to the Rainbow Bridge today. He spent his last day sleeping on the bed with Lili, went outside with my mum for a bit and then had a calm, quiet ride to the vet. Laying on a blanket, he was given a sedative and then the final injection. It was all very peaceful and quick. My mum took him home to be cremated at a later date. It looks like he may have been developing oral cancer on top of his other medical issues (arthritis and renal failure) so it was definitely the kind, humane thing to do.

He’ll be very much missed – Tiger was a handsome and sweet cat, devoted to his mum and with a gentle temperament. He loved being brushed, having his tummy rubbed and sleeping under the covers with mum. While he fiercely defended his territory from strange cats (and had the battle scars to prove it) once he’d accepted a new cat into the house he had infinite patience for them, even tolerating swats and ear biting from Bart.

As a stray kitten he was so painfully shy and fearful. Without his bold sister Cali to lead the way, he may never have even gotten up the courage to come out of hiding and eat the food we put out. When it started to get cold, we had to trap him to bring him inside, as he wouldn’t let anyone near him. He spent several weeks hiding in the basement before we were finally able to coax him out enough to have contact with him. He retained his cautious nature around new people, but once you had his trust he would shower you with affection.

Tiger was one of the first cats to join our family. He taught us a great deal about living with and caring for cats, put up with our mistakes and helped make us better cat owners.

We love you and we”ll miss you Tiger. Thank you for sharing your life with us for 17 wonderful years.

I was writing a post about cat litter, but I got a call from my mum tonight which makes me very, very sad.

Two of the cats I grew up with, Tiger (17) & Bart (14) will be going to the Rainbow Bridge this week. Appointments with the vet are scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday. Tiger and Bart’s health has been deteriorating over the last few months, Tiger with arthritis, renal failure and a problem with his mouth; Bart with a condition that the vets have been unable to diagnose, causing pain and incontinence. Both have been on medication for pain management and had been maintaining quality of life pretty well, with even some intermittent improvements in health. But, quality of life is starting to deteriorate and pain management isn’t enough any more.

We’ve known that this was coming for a while, and was just a matter of time, but it’s still extremely hard. Bart and Tiger have been a part of the family for most of my life. I haven’t lived at home for quite  few years now, but it’s going to be difficult not having them around when I visit on holidays. I’m sure it will be much harder for my brothers and my mother, who are accustomed to seeing them every day, especially for my mother – she’s the centre of the cats’ universe, following her around, cuddling at night and sharing affection.

At the end of your pet’s life, it helps to know that you’re doing the right thing for them. Much as we will miss them, and much as it hurts, it is the right and selfless thing to do. Relieving their suffering even if it increases your our and being there with them at the end is one of the finest acts of compassion we can perform, and we owe them that much. For their years of unconditional love, for being there when we needed them, for teaching us to be better people and for putting their trust in us to take care of them.

We’ve been fortunate to have them around for this long – we never expected Bart to last through Christmas, but he’s a tough little guy and apparently had a few more months in him. I’m ever so grateful that I was able to see both of them during the holidays. I wish I could be there now, for Bart and Tiger and for the rest of the family. This loss will be much more immediate and real for them. All I can do is be there emotionally for my family and help them make Bart and Tiger’s last few days as happy and comfortable as possible.

Hard as this is, I am glad we have the means to give our pets a good death at the end of their lives. Having to watch them suffer would exponentially increase the pain of saying good bye.

I’ll get back to blogging about cat litter and other fun topics soon. In the mean time, I’m going to go have a good cry, get some sleep and probably revisit this again tomorrow.

I’ve always been a fan of character goods. I grew up with Hello Kitty, obsessed over Keropi in junior high, hoarded Tare Panda and Chococat goods and hunted for obscure Marron Cream products. My latest favourite though, is an obscure offering from San-X: Mixed Cats.

Mixed Cats features charming water colour illustrations of cats in amusing situations and cute outfits, and the title and slogan, “Mixed Cats: Cats Know Various Things” makes for an adorable and irresistable combination of cute art and humour.

