PETS - How many is too many?
By Jellen
@Jellen (1852)
United States
11 responses
@LovingIt (5396)
• United States
30 Oct 06
Hello!! Crazy cat lady here! I have too many! I have 17 cats, 1 dog, and 2 parrots. That is down from a high of 28 cats, 2 dogs, and 2 parrots. In my defense, I am set up for it though. I am a former show/breeder. My problem was that I would not push my problem kittens off on others. If a kitten had a medical problem, no matter how minor, I would keep it rather than sell it or even give it away.
When i saw that I was getting in over my head, I immediately quit breeding and had every cat that I had neutered or spayed. I adopted out those that I could or was not too attached to. The rest of them are either so attached to me that I don't feel they would be happy elsewhere or they have medical problems such that nobody else wants them. I spend hours each day caring for and loving these animals. They do all get love and attention each and every day. As a breeder, I had a special area of my home built just for the cats needs. I have litter boxes, cat trees, cat beds, feed dishes, etc. all out there. Most of the cats (except for a few with bladder control issues) also have full roam of my house as well. In addition I have a couple of cat pens that they cats have access to through windows in my house (one from the cat room and one from my bedroom). This allows them to go outside and get fresh air and enjoy being outside without being in danger.
So in answer to your questions. I definately don't have too few animals. I have a dog that goes outside when and if she feels like it. LOL. All of them are well fed. The number of animals that are too many varies with the individual I think. Yes, I have too many, but I am managing. As they die, they won't be replaced, but while they are here, they will know that they are well loved and cared for.
@dnatureofdtrain (5273)
• Janesville, Wisconsin
12 Jan 07
The most I had was 32 cats and kittens! We were struggling to feed them all and the Friskies cat food company donated to us 20 cases of food, and 20 big bags of catfood! So we are forever loyal to them... I love cats and kittens! ...
I just fear due to the money issues coming up, I may end up losing both my home, and the my cats and kittens... So I been very upset lately over this. I am still trying to post often to help out with those issue.
But as far as how many is to many? ... As long as a person is doing their best to feed, and shelter their pets, and give them all the love they can... and are able to do so... I do not believe there is to many. However, a person should take into consideration about how many is appropriate for the living space they are in. I would never have a cat if I lived on like one acre of property. We out here have 108 acres they wander in so plenty of room, for hunting etc. Plenty of Shelter too, Barns, Cat houses, old dog houses the dogs never use... They use the barn sometimes, otherwise both my cats and dogs prefer to hang out on the porches when they hear us... They will follow me anywhere, Into the trees on top of hay wagons, down the road. so I had to change my walking to walking in the woods instead of down the road, because to many pets follow me, and makes for some uh very interesting tales... :) ...
Currently its 2 dogs, and 13 or 14 cats and kittens. I still have to name the rest from last years litter.. I love them, just running out of names after caring for so many since 1986.. :) .. new babies yearly.. I love them all, but it is to many when I am flat broke, I am glad my Dad has been so nice to pay for their food for me, and vet expenses. I keep praying he wins the lottery... for all the money he has spent on me, and my sisters, and our critters... Mine are all outdoor pets. They get afraid when they are inside for longer than 20 minutes. They do not even like the barn really. They are truely feral really, but they cuddle with me..if I get down in the mud so they can come to me. :) . I sit down and all of them will cover me in and instant, purr purr purr cuddle cuddle. Catified clothes, to prove it :) .
Bless him always. Take care,
- DNatureofDTrain
@shazbevis (180)
•
26 Oct 06
It all depends if you like pets or not and if you can afford to keep them and keep them in good condition and look after them properly.
2 people like this
@mandakat (879)
• Canada
26 Oct 06
I think it's a personal matter of whether or not you are still finding the effort worth it at the end of the day, because of whatever joy your pets bring :) Mine (2 cats) bring lots, so I would definitely get more! I won't, currently, because I'm renting.
@mandakat (879)
• Canada
26 Oct 06
That's horrible!
When I had all my health problems this summer that turned out to be allergy-related, I was incredibly frightened that it would be my babies (cats). I vowed that I would work night and day to remove EVERY OTHER allergen from my presence and start bathing them (ow...) in the shampoos that remove the saliva protein from their fur.
Fortunately, I showed such a mild reaction that it was either a false positive or a result of the fact that, when the goos get removed, they end up mixing into all of the other skin ...um...holes? Mylot informed me that the word for the SP test is in violation of the TOS.
2 people like this
@xbrendax (2662)
• United States
30 Oct 06
I think I'm at my limit now! I have 30 cats that are mine and live in my house with me and my mom but we are also feeding a bunch of hungry stray dogs and cats that come and go from our neighborhood! Not to mention the opossums and raccoons and skunks that come to get the left over scraps! Come morning, they are all gone, but come night time, they all come around again! I can't help it, I can't stand to see an animal go hungry! By the way, here's a picture of my cat Winston! Isn't he adorable!!!!
@BRIJENDRA (926)
• India
13 Jan 07
Only one is too many as one has to take care of many things to have a pet animal in home....
@lordvalvasar (5)
• United States
30 Oct 06
That mainly depends on your income as well as space available myself i have a full house of critters and wouldnt have it any other way but its always good to make sure its something you can spend alot of time with or something that doesnt need alot of tending to IE a goldfish. In all honesty though i think as long as you can take care of them there is never too many.
