How many cats?

Jo Firey wrote:

Maybe we should take a poll. How much do others here seem to spend on vet
care per year per pet? I'm guessing I've averaged close to $500 per pet per
year of its life.

That's an interesting idea.
Me in the UK: 4 indoor/outdoor cats, 2 bedroom 1 reception flat with
garden, 2 available laps, 1 big litterbox (but they have outside
access), 4 separate food bowls. Approx. cost per year for 4 cats: food
£550, litter £110, regular vet costs (flea & worming, vaccinations)
£255, pet insurance £288. Total £1203 = about £300 per cat per year
(that's around US$541 and AUS$742).
That doesn't include any unexpected vet costs that aren't covered by
insurance, e.g. dentals @ around £60 a go.

Good estimate, Jo - interesting that it's about the same on both sides
of the pond!

FWIW, my 4 are in a stable 'pack' and it's clear they have a hierarchy
of dominance. They all get lots of attention and usually don't demand it
all at once. Bedtime can get a little crowded though! :-) They were all
acquired at different times, but significantly, 3 out of the 4 arrived
as kittens. I would say that it's nearly always OK to introduce a new
kitten to a household. It's introducing new adult cats to an established
group that could cause trouble, but not always by a long way. It depends
on the purrsonality of the new adult cat.

Kajikit, why not adopt a pre-bonded group of cats or kittens? For
example, maybe a whole litter from the shelter? A litter of 3 kittens
wanting a home - it would be a lovely idea to adopt them all together,
finances and space permitting? Or adopt a pair of adult cats that are
already used to each other, then if you wanted more, adopt a young
kitten later on?

Deb.

--
http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

Jo Firey wrote:

Maybe we should take a poll. How much do others here seem to spend on vet
care per year per pet? I'm guessing I've averaged close to $500 per pet per
year of its life.

That's an interesting idea.
Me in the UK: 4 indoor/outdoor cats, 2 bedroom 1 reception flat with
garden, 2 available laps, 1 big litterbox (but they have outside
access), 4 separate food bowls. Approx. cost per year for 4 cats: food
£550, litter £110, regular vet costs (flea & worming, vaccinations)
£255, pet insurance £288. Total £1203 = about £300 per cat per year
(that's around US$541 and AUS$742).
That doesn't include any unexpected vet costs that aren't covered by
insurance, e.g. dentals @ around £60 a go.

Good estimate, Jo - interesting that it's about the same on both sides
of the pond!

FWIW, my 4 are in a stable 'pack' and it's clear they have a hierarchy
of dominance. They all get lots of attention and usually don't demand it
all at once. Bedtime can get a little crowded though! :-) They were all
acquired at different times, but significantly, 3 out of the 4 arrived
as kittens. I would say that it's nearly always OK to introduce a new
kitten to a household. It's introducing new adult cats to an established
group that could cause trouble, but not always by a long way. It depends
on the purrsonality of the new adult cat.

Kajikit, why not adopt a pre-bonded group of cats or kittens? For
example, maybe a whole litter from the shelter? A litter of 3 kittens
wanting a home - it would be a lovely idea to adopt them all together,
finances and space permitting? Or adopt a pair of adult cats that are
already used to each other, then if you wanted more, adopt a young
kitten later on?

Deb.

--
http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

Jo Firey wrote:

Maybe we should take a poll. How much do others here seem to spend on vet
care per year per pet? I'm guessing I've averaged close to $500 per pet per
year of its life.

That's an interesting idea.
Me in the UK: 4 indoor/outdoor cats, 2 bedroom 1 reception flat with
garden, 2 available laps, 1 big litterbox (but they have outside
access), 4 separate food bowls. Approx. cost per year for 4 cats: food
£550, litter £110, regular vet costs (flea & worming, vaccinations)
£255, pet insurance £288. Total £1203 = about £300 per cat per year
(that's around US$541 and AUS$742).
That doesn't include any unexpected vet costs that aren't covered by
insurance, e.g. dentals @ around £60 a go.

Good estimate, Jo - interesting that it's about the same on both sides
of the pond!

FWIW, my 4 are in a stable 'pack' and it's clear they have a hierarchy
of dominance. They all get lots of attention and usually don't demand it
all at once. Bedtime can get a little crowded though! :-) They were all
acquired at different times, but significantly, 3 out of the 4 arrived
as kittens. I would say that it's nearly always OK to introduce a new
kitten to a household. It's introducing new adult cats to an established
group that could cause trouble, but not always by a long way. It depends
on the purrsonality of the new adult cat.

Kajikit, why not adopt a pre-bonded group of cats or kittens? For
example, maybe a whole litter from the shelter? A litter of 3 kittens
wanting a home - it would be a lovely idea to adopt them all together,
finances and space permitting? Or adopt a pair of adult cats that are
already used to each other, then if you wanted more, adopt a young
kitten later on?

Deb.

