Having 6 cats?

[xx18xx]

So I have 5 cats & a litter of 5 kittens from a stray that has pretty much become ours. I have fallen for one of the kittens but I don't know whether I should keep her or not. I had originally planned on keeping her. Then I had to take one of my kittens(Mia) from the previous litter back which I have decided to keep because she has rebonded with her brother(Dixon). The one thing that has me questioning is my grandma. She seems mad after I told her about #5 but she also thought 3 was to many. Now I pay for everything for my cats & they all have been spayed/neutered. So I don't really know if I should let my grandma's opinon bother me. I mean is 6 really that much different than 5? What is everyone's experience/opinons on having 6 cats?

My cats:

Miracle - 14 yrs

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• xx18xx
• Oct 9, 2016

Mayhem - 3 yrs

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• xx18xx
• Oct 9, 2016

Honey - 3 yrs

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• xx18xx
• Oct 9, 2016

Dixon - 7 months

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• xx18xx
• Oct 9, 2016

Mia - 7 months

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• xx18xx
• Oct 9, 2016

This is Indy the one who I'm debating on keeping.(12 weeks)

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• xx18xx
• Oct 9, 2016

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• xx18xx
• Oct 9, 2016

 

[calicosrspecial]

Does your grandma live with you?

It really depends on the personalities of the existing cats and how the introduction process is done. Sometimes another cat can cause a lot of issues.

You have beautiful cats, thank you so much for caring so much about them.

 

[fornana]

Your Babies are darlings!

I agree with Calico

The introduction is phase is very important. Indy is a kitten and cats don't reach social maturity until around 2-3years old.  The adult cats are the ones that may not be too happy.  

When you introduce Indy I suggest following this protocol: " In cases of inter-cat conflict, for example, a reintroduction protocol could be used.The protocol is divided into three phases: olfactory habituation, visual habituation and direct contact habituation. The duration of each part is variable, depending on the severity of the conflict, the cats’ response and the owner disposition. In the olfactory habituation phase, each cat is confined to a different part of the household and all important resources (including food, water, litter box and scratching post) are provided in both areas. Each cat is then moved to the other area so that both animals are exposed to the other cat’s odor. Additionally, using a piece of cloth, the secretion of the facial gland of each cat can be applied to the cheeks of the other cat. The visual habituation phase can start when both cats are relaxed during territory exchanges. In the visual habituation phase, visual contact between cats through a mesh door, for instance, is provided when cats are engaged in a pleasant activity. Cats are otherwise kept separated and the duration of the visual contact sessions is gradually increased. Finally, in the last phase of the reintroduction protocol (direct contact habituation), the wire mesh is removed".

As for your grandmother....If she doesn't live with you then I'd say she'd probably be okay with it after time. We can't please everyone.... As for having 6 cats I knew someone who had around 10 living with her. Every single one of those cats where cats people blatantly, and without asking, abandon on her property in her barn. All the cats seem happy because they have a big space and she lives on a farm. They actually have their own room! 

There are ones that don't get along, and there's one cat that's bullied by all the other cats.

Nonetheless, I hope all goes well for you!

 

[larry124]

Having 6 cats may be too much for the cats themselves. They may not have enough space to enjoy or run about,some cats may not get along and it will soon make ur house very unhygienic as cats molt and there litter trays smell.

 

[fornana]

I do have to second Larry.

My friend with 10 cats has over 30 acres of land, and it's just her & her husband now since her son has his own place. All the cats go outside, and during the summer many of them sleep outside. It's mostly the winter time that it gets packed in her house.

Her house is clean, but you def. need a roller every time you visit, and if you have cat allergies forget ever going inside. 

I will say it's extremely interesting how different all their personalities are; very entertaining to watch.

My friend is able to care for them partly because her husband works. Do you think you would have the time for a 6th cat?

She has paid $1,000s over the years taking them to vets. 

There is sometimes spraying among the cats. as-well, and as I noted above there is fighting from time to time.

If you do have the space, the land, the money, and the time then I'd say 6 cats is manageable. If you plan on moving to a larger  area then that's good. But if you are going to stay in a small space for a long time, then I would just look at the situation critically although it sounds like you are already attached. 

You may need to make a tough decision. I hope all works out!

 

[hbunny]

I wish I had 30 acres away from main roads, I would probably have 10 or more!  I do have to agree with everyone else, I have issues keeping down the hair and other associated mess with only two indoors.  I do think if I didn't work I could manage one more inside, maybe two...but I would be vacuuming all the time.  And I have hardwood floors in the majority of the house--still cleaning all the time when I'm home.  Between hair and the kitty litter tracked all over, eh.  Don't think I could do another.  And we have a fairly good sized 3 bedroom, 2 bath home.

My only question to the OP is do you live with your grandmother, or does she (as an older person needing a caretaker) live with you??  If you are living with her, in her house, then it's her call.  Paying for everything doesn't mean everything--constant caretaking and cleaning is a huge undertaking.  If you live with her in her own house, no matter who funds the cats and care, I would definitely respect her wishes. It may be a financial issue to you, but an entirely different issue with her.

