HELP...Pros & Cons of 1 cat or 2???

[Corporal Smokey]

Our British boy, Josh usually likes to squish ribcages in the early morning (He's 7.5kg). Fortunately he thinks OH is more comfy than me!

Corporal Smokey on the otherhand likes to purr REALLY loudly and chase toes.

Monsters all of 'em. 

[lollylou]

LOL at corporal Smokey 

That is so so true.....well Bob can have the pink bed then 

Having said all that, all the cats I have known don't blooming well sleep in them anyway after a few months old....
its bad enough having one cat in your bed, lord only knows how we are going to manage with two...oops

[Corporal Smokey]

Two, without a doubt.  I have two brothers who despite being head over heels in love with each other are also head over heels in love with me

When you remember to feed them...

Cant wait to go pets at home to buy everything, i saw the other day they had a massive pink, fluffy "princessy" range....so she can have that and the little boy can have "big hard boy" masculine bed and toys!! LOL

And you can guarantee which beds they'll sleep in 

[hOrZa]

which may be Bob!!??!!!

Great name Bob, go with Bob

[lollylou]

ooh thank you so much everyone, well its decided - two!!! I pick brother and sister up on 25th april..she is blue, and we haven't decided on the brother yet...I like all black, my boyfriend whats the black with cream feet!!

I think I kinda knew, will just blame it on you lot now!!

I am so excited, just got to prepare the house and buy everything and choose names......Think I am going with Matilda for the little girl and my other half wants to choose the name for the boy....which may be Bob!!??!!! But I think we need to get to know them first to decide names!!

Cant wait to go pets at home to buy everything, i saw the other day they had a massive pink, fluffy "princessy" range....so she can have that and the little boy can have "big hard boy" masculine bed and toys!! LOL

Thankyou
Lou x

[Gillian Harvey]

And why stop at 2 ? LOL!

Definitely 2  together though - double the fun! 

[hOrZa]

My two are hilarious to watch when they're playfighting and chasing each other then minutes later they're snuggling down for a cuddle while they wash each others head

I call this cat tv much better to watch than the box 

[Tiggy's Mum]

Two, without a doubt.  I have two brothers who despite being head over heels in love with each other are also head over heels in love with me They are the most affectionate, cheeky, loving little things and loving each other doesn't stop them loving me  Having two is so much more fun, not only for the owners but for the cats themselves.  My two are hilarious to watch when they're playfighting and chasing each other then minutes later they're snuggling down for a cuddle while they wash each others head   

I love my boys to bits and they get lots of love, cuddles and interaction but if you combine the amount of time I spend interacting with them and the amount of time they interact with each other, if you only had one cat then that playtime/attention/cuddle time would have to be solely given by you.  That doesn't leave much time for working from home or much else!

[Corporal Smokey]

Definately two. You keep saying "cats" in your posts anyway so you know and we know that you've already decided 

Next question. Two cats or three..... 

Seriously though I'd always say two and BSHs adore company, both human and feline (although they're not always too keen on scampish persians  ).

You've picked a great breed for cuddle-cats. Do you know where you're getting them from? Sorry if you posted that info already I'm not that clever.

If not, try http://www.british-shorthairs.co.uk or http://www.britishshorthair-breedersgroup.com/Older%20Cats%20&%20Kittens.htm

[Tan]

Ooo Lou  Def 2 little ones are better than 1 on his own.   It is so lovely to see two playing together, sleeping together and if they are to be indoor / garden only it is a huge help to keep bordem at bay  with two.  With my lads,  i  play alot with them but the best excerise they get is chasing each other about. There's no way i can run that fast and under all the tunnels to play with them like they play with each other 

[Bryony84]

How wierd that we have such similar houses of such different ages, ours is 2 years old!

The cat in my pic is Casper, I got him about 3 years ago as a kitten when I still lived with my parents. I moved out in September to live with my partner but Mum had got so attached to Casper (my dad works shifts/nights etc) that I thought he should stay their both for company for mum and because he was settled there. They don't live far away so I can still see him.

The 2 I am hopefully getting are at a local rescue, theres a photo of them in the cat stories forum under a thread called 'My maybe babies'.

The permission thing is annoying because the landlord came over and said it was fine but we have to wait for the written permission to give to the rescue! They want that before they do the homecheck but since it could be the end of the week before it arrives, I'm going up to the rescue today to ask if they would do the check this week as well so the babies don't have to stay in that cage any longer than they have to!

[lollylou]

Hi Ela

lol I just meant, I know the basics of raising a cat....I didn't want anyone to think it was completley new to me!!

