I’d start with two and see how it goes. You can always add one later. I really like having a kitten amongst the older cats. We’ll be getting one in the next couple weeks. The most I’ve had is four (one was outside). You should wait and see how much maintenance you’re willing to keep up with.
I have two indoor cats, and it’s worked out well. I got my first when she was about four months old. She immediately attached herself to my roommate’s dog, much to the dog’s chagrin. However, I, my roommate, and her dog would often be gone most of the day, and Chloe soon started getting anxious when the last of us would leave in the morning. Hence, it was time for a second cat. I brought Cleatus home when he was seven weeks and Chloe was about 5.5 months. She was PISSED, and wanted death for Cleatus. It was kind of pitiful, since he wanted a mommy, and followed her around. After about ten days, she came around, and now they sleep together, clean each other, play together, etc.
The moral of the story is that I got two cats I really love, rather than just forcing myself to get two littermates, yet the first cat wasn’t too old not to adapt to the new kitten. I got the benefit of staggered vet bills, and the cats get the benefit of companionship. Also, I think it was wise getting a second cat of the opposite sex. I had them both fixed ASAP, but I think there would have been more competition and spitefulness if I’d brought home a second female.
FTR, I live in a 600 square-foot apartment, so they share one litterbox, which I scoop at least once per day, and they do just fine.
We kept 6 at one point in a 3 bedroom house.
Do factor in the litter box work. That can explode with more cats.
I only have one pampered, much doted upon cat now, but growing up it was always 2-3 cats in the house from various sources. Any more then 3, and you start inchinh into “crazy cat people” catagory.
As far as power goes, until they figure out how to open cans of cat food, you still have the power. But if they start showing an interest in the can opener, you may want to watch out. 
two is good. I’ve done three and four in a household before, and it all just depends on space, and litterbox cleaning. Of course, you could always get a few auto-cleaning boxes…
Well… As d_redguy mentioned, I have sibling kitties. I’m not sure how they would have been under “normal” circumstances. I raised them from the time they were just a few hours old. I have never allowed them to squabble at all, so they have never fought- aside from a few initial spats as tiny babies. You CAN discipline a kitten using only harsh, loud words. Squirt (water) bottles work better when they get older. I have even trained mine not to chase/annoy/eat rodents. (I raised mice when they were bitty.)
I have read that it is best to keep kittens from the same litter, and that it is especially good if they are opposite sexes. Apparently, male kittens will fight, at least occasionally, even if related.
I, personally, would stick to two cats. d_redguy had Stella before we were married and loves her very much, so I had no choice. I wouldn’t have had three on purpose, though. Two cats is two cats. Somehow, three might as well be ten. :rolleyes:
Do keep in mind though, that kittens need a good deal of attention, even after they are weaned and away from the mamma cat. They will chew electrical cords, get themselves stuck in odd places and even eat ridiculous non-edible items like plastic trash bags. They haven’t gotten self-censors to danger yet. If you aren’t home much during the day, it may be better for you to find a sibling pair of adults. (I have seen several of these up for adoption at PetSmart stores.)
Helpful hints on electrical cords:
Rub a bar of soap on cords that can’t be irretrievably hidden. This works for kittens, puppies and human babies, too.
I have two cats, brother & sister. They were inseparable when they were kittens, but now they can’t stand each other. I have been told that this is common among litter mates.
All four of mine are related, one mama and her litter of three. Although they don’t hate each other, the littermates (one boy and two girls) never snuggle or groom each other. The mama will groom and snuggle with each of her “babies”, but the “babies” themselves ignore each other. Funny enough, the littermates never squabble, either, but mama picks fights with each of the “babies” (she gotta stay top dog, doncha see?). I’m writing it like “babies” because they are no longer babies at almost four years of age, but I don’t know how else to express the relationship!
I had a foster who gave birth to two kittens. Foster was already adopted pending birth of ther litter, so she left eight weeks later, but I kept the kittens. They hated each other from birth and never did get along. They didn’t even snuggle to keep warm when they were newborns. They were both girls.
In another example, I had Zebo for six or seven years before I got Toot. After the initial adjustment period they became inseperable. They were both boys.
I fostered a litter of three kittens, two boys and one girl, who practically clung to each other, but they may have been due more to their traumatic kittenhood than any littermate bonding.
