In the opinon of cat owning Dopers, how many cats can a single (non-farm) household reasonably handle before you go from cat lover to crazy animal collector?
Depending on the size of the place…I’d say 5. The most we’ve ever had was 4, and we managed to keep up with the mess.
Litters of kittens don’t count because thats usually a temporary situation.
If you live in a small to medium sized apartment then 3 is pushing the limits, if you live in a house then 4 is pushing the limit, if you live in a really huge house or mansion I’d say that 5 or 6 is pushing the limits.
I do not count the cats though if they are outside pets, I know one person that has 10 cats but only 1 is allowed inside the house so the other 9 don’t count, in my opinion.
Well, I think it all depends… If there are 5 cats living in a studio apartment, and the litter boxes have never been cleaned - then ew, that’s too much. I have 3 cats (and 2 dogs), but our home is fairly large. My animals are extremely well cared for and loved.
I think as long as the kitties are taken care of, things are clean and relatively sweet smelling…then even 5 could be just fine. It’s all in the context I think.
10 cats would probably be mad though 
Seven in a house. Just because I’ve never had more than 7.
If a single person has more than three cats, they aren’t necessarily a “crazy cat collector” but something isn’t right.
I think more than four cats in a family is a sign someone is a collector.
And, on a related subject, why is it that there’s always one semi-crazy, purple-floppy-hat-wearing, cat-hoarding, junk-saving little old lady in every neighborhood in which I’ve ever lived? You know, the one whose curtains are always drawn but you can see newspapers stacked to the ceiling? The one whose neighbors call the city complaining about the mess and the smell of cat pee?
My tops was 6-three adults and 3 kits. I don’t think I was ever so warm in bed.
We currently have thirteen well-loved indoor cats. No one is neglected, no one is unhealthy, everyone sleeps on the big bed with hubby and me and the three dogs. So I’ve got to say that the tipping point from cat lover to crazy cat collector is something more than thirteen.
I think three is pushing it and four is too many for a single person. Up it to four and five for a married couple.
Of course, at one point when I was growing up (in a small city), we had about two dozen dogs and about twelve cats that we kept and cared for for a few months as every damned female gave birth within one or two weeks of each other so we were well beyond that.
Was lots of fun though. I miss having a pet.
I think three’s all right even for a single person. With that many cats, they keep each other company; if a cat wants to play, there’s almost always someone to play with. I’m not single, but we have four overpampered cats, the oldest of whom is pushing 12 but still playful as a kitten. We must be doing something right as regards their care.
Given the way some people dislike cats–and of all the common pets only cats seem to garner this dislike–I’m sure many people would say one cat is the tipping point.
2 :d
I’m a cat lover and am sorely missing my two most recent kitties so I’m not trying to insult anyone with my post. If you actually take care of them and both you and they are healthy and happy, that’s all that really matters.
That doesn’t mean I wouldn’t do a small mental step back at the initial revelation of three or four cats per person though.
Living with my parents we usually had four cats, one pet for each person, sometimes we’d have five, and that one was everyone’s cat. It wasn’t uncommon on family movie nights for each person to have a cat on their lap instead of a popcorn bowl. As long as the litterboxes are cleaned, vet trips are made, (shots and speutering) and there isn’t rampant sickness I would say the person isn’t a collector. Maybe a big cat lover, but not a collector.
The difference being, collectors are mentally ill and often the cats (and other animals) don’t get the care they need. It depends on the person, if they can manage caring for over a dozen cats, and do it well without resentment or falling behind, they aren’t a collector. Some people choose to care for many pets, and can do it well while others are strained by the responsiblities of caring for a single goldfish. I’m not going to fault someone for being a nurturer, I’ll talk to them if I can see they aren’t being responsible though.
My husband has one cat over ten years of age, and I have two both of which were dying strays I took in, one before we got married, the female after. Two good natured males, one for each of us, and our princess Rhiow who is proud to own such good feather ball throwers. All are speutered and current on their shots.
Did each cat tend to bond with the same person consistently?
It depended on the cat, some liked “their human” more than anyone else, others liked everyone. It was more a matter of “title” than actuality, but each human would still get a cat to pet, whether it was “theirs” or not. (The fifth cat would usually get along well enough with another cat to share a lap too, or they’d wait until the “shift change” when one cat would grow bored and leave to do other catly things.)
If you’re a single woman, any more than two and you become the dreaded “Woman With More Than Two Cats” - guys will back away slowly without maintaining eye contact and flee screaming into the morning light.
Guess that’s why no one talks to me.
Single woman with four cats. Also a fair-sized house and it’s clean. I mention, if it matters, that I actively sought only one of the four. The other three found me. And just to put the nail in the “crazy” box-I volunteer for the local Humane Society by fostering kittens until they are socialized and big enough to be adopted. So I have had as many as nine felines at one time, counting the little ones and mine together.
Everyone may proceed fleeing.
If you have more cats than you have rooms, you’ve definitely crossed the line.
I think that 3 is getting a little crazy. 4 means you’ve probably started on the road to taking in cats because you feel guilty/sad or something and that’s a real slippery slope. Next thing you know, they find 86 cats feeding off your decomposing corpse.
And, I don’t believe anyone with 3+ cats keeps a clean house. I believe it’s mostly clean most of the time. But, I bet there’s a lot of days when – if you weren’t used to it – your house is pretty bad. We all let it slip from time to time.
And that’s not even mentioning the dander.
Keep in mind that animal hoarding is being classifed as a disorder, one where people can be delusional about the filth and the stench around them. And, it’s more common in unmarried women.
Not saying anyone here is a hoarder, but keep an eye on it.
I agree that three seems to be the magical number. Two can be excused as company, or perhaps the result of blending two single cat-loving households. three can fall under the previous umbrella, or can occur when the pair has kittens due to an oversight and you fall in love with one.
Four is taking a step into the Dark Side.