# How many cats is too many?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion
**Created:** [December 16, 2008, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460 "2008-12-16T21:44:10Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Spice\_Weasel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spice_Weasel)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/21 "2008-12-17T01:53:33Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#):
>
> This. Cats are sadistic little creatures, and the only reason they don’t go around ripping people to shreds is they are physically too small to do it.
But that’s why they are so amusing. For the most part, your average everyday housecat is completely harmless. Evil? Cunning? Arrogant? Sure. But they’re also soft and fuzzy, and totally helpless to defend themselves against cuddle attacks. I find nothing in life quite as satisfactory as annoying my cat with love.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/22 "2008-12-17T06:56:08Z")
At one point I was living in a small NYC studio apartment with 2 cats. In retrospect they really deserved more room, but at the time I don’t think they suffered. I now live in a 3-bedroom house, and once again have 2 cats. I’m planning on getting a third soon. Sure I have room (in my house and in my heart) for about 6-8, easily, but the litter box is the limiting factor. I will not spend half my life emptying the box, so 3 will be the limit.
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### Author:  [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 6:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/23 "2008-12-17T06:58:12Z")
> [@Apocalypso](#):
>
> This. Cats are sadistic little creatures, and the only reason they don’t go around ripping people to shreds is they are physically too small to do it.
With that attitude, there may be humans wanting to do the same thing to you . . . and we’re big enough.:dubious:
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### Author:  [@Fetchund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fetchund)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 1:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/24 "2008-12-17T13:47:35Z")
Remember that cats, unlike dogs, are NOT pack animals. The more cats you add, the more you are going to have stresses and the accompanying behavior issues. It may work, it may not.
It seems like most folks I know with more than 3 cats have at least one problem behavior to deal with - usually either aggression or litterbox issues. Added stress also equals added vet bills.
If you are planning on keeping all of the cats, make sure to put at least as many litterboxes as cats, and have them in a few different areas. Having a cat afraid to use the litter box because another is near it is ugly.
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### Author:  [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 2:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/25 "2008-12-17T14:11:28Z")
As a general rule, I go with
_n[sub]h[/sub]_ +1 \>= _n[sub]p[/sub]_
where
_n[sub]h[/sub]_ = number of humans in the household
_n[sub]p[/sub]_ = number of pets in the household
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### Author:  [@Karyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Karyn)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/26 "2008-12-17T14:25:02Z")
I have four but I live in the country and they’re all indoor/outdoor cats that don’t need litter boxes. I didn’t mean to have more than one but a feral cat that was hanging around had 2 kittens so I tamed and adopted the lot of them and got them spayed and neutered so that they don’t start multiplying exponentially. The comment about not having more animals than hands is a good one because when all four cats and the dog want attention at the same time it’s a bit much.
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### Author:  [@fervour](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fervour)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/27 "2008-12-17T14:39:31Z")
Depends on the personality of the cats. We have three cats, 2 rescued siblings about 2 years old and an old calico. They sometimes stay in a city apartment and sometimes stay in a country house. They much prefer the country because they have 15 acres where they can play outside. In the city the girl hollers constantly about how bored she is. The boy gets depressed. They can’t go outside in the city because a)the apartment complex doesn’t allow pets to roam freely b) there are too many speeding cars. The old cat doesn’t mind either place as long as she has plenty to eat.
Three is too many for me if I had to keep them constantly in an apartment. In the country you can let them go run off some of their energy. They then come inside and don’t seem to need nearly as much personal space. Our three fight more often in the apartment and need more individual attention.
I wouldn’t think you were crazy to have 3 or 4 in your apartment but I couldn’t do it.
Also, about the litter, if you haven’t tried it, try either the wheat-based flushable or the corn-base flushable. Either cut way down on unpleasant smells. You can leave the litterbox in the bathroom, scoop, and flush----much, much better than clay-based litter!