Also, yes we have our own door that leads directly to the entrance to the garden
xx

[Ela]

They will have plenty of space. The only thing I would say is that in your circumstances we would only home indoor cats, unless of course you have your own front & back door  leading from outside the property. Flats where the initial doors are communal we have problems if only one of the flat owners is anti-cat. It could be that all owners are now fine but if someone else moves in it can all change.

We both have had a longlife relationship with cats, having both come from "cat backgrounds" so know more or less everything we need to know.

All I can say about that is I have had cats for over 50 years  (including my childhood), but almost everyday I learn something new, it is surprising what you can learn from forums such as this.

[Sabrina (Auferstehen)]

We had our Burmese Lirael for 2 years before we got Smoke, Lirael is very much a people cat and very nosey.

She stalked poor Smoke for the first few weeks, I'm not sure she understood what a cat was Few months later she got over the stalking phase and came back to being a more people cat.

Then we brought Penguin over from the US and both girls ignored him. Not that he minds.

All three enjoy our company as much as each others but I was a bit put out those first weeks when we got Smoke as I was used to my little blonde shadow.

[candyshandy]

I have 3 in a two bed semi (basically 2 up 2 down).  There is plenty of room for them as I fit in with them!  I bought a King Size bed not long ago and I still have the same amount of room - they have just spread out!

In respect of the bonding - all mine love playing and cuddling each other but love their Mum too

[lollylou]

Bryony are you living a mirror image of my life?? I am also waiting for permission??!!!

[lollylou]

Hi Bryony...wow you have perfectly described my house!!!
But no its not a new build, its actually a converted house over 100 years old....ha ha

I hadn't considered the cattery thing, as that is something that will eventually need to happen..and I suppose
that would make the whole thing much easier if they have eachother...

I really am doing my own head in with this, but to me its such a huge thing to do and such a responsibility and I need to think it through properly...

Bryony, is your pic one of your cats? as I think I am getting 2 (argh if i get 2!??!!) BSH, one a blue girl...love them!

[Bryony84]

My other half said they same thing. We are hoping to get a pair of 6 month old sisters from the local rescue, just waiting for home check and for our landlord to send our permission letter through. He agreed verbally over a week ago and then went off on buisness to scotland so hasn't given us written permission yet!!

[lollylou]

Hi,
Yes we are getting kittens (young), as per one of my previous posts, my other half would prefer that...

We did go to a rescue centre at the weekend actually, I am not so worried about the bonding but will the cats have enough space?

xx

[Bryony84]

Hiya,

You seem to live in the exact same kind of home as I do, I don't suppose its a fairly new Barrett build is it? Ours sounds just the same as yours, front door, stairs, first floor, stairs, 2nd floor, 2 bedrooms, 1 ensuite and a bathroom downstairs too. Has a small 1 bed flat underneath it. Ours is in a block of 4 small flats and 4 maisonettes on top. Garden round the back.

Anyway, back to the point. I have always had one cat at a time but this time I am going for 2 siblings. They will be left for 4-5 hours during the day so I thought it would be good for them to have company. I also thought it would help them settle in and would help them with if we went on holiday either in a cattery or with neighbours popping in to feed them.

I've heard things about 2 cats bonding with each other more than their owners but I think this may be down to how their owners interact with them just as much, I doubt its just the fact that theres 2 cats.

Hope I've helped!

[Garfield&Gypsy]

i have had two cats for about 5 weeks now and yes they do spend time getting to know each other etc but my two are also lap cats anbd love their tummy being rubbed.

they don't ignore us at all but then i do think that is down to the cats - each cat is unique, it's probably worth while going to a rescue and getting in contact with some bonded pairs and single cats and see how you feel then.

any thought on the age of cats your looking to adopt?

[lollylou]

 

Hi All

I need your help, as I am now at a stage where I cannot think or bug my other half anymore talking about this.

1 cat or 2??

I had definatley decided on two, but now I am thinking two might be too much? ok bear with me here....

Basically, financially two is no problem but we live in a two bedroom/two bathroom "flat" that actually has two flights of stairs and two floors, so its not really a flat and there is a approx 50ft garden at the back which is currently being landscaped. Both myself and my boyfriend work for the same company, but work from home apart from going out to meetings/appointments so he/they will not be left all day.
We both have had a longlife relationship with cats, having both come from "cat backgrounds" so know more or less everything we need to know so we are not new to this.
But I have never had two cats at the same time, only one..... is there a big difference having two cats in the house as opposed to one? other than the obvious weekly shopping, vets costs etc...

I also heard a few years ago, that if you get two they can bond with eachother as opposed to you, is this correct? Because I am used to cuddle cats lol

Please can you give me some advise and honest opinions, as I am quite simply sending myself loopy!!

Many Thanks
Louise xx