Conference misery::feline_v1

    Someone suggested in another note somewhere a ratio of 1 cat for every
    two humans.  Strange but true: that ratio has worked itself out in my
    household.  Maybe it has something to do with the size of the house,
    and whether or not the cats can go outside. Then, there's the
    willingness of the humans to empty the litter box; take it from
    one who knows, 4 cats means a lot of dumps! :-) 

    The most I ever had was eight cats.  Most of them were indoors/outdoors
    cats.  They got along quite well.  Each one was quite unique.  In
    fact, four of them were brothers; but there was no resemblence either
    in looks or personality.
    
    Right now we have only two; but plan on getting another Himalayan
    (or maybe a Persian) to keep Sherlock from driving Serena batty.
    She's 14 years old and just wants to sleep and eat and go outside
    once in a while.  Sherlock is 10 months and wants to play all the
    time.
    
    I think each person has to decide how many cats is the right number
    to have.  I'd like to have one of each color-point Himalayan and
    a few Persians.
    
    Ande

    Hmm.  How many?  I sometimes wonder if I can say no.  Giving them
    care and attention is not very difficult.  They all have different
    times of the day when they want attention.  When I trim nails, I
    start with the oldest and work my way down the line to the baby
    - except when it is a Show Weekend then I do the show kids first
    so I don't miss one (judges don't like to be scratched with hookers).
    Feeding is easy - canned mixed with dry am & pm - free-feed during
    the day.  Lumps are really not very time consuming.  I have a
    3-foot child's wading pool in the basement - I delump it twice a
    day (5 lbs of food in - 10 lbs of lumps to the dumpster !!).  I
    change the 25 lbs of sand once a week - shovel back into the bag
    and scrub the pool - whole process takes about 10 minutes.  All
    eleven are short-hairs with a minor exception (QuickSilvee has
    a bushy tail & tummy) so brushing & combing is easy.
    Sometimes I look around the living room in the evening and all I
    see are 3 or 4 - sometime NONE (then I check around) - last night
    all eleven were crashed out in the living room very comfortably.
    Sometimes it's tricky walking up & down stairs when one of them
    decides to sleep on a step!  I have learned to jump a lot!
    I guess what I am saying is having 11 is 11 times the pleasure.
    I can't imagine not having them all, but I can imaging having 
    ONE MORE with no problem!  I may get number 12 this Saturday!!
    I can hardly wait to see her!!
    
    E.T.
    of having just one or two.  

    Well, I have three right now (two boys and one girl and all "fixed").
    They're strictly indoor cats due to apt. location and though I
    sometimes find the extra litterbox duties keeping me busy and the
    youngest member trying to outsmart me (not hard for cats to outsmart
    people though) and get into mischief, I wouldn't part with them
    for the world.  They are a complete joy, even when it comes time
    to brush, cut nails, flea spray, and give their weekly dose of
    laxitone.
    
    It seems (when they're not sleeping) they're always trying to entertain
    me with their antics.  I only wish I could adopt more like that
    sweet little orphan just in at the Pelham, NH shelter.  Living in
    an apartment has it's limitations unfortunately.  
    
    Pat, Holly, Buffy, and D.P. Gremlin
    

         Good question!  The most cats I've ever had at once was 12.
    I have 5 right at the moment. I live in the country so they can
    go outside. They are very good about staying away from the street
    and staying in the yard. I would say if you've got the room,
    you can set the limit on the number of cats you have.
         Some considerations:  Do they get along together? If they don't
    fight with each other and seem compatable amongst themselves, that's
    real important.
         Keep in mind the vet bills, shots, medical expenses,etc. will
    run you into money. One time my 6 kittens all had a respitory infection
    at the same. Cost over $100 in one week!
         They say to figure on at least 10 pounds of cat litter per
    cat per week, depends on how much they go out to do doodles.
         Mathematically figure your food budget. Can you afford those
    mouths? Do any of them require special diets? Special foods are
    very expensive.                     
         How many horizontal surfaces do you have? Chairs, sofas, bureaus,
    etc. that a cat can possess. Remember each cat needs at least two
    places of his own, or that he can swap with another cat for. My
    cats always switch rights for warm, soft spots pretty regularly.
         Consider the amount of attention each one needs. You can handle
    many cats as long as each one differs in the amount of attention
    it needs. I have some lap cats, some that are happy with less huggin'
    and kissin' and one that hates love and affection except an
    occassional pat on the head. If you have too many really demanding
    personalities fighting for lap space, that could be a problem.
         For the 13 years I have been on my own, most of the time
    I averaged two cats. But that was for a 2 or 3 room apartment and
    completely indoor cats. That was certainly comfortable and more
    than one cat is better than only one for sure. But now with a 10
    room farmhouse and acres to explore, I suppose there is no limit
    to the amount of cats I could have. 
         All in all, I could never live without cats and each one's
    different personality and behavior adds a different dimension to
    my life. They are definately worth every penny, every poop scoop,
    every hug and every kiss.      
         Just maybe - one can never have enought cats!!!  
                             
                                                          Denise
    

    I always felt two was a proper number-one for me and one pet
    for the kitty to play with while I am away at work.
    
