Fun & Supportive Thread For Single-cat Households Only

I'm not sure I've seen a thread specifically for single-cat households so I thought I would start one.


There are threads for pointed cats only, black cats only, tuxedo or black-and-white cats only, calicos, torties and orange cats only, small cats, big cats, troubled cats, happy cats, crazy kittens, sedate seniors... this thread can be for all of those too!



There can be many reasons why we each have decided to create a single-cat household, some of which may be out of our personal control. Sometimes it has to do with available finances, sometimes it's simply a matter of current lifestyle preference, sometimes it may be that our apartment manager only allows one cat, sometimes it can be because we want to help special needs cats which require individual focused care... sometimes it is just because our cat simply wants to be The One and Only Ruler in your home! The reasons why we choose to be single-cat households could be simple or complex.


Our households have one-cat-more than any household that has no cats, so that's always a positive. It's possible that, depending on our choices and circumstances, some of us may not be far from joining the ranks of multi-cat households. But it could be that some of us can only dream of multi-cat households in our hearts because circumstances for us prevent that from becoming a reality.


Meanwhile, this thread is for celebrating and sharing what it's like having only one cat ruling our lives.

• What have been your joys, sorrows, lessons, tips, advice, stories, worries, or the benefits of having only one cat?

• Please feel free to share your photos and videos too.

• You can also link to your threads you've posted about your kitties, so members and visitors can check out your stories.

• Have fun!

It's meant to be an ongoing thread, so check in daily, weekly, monthly, whenever

For me, I have owned three cats in my life over the years, but all have grown up in our single-cat household.

I think it's been a purposeful choice as I really thrive on the very close, almost symbiotic connection I have with one cat. Also, though, somehow it seems I always end up with a cat that requires some extra finances and attention due to special health issues or special needs. That can get tough. My husband and I know what our financial parameters are and how costly it can be if a cat can get very ill or have any lengthy challenging issues, so we want to feel confident that we have enough money to last for that cat's needs for her entire lifetime. I think if we got one (or more!) cats beyond just our single cat, it would be very difficult to stop bringing in new cats to help and save -- and we just don't have the space, extra money, or lifestyle to devote to the depth of care we would want to provide for them. It could be that many of us here have these wishes to care for more cats than just our single one but are unable to do so for whatever reason(s).

There are times when I regret our chosen single-cat status. Milly missed her litter mates for a while after we first adopted her as a kitten. I did a ton of things to increase her playtime and interest and curiosity, but there is one early video of her that tears at my heart a little. I did wish then that she had one or more buddies to play with at the time. Sometimes I or my husband are just not good "fill-ins" for another cat.

Here's the heartbreaking but still cute video. She was still dealing with some ear mite issues, the meds took a bit of time to work ("Mom! My ears tickle!"). But then she starting tussling with the legs and rungs of a dining chair, as if it were another kitten, and my heart cracked in two.

View media item 422317
She'll be four next month and is doing great.

Millie is an opportunistic kitty..."no other cats? I'll just figure out my own entertainment LOL!"

I grew up with multiple cats inside and out.
Moved out and on, and then finally a few years ago, my partner saw an older cat at the shelter, and she came home

She was with us for about five years. I simply couldn't have a house with no cat again, and I found The Big Guy (in my avatar )

He is a very good example of a cat who is happiest without other animals (although the cockatiel that I rescued and had in the house for a month or so was mostly a mild, vague curiosity).

We'd both thought about getting another, younger cat, as he's almost 14, but of course as he gets older the stress of feline introductions looms larger, so we won't. He has enough to deal with when the feral 'interlopers' walk through his yard. Hopefully we will be able to handle the loss of him when the time comes better than he'll handle a stranger feline in his house.

We're his family, and he really is The Ruler lol. I've thought about trying to find a bonded pair of cats next time, because although there is the added expense to consider, I wonder if that might be easier for the cats ...? I really don't know, but for now, Big Poppy-cat's choice is that he just does not want any other company

In the end, it depends, --as I've commented so many times, every cat is different.

I'm so glad you did this! I felt a bit out of place with just having Felix because I wasn't sure if anyone else had only one cat.

My reason for having only Felix now comes down to finances. Before, it was easier to have 5 cats at once along with other animals. But as I've gotten older, and because of my family's living situation, it's easier to only have Felix and no other pet. Especially since he's been in and out of the vet many times over the past 2 years. We've spent a good $4,000 on vet bills alone.

With only having him around now, I've also come to realize that I love the peace and quiet. It's a lot less stress when it's just him. We've also become closer because he was the first pet and having all the others took time away from him and me. Now, we're able to enjoy each other fully and he is noticeably happier being the only animal in the house. He can go wherever and do whatever without anyone else taking his spot or chasing him.

Quite frankly, even when I do get back on my feet again, I don't plan on having more than 2 cats at a time. I love having a unique bond with each and for me personally, that's easier when there aren't many to mind.

Felix sleeps in my bed right beside me, we eat breakfast together, dinner together, we play together. He's more himself when it's just him and I.

Totally with you, Graceful-Lily !

