Just One Cat

[Meekie]

Lost my buddy Rico a little over a month ago. Two years ago, my Cosey succumbed to cancer. Now I have one cat left. I haven't had just one cat in close to thirty years. At first it was weird. Eerily quiet and calm. But since I've gotten used to it, I realize now how great it is!

My first cat many years ago was such a joy that after he passed I adopted two brothers. Years later, I got involved in cat rescue which meant an almost constant stream of fosters, and ofcourse, more cats of my own. I never realized how busy they all kept me and how stressful it was until now.

Having just one is such a delight, especially because he was a bottle baby and thinks I'm his daddy and mommy all rolled into one. There's no jealousy, no worries about sharing affections or feeling somebody is being left out. He gets me all to himself and likewise, I get him all to myself.

After living his whole life with lots of feline company, I worried my only cat would feel bored or lonely, but I'm almost 100% sure that's not the case.

Rico was a slob in the litter box. He was an alpha male so he took it upon himself to spray the inside of the box and then kick litter around so it stuck to the top and sides of the box. Scooping was a chore. Doing both boxes used to take me ten minutes a day. I used to have to have paper towels ready since every time I lifted the lid, it would rain urine all over the place. He never cleaned himself when he got out. He's just stroll away, his big furry paws leaving a trail of litter that usually led up to and onto my bed. Also, he always had a dusting of litter that would show on his black legs. I'd always say to him, "Rico, you're such a guy!"

Anikli is very neat in the litter box. I can get away with not cleaning the box for as long as two weeks whereas Rico made bi-weekly cleanings a necessity.

I'm also saving money on food and litter, which is good since things are tight right now.

Since I'm getting older, I'm starting to think this "one cat life" might be the thing for me!

Has anybody else gone from the chaos of a multiple cat household to the calm of having just one cat to be a welcome change?

 

[betsygee]

I'm going through that, too. We had three, then went up to seven (long story), and now we're at two as the older and ill ones passed away. You really don't realize how much time you spend on them when you're busy doing it. I used to joke about running a senior cat hospital but it was true--lots of time spent giving meds, checking on them, cleaning up after them.

We lost one of our 3 Amigos--the one at the bottom right of my avatar--almost a year ago. His name was Rico, too! He had urinary issues all his life, so as he got older, the peeing everywhere got to be a real 'challenge'. I spent a lot of time and money dealing with that.

Having only two now works out well in some ways--only one cat per lap is a lot more comfortable. I find their personalities are coming out more, too. Like your Rico, ours was the alpha of our threesome and really ran the show. The other two didn't get as much attention, and now they get plenty. And of course, we have fewer vet bills, less food to buy, less time spent on grooming and litter box cleaning.

I go back and forth on whether we'll get any more cats again. I thought for sure we'd add another kitty or two back in the mix because we're so used to having multiple cats around and things were so quiet without Rico around. But as time goes on, I'm not sure. We're all getting used to the quieter, easier dynamics of having just Ozzy and Zoe.

I suppose if the right kitty or one in need comes along, we'd consider it, but we're not actively looking at this point.

 

[Meekie]

I'm not planning on getting another one until after Aniki has passed. Rico's personality was so huge and he was so personable that in some ways he sort of hijacked me away from Aniki when I adopted him. I don't want Aniki to have to compete for my affection anymore. Plus, he's a senior cat and a kitten might annoy him and an older cat might put him on edge.

I'm fine with that, except for the fact that when I lose Aniki, it will be the first time I've been completely catless. I've always had a cat around to help console me when another one died, so Aniki's death will be difficult. On the bright side, it will probably be a nice breather: no litter boxes to clean, no need to adhere to feeding or medication schedules, no cat related responsibilities at all.

I'm sure it won't last long, though. I need at least one furry critter around.

Losing a cat when you have multiple cats is one thing, but there is a world of difference in getting down to just one. It's so much quieter and calmer, and then there is the warm feeling you get knowing your one cat gets it all..all the food! all the toys! and all the love!