    However I am now at 5 indoor in a 5 room house (plus basement
    but too cold now to leave it open) and think the number is 
    probably one per room. Everyone needs a room of their own-a
    private spot.
    
    It does get expensive in terms of vets,food,litter. I wouldn't
    take more than I could take care of well in this respect.
    
    How did I get to 5- well I got 2 as per my orginal plan.
    Paul Richards(Leominster Dog Officer) suckered me into another,
    one showed up on the doorstep in winter, and the latest arrival
    was one that belonged to my now deceased sister.
    
    There is a pecking order and each has his/her space/territory.
    But the nice thing about having a bunch is generally if you are
    in the mood for cat love one of them is!
                                                 

    Two cats is the right number of cats for me - JFCL got into much
    more trouble when she didn't have Nebula to play with when no humans
    were home to pester, but I can still carry them both to the vet
    at one time (one "crying box" in each hand) - if I take them
    separately, the cat who didn't make the trip will pester the one
    who did and who came home smelling of antiseptic!  I change the
    kitty litter box twice a week, and they eat a total of three packages
    of TV a day between the two of them, sometimes replaced by a can
    of whatever expensive canned cat food my friend's fussy cat (the
    famous Nugget!) won't eat this week - these two will eat anything,
    including food right off my plate if I am not watching them, as
    well as sunflower seeds, shredded wheat biscuits, etc.!
                                       

    My formula is the maximum number of cats should be two per responsible
    person (adult or very responsible teen).  That way, in worst cases,
    every cat can be petted at once.
    
    Steve Kallis, Jr.

    We currently have 9, and that's probably where the number
    will stay.  It was up to 12, but one 'ran away' and two of
    the kittens we gave to a new home.
    They're all indoor/outdoor cats.  Love to go out, and are
    real good about coming home. All but 4 are fixed, with the
    others soon to be done.
    Each has his own individual personality that makes him so much
    different from the rest.  And they all get along great (of course
    whenever a new one was introduced there would be friction, but
    they've settled down).
    They have their routine each day of when to go out, when to get
    fed, when to look for attention...
    
    I wouldnt have it any other way !
    
    Cheri
    Sammy, Tigar, Boots, Pretty-Boy, Flow-Flow, Jasper,
    Mousha, Mirra, Moe
    

    
    
    There was an item on cable news over the weekend ..... this
    married middle-aged couple have *145* cats that live in their
    house with them.  They spend $200 a day caring for them!  The
    guy said that the cats are their lives, just like other people
    have kids, or hobbies.
    
    And people tell me that I'm crazy having 5!
    
    Carole
    

How many cats? Well, we have a seven-room house, five cats, three
people, and two aquariums. That seems to work out just right for us.
There's always a person ready to play or cuddle when a cat wants to,
and there's  always a cat ready to play or cuddle when a person wants
to. There's enough room in the house to allow for privacy when a
person or cat wants to be alone. 

One cool night a few weeks ago, I was sitting in the family room with
my husband and son, enjoying the warmth from the woodstove and the
time with my family. I looked around the room. It seemed to be
decorated with cats. 

Sly was stretched out luxuriously on his back under the woodstove,
heating his somewhat generous tummy. Adrienne was sitting on top of
the aquarium, watching the fish swim by, but too lazy to try to catch
them through the glass. Paws was sharing a chair with my son,
receiving payment in the form of having her chin stroked. Springer was
nestled between my husband and me on the couch, purring as we both
patted her. And Midway was sleeping under the coffee table, on top of
my husband's feet. 

Everyone, cats and people alike, had a look of total contentment on
their faces. And so did I, I'm sure. 

Marleen

    An update to .9 -
    
    Guess what?
    
    Tiffany makes 10 !! And I thought 9 was the limit...
    
    mom saved her from 'expiring' at the Animal Resce
    leage in Maine..the day before her doom date..
    another beautiful maine coone....
    
    and well taken to by
    Sam-II, Tigar, Boots, Pretty-Boy, Flow-Flow, Jasper,
    Mousha, Mirra and Moe !
    
    

    I have 5, all in/out cats.  The litter box is down cellar, and I
    empty it when I get around to it.  Mostly I think they go outside.
    In order to keep peace with my husband, I vacuum frequently.  The
    large, long-haired dog makes more dirt than the cats.  I also foot
    the neverending vet bills, although the food goes on the grocery tab.  
    I am not a fussy housekeeper, and own no new furniture.  No one
    is declawed; I regard it barbaric.
    
    I will allow the quantity to go to 2-3 by attrition, as my husband
    thinks this (5) is too many.  It doesn't bother me, I love them all,
    but harmony is more important.
                
    It all depends on space, whether they can go outside, and
    who you live with.  They need to be able to get away from
    each other.  My eldest, Lucy, Hates Everybody.  She only comes
    home to eat.
    
    We have our fights, both human and feline (the dog loves everyone,
    but is terrified at the mere mention of Lucy), I guess it is sort
    of like a regular human family which didn't plan too well!!  I 
    don't know if I'd do it again, unless I lived alone (not counting
    the animals).
    
    Anne
    & Lucy, Nicky, Maggie, Jackie, and Beauregard
    (not to mention Rita the Mutt)