Furballsmom said:

... He is a very good example of a cat who is happiest without other animals (although the cockatiel that I rescued and had in the house for a month or so was mostly a mild, vague curiosity). ...

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lol! My last cat was graced with the experience of me getting two fish for her, thinking she'd enjoy ogling them. I named them Captain Wyeth and Captain Hoover, lol. She ignored them! It was too much work to clean their aquarium all the time, so a few months later, I was able to return them to the store that sold them to me. The guy said they looked even better upon return than they did when I first bought them -- still really healthy! (Glad I gave those fish a good vacation, then!)

LOL, good for you and the fishies

I have owned four cats.

Eefje (single cat)


Lotje & Ciske (mother and daughter)


Missy (single)


all of them girls

We don't have 'pet limit laws' here in Belgium, but I never wanted more than two cats. I travelled a lot abroad in the past, and finding someone to take care of more than two cats is not easy. Taking good care of a big cat household would not be compatible with my fulltime job either.

I would like to take in a handsome stray boy (I named him Alpha) who is hanging around in the garden, but Missy is thwarting my plans. She is not really getting along with him -she's very bossy and hisses a lot when she sees him. I will not push her, but I hope that they will learn to like each other during Spring and Summer season.

Our home has been a cat haven to many felines over the years. Once I started counting with my husband we realized 15 cats have graced our lives. The most cats we ever had at one time were four. However, when Neely entered the picture we became single cat parents because she would torment any other feline in her highness's presence with the exception of our dog who she absolutely adored. After Neely went to the Bridge we adopted Carleton who came from a terrible hoarding situation. We wanted to gain his trust and nurse him back to health so did not even consider another cat at that time. Now he is King of the household and has our undivided attention.

When I adopted Lelia, my apartment had a two cat limit. Knowing my finances and the fact that I would probably eventually moving in with my bf and his single cat, one seemed right (better to not overwhelm Sparkle who'd been an only cat for many years witn two new feline friends). I'd never had a cat before and two seemed overwhelming as well.

Lelia and I had about nine months together just the two of us. She was skittish, and she had to learn to get used to me since there weren't other cats around to get her needs met. She loved (still loves) to play, so it was a way we were able to bond, whereas if she'd had another cat around we might not have gotten that. I knew how much she ate and that no one took her food (with the surefeed, I still do, but at the beginning of the two cat get together I couldn't), and I knew how much she went to the bathroom and that it was all hers to check on her health.

I know it's strongly recommended here that people adopt their kittens in pairs, but for me, a singleton ended up being the right choice.

I grew up with a cat who had two litters in her life time and she's a Calico which was much loved by the family. She was also a fierce fighter that knocked out our neighbor's dog.
The dog messed with her and she climbed up on the back of then dog and scratched her way in till the dog bled and the owner was fuming mad. That tells them not to mess with our queen Sadly she died in a car accident and we buried her in the nearby forest.

Fast forward, I had a dog life. 4 boxers and a poodle..........bow wow! Through the years, they either got lost or died and it was very sad and that goes for my first cat. So, told myself, no more animals.

Then 3 years back, came January, a 3 week old kitten found abandoned with a gaping wound near his bum. He was rescued but was dumped again due to the injury, so actual fact, January was double dumped

The day I rescued him, he crawled out of the box in all his weakness to greet me and I said to meself, hey, this cat chose me and I carried him up and there I noticed his wound. I said, I have to save this baby and I took him home, gave him food and got him to the vet the very next day.

The vet was shocked to see the open wound and they clean the wound up and I got him home and nursed him back to health.

Fast forward, he's already 3 years and 3 months old and he's a very wearied cat and I guess that because he was abused before. Any sound, he'll jump up and if he sees anyone outside the house, he'll quickly run back in.

He's grown up well and he is the master of the house and therefore he'll be the the only one cat in this household. The other cat will be me pretending to be a cat which he always beat me paws down

Here are some of his photos from the second day onwards (pardon the duplicates)

The one on the top far right is about to go to the vet. Look how fiesty he is


The rest are his growing up shots and also he has many other photos posted in many threads in the Fur Pictures and Video Forum.

Circumstances turned us into a single-cat family. Back in 1999 we chose two kittens from a litter of five and planned to take them home at 12 weeks. They were from a rescue organization I'm a member of. I visited them a few times, and another kitten from the litter attached himself to me, so we decided to take him and one of the others. Then Jamie started attacking his litter mates and other cats in the foster family, so he moved in with us - alone - at 10 weeks. He was so bad with other cats that vet appointments had to be arranged so that he didn't encounter other cats in the waiting room. Our theory was that one of the adult cats in the foster home had roughed him up or scared him during one of the many times he managed to escape the "nursery".

Fast forward to 2013. We'd lost Jamie to HCM and planned on getting two Norwegian Forest kittens from a breeder. I dropped off the rest of Jamie's food at the shelter and decided to play with the kitties. They knew I had a weakness for black cats and experience with singletons, which they had a few of, so naturally I was encouraged to visit their rooms. Mowgli came home with me that evening. He'd lost his first home because he didn't get along with the other cat, and several attempts to introduce him to other cats his age at the shelter had failed miserably. His adoption papers state "single-cat household only".