If she lives with you in your house, possibly because you are her caretaker, that brings up other concerns.  I think I would make a decision based on the well-being of all parties involved--cats, grandmother, and yourself.  Is it fair to everyone?  Will everyone get their needs met?  Will it impose health issues?  Not to mention what another poster brought up---6 cats also means the need for 7 litterboxes to keep issues from arising.  Do you have the room for this and the time to keep everything hygenic? 

You have beautiful kitties! 

 

[tarasgirl06]

If you live with your grandmother, then of course you'll have to consider her feelings and hopefully you can come to some compromise that will be okay for you both and most importantly, for the cats.

As far as having 6 cats goes, 6 is a nice small family IMHO.  What matters is that they are all spayed/neutered, receive good care, food, water, shelter, toys, and plenty of love, and are wanted for life.  To me, as to most on this site I'm sure, adoption is a lifetime commitment and cats are beloved family members.  So those are things to consider when thinking about adoptions.  Also, re-homing those you are not going to be adopting needs to be only to loving, responsible people who will honor this commitment and give the kind of care described above.  

I hope this works out really well for everyone involved -- most of all, the cats, of course! 

 

[xx18xx]

No my grandma lives in her own home.

I didn't mean for it to sound like I don't take care of the cleaning of everything that comes with having cats because I do. I scoop litter boxes at least once a day & completely change them every other week. This is what works for us. I have the biggest litter boxes I could find. I added another of those when I kept Dixon. I have another ready in the event of keeping Indy. I take care of anything that comes up with them. My cats are in excellent health & are completely spoiled. I've had cats all my life. I know my cats, I know what works & what doesn't. I make sure my cats are taken care of before I get anything for myself. I'm sure I spend more money on them then myself. My cats are mine for life I would never give them up.

As for the kittens that aren't being kept. I screen potential adopters very well. I've had these kittens since 1 week old & I love each one of them. I know that I can't keep them though I wish I could. I want them to have amazing lives & families that love them. That is the only way I can let go of them. I have an agreement with each family to stay in contact so I can continue to watch them grow.

The kittens mother(Mama Gypsy) has been spayed. I was planning on getting her spayed after the first litter(Dixon, Mia & 2 others) but she got pregnant almost immediatly after them.

As for Indy like I said I planned on keeping her as a play mate for Dixon since he is to much for the older cats. Indy just has a special place in my heart. I can't really see giving her up.

I didn't plan on keeping Mia. I was just finding her another home after some medical issues came up at the home I originally found. I did find her a new one but that didn't end up working out & by then Dixon was bonded to her. I decided to keep her & she fit in perfectly. Dixon is still a ball of energy even with Mia to play with.

I don't consider the house all that small. 3 bedrooms 1.5 baths. The cats have free range of the house except one bedroom. I have a big cat tree already & have been looking into getting another for a while. I am even planning to add cat shelves in different areas of the house. All these plans were happening before keeping Dixon. I like to take all my cats outside, some like to walk on a leash & harness. The others go into a decent sized secure pen. I never leave them unsupervised outside. I would love to have a permenant cattio for them, where they can go in & out when they please.

I guess what I was really looking for was advice/tips/opinons on having 5+ cats. I do believe I could handle 6 cats. I already take care of litter boxes and everything like that so none of that would be a change.

 

[fearlessbenjamn]

People will always have something to say about you no matter what you do!  If you can take care of 6 cats and you want 6 cats then go for it.  This is your life to live and you only get one chance at it.  Having cats makes me happy.  6 cats means 6 times the happiness!

 

[hbunny]

Oh wow, I misinterpreted that you two lived in the same house! Don't let her opinion affect your decision! Sounds like you could handle it, & if that's what feels right I'd say go for it [emoji]128522[/emoji]

 

[misty8723]

I say as long as the cats get along and you can afford them (including medical, which to me is the real kicker), then go for it.  Sounds like you provide a loving home for the kitties, and who could ask for more than that?

 

[JamesCalifornia]

Dear xx18xx :

I WISH I only had 6 cats - would be so easy and much less $ !
I would keep your kitty family. They will give you lots of company and very few problems. Good for you for taking such a responsibility.

I have about 25 cats at present. I rescue strays and it is not easy to get them adopted homes. I will NOT release them to the "No Kill" shelter because they do euthanasia if nobody adopts them. So they now own the house!
Wonder what your Grandma would say about that ?

All the best to you and your cats.