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### Author:  [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 3:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/28 "2008-12-17T15:06:48Z")
> [@silenus](#):
>
> So our 6 makes us loco? Is that what you are saying? Does it help that 4 of them are outdoor-only cats?
If they’re always outdoors, they’re not housepets.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/29 "2008-12-17T16:28:31Z")
Me, personally – I live alone in a two-story house with a cat door that allows any feline inhabitants access to the outdoors at will, and am not entirely sure that my two cats aren’t sufficient to qualify me as a CCL.
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### Author:  [@SanVito](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanVito)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 4:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/30 "2008-12-17T16:45:12Z")
> [@Giltathriel](#):
>
> This. Doesn’t matter how clean/non-smelly your home is, owning more than 3 cats becomes something of a trademark. I’d say the same thing about dogs, really.
This. We had a (light hearted) converstaon at work about this just the other day, and came to the democratic conclusion that 2 is really normally, and 3 is bordering on ‘the cat woman’ thing.
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### Author:  [@Atomicflea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Atomicflea)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/31 "2008-12-17T16:47:35Z")
I would say anything over two, really. Three cats is pushing it, four is crazy cat lady. Also:any house where cats outnumber people.
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### Author:  [@ivan\_astikov](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ivan_astikov)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/32 "2008-12-17T16:48:03Z")
Anyone think it’s cruel, or at least a little uncaring, to keep a cat - and allow it outside - when you live in close proximity to a main road? [/hijack]
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### Author:  [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/33 "2008-12-17T17:54:35Z")
Four, tops.
Yes, in most areas of the USA, you should keep your kitties inside. Working barn cats (etc) are an exception.
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### Author:  [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/34 "2008-12-17T18:03:38Z")
> [@ivan\_astikov](#):
>
> Anyone think it’s cruel, or at least a little uncaring, to keep a cat - and allow it outside - when you live in close proximity to a main road? [/hijack]
There are strong feelings on this pro and con and it’s been battled to the death more than once. I’d suggest if you’d like to watch another bloodbath on it you start a thread in the Pit.
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### Author:  [@discodancer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/discodancer)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/35 "2008-12-17T18:03:42Z")
You can have as many cats as you handle caring for well as long as the other parts of your life (social, vocational) are not disturbed. For example, when guests enter your home, they don’t make a face because of the stench of kitty litter and cat waste on the carpet, or you are constantly missing days at work because of some problem the cats create for you.
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### Author:  [@Dung\_Beetle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dung_Beetle)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/36 "2008-12-17T18:47:14Z")
For a brief period when I was in my late teens, I had upwards of twelve cats. At this late date, I can’t recall exactly how many. We lived in a trailer out in the country and all the cats were indoor/outdoor. It started when I had one cat, who got lost when we moved a short distance away. I was heartbroken, so my boyfriend got me a couple of cats from an ad in the paper. Unbeknownst to us, his mother also wanted to comfort me, and she brought us two kittens she had caught (quite feral, they lived in the floor under the bathtub for a long time). Then another friend brought me a cat who desperately needed a home. Then the original cat was found! Then they started knocking each other up and having kittens.
Obviously, we weren’t able to properly care for all these cats, and they frequently died from various causes. By the time I moved away, I was down to two.
I have two now, indoors, fixed, healthy. If my husband would allow it, I’d probably have a couple more.
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### Author:  [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)
#### Post date: [December 17, 2008, 6:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/37 "2008-12-17T18:54:25Z")
One.
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### Author:  [@Hanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hanna)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/38 "2008-12-18T02:46:38Z")
I have four indoor cats. I’ll freely admit my crazy cat lady status, and wear it with pride. Four is my limit, though.
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### Author:  [@Yumblie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Yumblie)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/39 "2008-12-18T02:46:55Z")
[130.](http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jtik5zN5m2g)
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### Author:  [@nikonikosuru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nikonikosuru)
#### Post date: [December 18, 2008, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-many-cats-is-too-many/477460/40 "2008-12-18T02:49:33Z")
Anything over 3 gives me creepy vibes.
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