I've been working at that shelter for 4 1/2 years now and know that most of the cats are adopted as second (or third, etc.) cats or in bonded pairs. It's a cageless shelter with just two single-cat rooms, so employees/volunteers are encouraged to take very shy or senior cats, special-needs cats, or singletons to free up space, rather than ones that are easy to adopt out.

Knowing Mowgli prefers to be nowhere near other cats at least prevents me from dragging home every kitten or cat I fall in love with, so it has its advantages.

Hubby is retired, and I'm now working part time, so Mowgli spends very little time alone.

Thanks for sharing your stories, everyone!

I have this idea that homes with only one cat have a more vocal cat.

Do any of you vocalize more with your cats, and find that they "talk" with you more, too? To me, single cats seem really bonded with their humans, for the most part.

We have all sorts of familiar noises and words we use with our cat and although my husband is a lot less adept at "catspeak", we can easily recognize her different meows, merrps, chuffing noises, chirps, and when she is hollaring at us. Sometimes I find myself talking out loud, and she chimes in. lol.

Oh yes, my boy is very vocal and we do hold conversations

He's responsive when he wants something, he'll meow and in return I ask him 'What is it that you want?' and he'll meow back and sometimes it goes on for awhile. Or when he's sleeping and I go check on him, he opened his eyes and I say 'Hi' to him and he'll 'Hi'(meow) back to me So, he's kind of talkative in that sense.

Yes, different tones in the meowing indicates diff things that he wants.

Single cat house here. I had tried to have 3 but, it was a terrible nightmare. I had 2 exotics and they would not listen at all! One was going to scratch wherever she wanted and would mis-behave and be mean to the other two (even her brother). I sent them back after they got Theodore sick (and no refund ven after breeder said she would) I have the one I always wanted now. He is my second Himilayan. I had a seal point that lived almost 16 years before getting Theodore. Theo is a seal lynx point male. He is now 9 months old. I will never get an exotic again! I was expecting a "short hair Persian" but that is not what they are. The only reason I decided to try was because I missed my Oliver so much.

I have had 5 cats over the years since about 1981 when I got my first Persian. He was Christopher. After him I got Murphy, a red/white Persian like Chris was. When he passed I got Oliver and then Teddy about a year later.

So, briefly I had a seal point (Oliver) and a lynx point (Teddy). When my ex decided it was time to leave me, she took Teddy with her. He did not live long...(I wish I had kept him). Teddy was a half brother to Oliver. Oliver lived to almost 16 but Teddy was gone before he was 6. (Ex was not a cat person and I should not have let her take him... )This was the only time I had more than one before I tried 2 exotics (same litter) and also got Theodore. Now it is only Theo.

I will be a one cat only house from now on! Here is a link to my buddy, Theodore. He is smart and talks to me all the time.
My Buddy, Theodore

Christopher


Oliver


Oliver and Teddy


Theodore

tabbytom said:

... 'What is it that you want?' and he'll meow back and sometimes it goes on for awhile. ...

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mama africa said:

... Missy (single)

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GaryT said:

... Theo is a seal lynx point male. He is now 9 months old. ...

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My first cat was a lynx point too.

Here were my first two kitties, both came into my life as kittens.
I keep their names private at TCS as elsewhere on the internet my real name is tied in with a few times when I wrote about them by name in non-cat forums (giving their real names along with mine), so I want to keep my public ID here private. We can go by their first initials, though!

My lynx point you can call, "A-" --
My tabby, "H-"

PushPurrCatPaws said:

Thanks for sharing your stories, everyone!

I have this idea that homes with only one cat have a more vocal cat.

Do any of you vocalize more with your cats, and find that they "talk" with you more, too? To me, single cats seem really bonded with their humans, for the most part.

We have all sorts of familiar noises and words we use with our cat and although my husband is a lot less adept at "catspeak", we can easily recognize her different meows, merrps, chuffing noises, chirps, and when she is hollaring at us. Sometimes I find myself talking out loud, and she chimes in. lol.

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Oh, yes, Missy is very talkative and we always have long dialogues.
As soon as I come home from work she starts talking to me; loud meows to greet me and to ask for food and softer meows to draw my attention on something.
Missy rarely purrs; she does when I take her into my arms to have a look at the chickens in the garden through the back door window. The cutest noise she makes is something that sounds like "roo-roo', when she seems to be really satisfied and content.
Fortunately Missy is very quiet during the night; she will never wake me up in normal circumstances, unless I sleep late on days off and during weekends. To wake me up, she makes a soft squeaky sound. Very cute !

This is the sound (meow and trilling) Missy makes when she's hungry


Alpha, The stray boy that visits us daily, is also a talker, but his voice is much more hoarse than Missy's.

PushPurrCatPaws said:

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Theodore is the same way. He ALWAYS has to have the last word! LOL He is especially talkative when I am in the kitchen. Maybe because I make up his food in the mornings there.

Just in case some of you have not met our single guy, Carleton, here are a few pics of him I'd like to share with you.