Mixed Cats goods are pretty rare and hard to come by. You may find the occassional offering on eBay or import gift shops, but overall Mixed Cats is an under represented line. If you’re a collector, snap up any items you find – they’re few and far between.

Do you have a Mixed Cats collection, or know of a good place to find Mixed Cats goods? Do you collect any cat-related character goods? Share your links and pictures.

If you have a pair of holey socks and some catnip kicking around, this is a really easy toy that cats love.

I wear nothing but striped knee highs, and I always feel so bad throwing them out when I wear a hole in one, so this is the perfect solution for me – I save the socks from the trash and I get some nice, colourful cat toys out of the deal. Novelty socks make the most attractive socknots, but your old, white tube socks will work just as well (I promise, your cat won’t know the difference.)

What you’ll need

This incredibly simple project only requires three items:

• A sock. The longer the sock, the more toys you’ll get out of it. A knee high is good for about four toys.
• Dried catnip. You only need a small pinch for each toy.
• Scissors. A pair of sharp scissors for cutting the sock.

That’s it!

How to make them

Tip: Cats tend to be attracted to the scent of their owners (I’m sure we’ve all peeled off our sweaty socks at the end of a long day only to have kitty attack them with gusto, licking and rolling in them while we can only look on with disgusted amazement.)

Wear the socks around the house for an hour or so (just enough to pick up your scent – not enough to get stinky or crusty) to give the socknots an extra boost of appeal.

1. Lay the sock flat and cut a two inch segment off the leg or instep, so that you have a loop of sock.

2. Cut the loop. You’ll now have a piece of fabric about 5×2 inches.

3. Sprinkle a pinch of catnip into the centre of the rectangle.

4. Fold the fabric into thirds, lengthwise, giving you a long roll of fabric with the catnip inside.

5. Being careful not to let the roll come apart, tie it in a single knot centred over the catnip. Tie so that the raw edges stay on the inside.

6. Toss across the room and watch the frisking begin.

You can also make these out of pieces of fleece, but I find mismatched or holey socks to be a much more common house hold item. Old socks are also free and recycled – throw in some kitty love and you can’t do much better than that.

If you have a whole bunch of old socks, make up a big batch of these and donate them to your local animal shelter (they can also be made without catnip if your shelter doesn’t accept catnip toys.)

Give these toys a try, I think your cat will love them. Post your photos and stories or if you have suggestions I’d love to hear them.

Ugly Bat Boy is an unusual looking cat that resides at a New Hampshire vet clinic. He’s completely bald except for a thick fall of fur on his chest, and spends his days lounging on the computer at the Exeter Veterinary Hospital. He was one of a litter of four, with one sister who shared his unusual looks. You can read more about Ugly at WMUR New Hampshire.

While his name is Ugly, I think he’s a very handsome and exotic looking boy. I’ll also admit to having an affinity for unusual looking cats, particularly hairless ones (if  Sphynx ever popped up in our shelter I don’t think I’d be able to resist) and a fascination with the genetic and environmental factors that influence dramatic changes in appearance.

The distinctiveness and uniqueness of unusual looking cats has huge appeal to me. When I first saw Violet with her stubby paw and short tail I was immediately attracted to her, not just because of the soft spot I have for cats with issues (which I do – a huge, huge soft spot for cats with problems) but because her features really made her stand out.

When I was looking for a second cat, my first choice was a small black female with an unusually shaped face – with big round eyes and a very small lower jaw she bore a resemblance to a rabbit.

An orange tabby cat with big, clearly defined patches of brown tabby markings came up in the pet giveaway section of the online classifieds one day and it took all my will power not to respond to the ad and there are currently two white cats each with a black dot on their nose at our shelter that I am drawn to (Natasha and Penelope, both available for adoption by the way!)

While unusual looks can make it difficult to find an adopter at times, alternately they can make a cat stand out, when even getting noticed can be a challenge and a second may be all a cat gets to make an impression.

Do you find unconventional looks appealing or off putting? Do you prefer a classic looking cat or one whose appearance falls outside the norm (or are looks not a factor when it comes to choosing a cat?) Share your pictures and stories of unusual looking cats.