 

[furacious]

We went from 4 to 6 very recently. We waited until we moved into our new home. Although not officially catified yet...we want to get cat trees and make cat shelves...there is more than enough space including actual rooms, vertical height, multitude of windowsills and closets/cupboards for all our kitties to have space and privacy. We have 8 boxes for 6 cats. 7 covered, 1 not. We scoop litter twice a day, completely change 2x a month and add ample fresh litter to each box during the in between week. Each cat has a food and water dish. We make sure everyone receives personal love and cuddles at least twice a day and then of course extra attention pretty much all the time...if not me, then my husband, if not him...then the kids lol. They are super loved. It took us about 6 months to get all 4 of the "original" cats fully harmonious and/or acceptably tolerant. The 2 new cats were placed in a mudroom with glass doors, carpet, carriers with their snugglies inside, plus several hidey holes and vertical spaces plus feeding/litter stuff of course. After 2 weeks of visual and cracked door enabling smelling, we allowed them daytime free range. However, they are still returned to the mudroom at night together despite their fervent desires to be snuggled upstairs with us. The other 4 are not comfortable with merging at night yet. I like it this way because everyobe is exposed by day and by night the resident cats still can run about. All the while everyone can still see each other through the mudroom doors. And the mudroom itself is a large room...big enough to be a bedroom or office, etc. It has nice windows too. This way everyone gets the best comfort at night. It took 3 or 4 months for cats 1 and 4 to be able to be around each other at night without some kind of scuffle. I figure probably the same or a bit more with cats 5 and 6 with everyone else. The mudroom can be safely heated too for the shortly arriving cold weather. Cats 5 and 6 are pretty bonded already. They were in the same shelter room, and sniff, bunt, bump noses, groom and occassionally smack each other. I love this because no one is alone.

Our sweeties, in order of joining our family: Lucy, Harriet, Fred, Tilly, Sally & George (came together).

So my answer, there will always be someone who says something. The last person who did, I simply commented well what is the difference between someone with 6 cats and someone who has 3 dogs and 2 cats (etc). They looked quite sheepish and admitted in fact they had that exact combo. Met someone today who has 5 dogs and 1 cat.

As long as you are happy, the cats are happy, loved, fed and clean litters for them...and no within the house family or landlord conflict--go for it!! Grandma might grumble. As long as she isn't in the home, or paying all your bills thereby footing the feline finances...Grandmas have earned the rights for a bit o' grumbling so buck up and be happy. Hope my long and winding answer helps.

 

[fornana]

Very happy to read your reply OP! 

It sounds like you are an experienced cat owner, and you have the resources and time to care for Indy. My major concern was the size of your house, and if you live in like a studio apartment. But your cats have lots of space in a 3BR. 

I hope they all get along marvelously. Give it time, and if problems arise please feel free to utilize TCS. 

Ensure they all have their own food dishes/litters. Additionally identify the more sensitive ones, and give them extra attention. If aggression occurs try to address it quickly.

 If you see any of them spraying address that quickly as well. 

Behaviors can turn into habits.

 

[detroitcatlady]

How many cats is too many really depends on you, your cats and your living situation. If you have the room for all of them and can provide them what they need to be healthy and happy, it really isn't a problem as long as they all get along. If your cats are accepting of the kittens the situation will probably be just fine.

It's much easier to introduce kittens but that doesn't mean it won't have its challenges. The personality of the kittens is just as important as the personality of your cats. In my experience unless the kittens or cats are dominant or aggressive it usually isn't a problem it's just a matter of introducing them slowly and getting all of them used to each other. This can take some time but if you go about it in a way that isn't too stressful for your cats and allow them to get comfortable with the situation and have their own space in the process the transition is much easier and happier for everyone.

When I brought my 3rd kitty Shadow into the house it was a real challenge for many months but now she has been with me for 1 1/2 years and they all get along very well. Just recently I took in a 4th kitty Nala, it was very unexpected but just after a couple of weeks she is getting along very well with all of my cats. I thought it would be a real challenge to introduce a 4th kitty and really didn't think it was a good idea. I thought there was no way that my youngest cat Shadow would accept another kitty, with all of her jealous tendencies and how aggressive she was with my cat Treasure when she was a kitten, but it turned out that she accepted the new kitty and almost instantly bonded with her. It was a real surprise. Treasure and Pumpkin aren't best buddies with the new kitty yet but it's a good start.

Everyone is going to have an opinion but if the cats/kittens aren't living with them, it really doesn't matter. People always think I am crazy because I take in cats and kittens often but it doesn't bother me.

Dear xx18xx :

I WISH I only had 6 cats - would be so easy and much less $ !
I would keep your kitty family. They will give you lots of company and very few problems. Good for you for taking such a responsibility.

I have about 25 cats at present. I rescue strays and it is not easy to get them adopted homes. I will NOT release them to the "No Kill" shelter because they do euthanasia if nobody adopts them. So they now own the house!
Wonder what your Grandma would say about that ?

All the best to you and your cats.

I know exactly what you mean, I love cats and I take them in a lot because I don't want to see anything bad happen to them. A lot of people think I will end up with a whole house full of cats and I can't really say it won't happen someday, if it just so happens that I keep finding kitties in need and I can't find anyone else to take them in I gladly will because I know I can give them a good home.

 

[JamesCalifornia]

detroitcatlady

~ I get attached to the little black devils . ( I have a few grey /Brown cats also ) BUT ... it is a lot of work.
I am sure some people think that I'm nuts . My family always had pets - birds, cats, dogs, fish - and they became part of our life - not "just an animal" . All were strays or rescued . I think it's just who we are . In a way I actually think that we are lucky !

All the best to you ... !