So these examples are what I have in mind when I say that the fact they are littermates does not necessarily predict how well they will get along. But as always, YkittenMMV.
another voice on litter mates weighing in. when we lost our last kitty, my husband was very vocal on getting 2 cats when we replaced her. (he was just jealous that Canny wanted MY lap all the time.) i’d previously had a long history of 1 cat per household, so i was rather hesitant, thinking that 2 cats = twice the mayhem.
however, when i got word of kittens up for adoption and went to pick a kitty, it was hard to winnow it down. (they had two females who’d had litters, so kittens were abounding.) i was determined to pick a female, so sadly passed on the male kitten that immediately curled up in my lap and went to sleep for the duration. i eventually picked two females and brought them home. short of genetic testing, there’s no way to be sure if they actually ARE littermates…but they’e close enough to count, in my book.
one’s definitely of a more dominant personality than the other, but that’s going to be true if you get two of any of the same species together. they do seem to have divided up the house areas between them – Minion claims the bedroom for most of the day; Patter oversees the rest of the house. but they get along pretty much as you’d expect; sometimes they scrap, sometimes they sleep together (on the bed at night when it’s cold), sometimes they go their own separate ways, sometimes they share entertainments like watching the birds at the feeders or chasing each other through the house.
to my surprise, there wasn’t really any noticeable increase in mayhem. the kitty pan loads, however…
:eek:
lachesis
Palve has 6 right now… At one time he was up to 8.
Guess what the seventh one was called?
Seven.
I like that cat.
Heh. We have almost always had 3 cats at our home in Canada - and Alex (the late 
) adapted well at the age of 12 to having 2 kittens brought in the house. He and Goldie were almost inseperable after a year.
From what I’ve seen, both Sulu and Sisko (the current cats we, erm, house? 
) would adapt very well to having another cat brought in. Sulu is around 15 and Sisko is 2 or 3 now.
Just a point for age not being the determining factor. These cats were and are established in a household, however.
We have two littermates. I highly recommend adopting littermates - especially if you’re gone alot. They’re completely comfortable with each other from day one. Ours are both fixed females.
As has already been said, number of cats depends on your litterbox tolerance. Ours share one box - cleaned often. One box is my limit, but YMMV.
Three.
They have lots of windows that face trees full of animals to stare out of and they attack each other when they get bored.
Okay, I have to share a story… In the early 80’s, my uncle and his wife were living in a small appartment with 3 cats. One night, my uncle is awakened to the sound of the can opener. He grabs his gun and quietly stalks from the back bedroom towards the kitchen, thinking a robber broke in to steal some food. He spins around the corner, gun leveled, only to find one of the cats with his paw pushing the can opener down, and the other two going nuts on the floor thinking food is about to come. The cat with the can opener was like “Okay, the lever is pushed, the noise is happening, but where’s the food??”
So be forewarned about kitties and can openers…
YMMV, but give a thought to territory. My sister brought home an entire litter of male kittens once upon a time. Even though they were indoor/outdoor cats, those devils fought for space inside, spraying like you wouldn’t believe. Mom ended up replacing most of the furniture and all of the carpeting, then sealing and repainting the walls. This had never happened before with our other male cats, we figure there was just a certain number of males that couldn’t be accommodated in one house and seven appeared to be over our limit.
I think I’ve decided to get a mastiff (like LifeOnWry) instead.
Just kidding. I’m leaning toward two, but I think it’ll depend on who’s available, and who shows interest in me.
I do want a mastiff, though. I’ve known a couple, and they fit my personality pretty good. I’m trying to find one who’s adoptable. I hope they don’t eat cats, though. :smack:
Thanks for all the excellent information.
Peace,
mangeorge
A seven cat household chiming in. If you can handle it , three littermates is about the best solution. The three stooges, Larry ,Moe and Curly who we found as abandoned kittens on the road , get along quite well together. There was an adjustment period before the other cats accepted them, not as equals but as some that are tolerated. Three can take turns playing, while one rests, two play.
Gigi - adopted from a lumbercamp garage
Muffy and Blanchie- ran away from a nasty mother
Eileen- born with three legs- rescued from being euthanized
Larry, Moe and Curly- found abandoned on a country road
Also a dog Nalle and a wife Robin.
Cats and dogs can learn to live peacefully together quite easily, actually. We have 3 cats and 3 dogs (And 5 people) in a 3 bedroom house, and they all get along relatively well (one cat doesn’t like one dog, but she’s declawed and he’s a wimp, so it never gets any further than some hissing and a bit of boxing)
If you do decide to get such a big dog around cats, make sure you get a puppy, and you might want to consider letting the kitties keep their claws, at least until they and the dog get the limits set.
Just to prove it can be done, one of our cats grew up with a german shepard (who was full-grown when she came along) and they ended up being best buds. She’d sleep between his paws, and groom each other, and he’d even let her eat his food. Another of our cats lived for the first few weeks of his life with a pair of rottweilers (I know I didn’t spell that right.)
So if it starts out rough, don’t get worried unless blood is drawn. Things will settle down within a week or so 