--
http://www.scientific-art.com

"He looked a fierce and quarrelsome cat, but claw he never would;
He only bit the ones he loved, because they tasted good." S. Greenfield

Kajikit wrote:
How many cats do you think you should have? One per room? Per
available lap? Per bed? Per hand? Per litterbox? (now THERE'S a way to
keep the numbers down! lol) Is there a maximum feline density that
makes the line between 'feline lover' and 'crazy cat person'?

I think it's a complex balance of things: space, time, money... We have
seven cats, indoor only with access to an enclosure where they can go
smell the birds and squirrels. I think our cats are extremely happy
critters, well adjusted and very loving. Our house is by no means dirty
(thought it could use a more through cleaning) and people who come in
for the first time can't believe there's 7 cats in there.
If we had a bigger house and income, I think we could have more cats.
Tom says 7 is too many already, but he loves them all dearly.
I think the answer to that question is something like:
as many cats as you can keep happy and healthy

--
Victor Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

Kajikit wrote:
How many cats do you think you should have? One per room? Per
available lap? Per bed? Per hand? Per litterbox? (now THERE'S a way to
keep the numbers down! lol) Is there a maximum feline density that
makes the line between 'feline lover' and 'crazy cat person'?

I think it's a complex balance of things: space, time, money... We have
seven cats, indoor only with access to an enclosure where they can go
smell the birds and squirrels. I think our cats are extremely happy
critters, well adjusted and very loving. Our house is by no means dirty
(thought it could use a more through cleaning) and people who come in
for the first time can't believe there's 7 cats in there.
If we had a bigger house and income, I think we could have more cats.
Tom says 7 is too many already, but he loves them all dearly.
I think the answer to that question is something like:
as many cats as you can keep happy and healthy

--
Victor Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

Kajikit wrote:
How many cats do you think you should have? One per room? Per
available lap? Per bed? Per hand? Per litterbox? (now THERE'S a way to
keep the numbers down! lol) Is there a maximum feline density that
makes the line between 'feline lover' and 'crazy cat person'?

I think it's a complex balance of things: space, time, money... We have
seven cats, indoor only with access to an enclosure where they can go
smell the birds and squirrels. I think our cats are extremely happy
critters, well adjusted and very loving. Our house is by no means dirty
(thought it could use a more through cleaning) and people who come in
for the first time can't believe there's 7 cats in there.
If we had a bigger house and income, I think we could have more cats.
Tom says 7 is too many already, but he loves them all dearly.
I think the answer to that question is something like:
as many cats as you can keep happy and healthy

--
Victor Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

Tish Silberbauer wrote:
untimely departure prompted me to ask the local RSPCA about fostering
kittens, which is how we ended up with Spock and Persephone. At the

That's how we got Fez and Rufous!

--
Victor Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

Tish Silberbauer wrote:
untimely departure prompted me to ask the local RSPCA about fostering
kittens, which is how we ended up with Spock and Persephone. At the

That's how we got Fez and Rufous!

--
Victor Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

Tish Silberbauer wrote:
untimely departure prompted me to ask the local RSPCA about fostering
kittens, which is how we ended up with Spock and Persephone. At the

That's how we got Fez and Rufous!

--
Victor Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

"O J" wrote in message
...
On Sat, 16 Oct, Kajikit wrote:

How many cats do you think you should have? One per room? Per
available lap? Per bed? Per hand? Per litterbox? (now THERE'S a way to
keep the numbers down! lol) Is there a maximum feline density that
makes the line between 'feline lover' and 'crazy cat person'?
---------------------snip----------------------

Don't stop at just being an ailurophile. Go straight to 'crazy cat
person'. A half dozen ought to do it. Don't get them all at once
though -- two should do for a starter. Then work your way up to six.

Regards and Purrs,
O J

6 is a crazy cat person? Then how would you describe someone who has 70,
all indoor, and mostly elderly unhomables and ex ferals? There is someone
like that lives a mile or so away from me. When the front door is opened
the smell almost blows you back to the roadside.

I have two, that is a nice number for me. They don't cost a lot to keep
foodwise, but I like to think I'll be able to afford the vet's bill if
something serious happens to one, or even both at the same time and I have
some money stashed away for this.
Now, if my kitties hadn't chosen me themselves, and I was out to get my
first chosen kitties, I'd probably go to a shelter and choose two maybe
middle-aged ones who'd always lived together and would grieve if parted,
something like that. Some shelters will help with vets fees if you agree to
take on one or two with existing health problems. These are the ones that
are hardest to home.

If I got on well with those, and wanted more, I'd perhaps choose a kitten
just for me after that.

You must be excited, Kajikit to be able to get your very first kitties soon.
May you have many happy years with them (and of *course* they'll like you,
cats always love their meowmies and paws) eventually...when they feel safe
with you. Developing a trusting relationship with a shy cat is very special
and can take time.
Cue BF to spring up into the armchair next to me ;-) and he did. Showing off
with his new posh reflective collar which works a treat. In the torchlight
last night I could see him yards away, or rather his collar.

Tweed