Do I have too many?

Well I volunteer at this cat rescue. There is one cat there that I have fallen head over heels over. I love all the cats I socialize but he is the one that melts my heart. We just moved and planning on moving again in a couple months time so we want to wait till after the move to turn in the adoption application.

Now the rescue has some requirements. The cat needs to be indoors only and never declawed. I'm good to go on both. I need a 3 year vet reference. I only have a 2 year history but I've already been told that they could make an exception because I am a volunteer and by the time I turn my application in, I'd be helping out for close to 7 months.

The only thing that's been bugging me is when I was talking to his foster parent, she told me I would probably get rejected because I already have too many animals. I have 3 cats, 3 rabbits and 3 rats. The person in charge of the location has 7 to 10 cats herself with fosters included. The rats are all in 1 cage, taking up no space at all. It'll be a 2 bedroom townhouse and human-wise it'll only be me and my boyfriend. She knows this and clarified this before she gave me her answer.

Do you think I have too many animals? It's going to bug me and break my heart if the only reason I can't bring him home is because I have a medium number of animals. I know a lot of you foster and do rescues. Would you deny me just for that fact even though everything else is fine?

Do you know if your area has laws regarding the number of pets you are allowed to have? I know we do around here. . . . it could be that there are similar laws in your area. I don't think that my local shelters will let you adopt if you already have two animals.

That being said, honestly, I think the "do I have too many?" question is one that only you can answer. . . No one else can tell you how many animals you have the time and money to care for, only you really know. You just have to ask yourself if you really have the resources to support one more.

There are no laws regarding the rabbits and rats around here. Only cats and dogs. And that all depends on what city we decide to live in. The managerment company we want to rent from has many same style buildings in different cities/counties. And even then, the foster parent who told me I have too many have more cats than I do. I don't think this is a question only I can answer. It wont be me who's going to accept or deny my own application. It does matter what other people think in this case. If I was buying from the pet shop I would never bother asking. But I'm asking from a foster parent/rescue worker point of view.

Personally, I don't think I have too many. And we can handle more starting in a couple months And don't worry, I don't plan on turning in my adoption papers until my buns are safely back in my arms again.

I agree that is a question only you can answer, but I do understand what you are asking from a rescuer's point of view.....

IMHO, when I adopt out, it depends on the household and referances. I recently adopted a cat to someone who already had 5 cats and a small dog. But then on the other hand, I've turned people down that already had only one cat. It depended on the situation. But then again, I'm not affiliated with a shelter, so I can make my own rules, whereas you've got to go by whatever the shelter rules are.

Good luck with everything :-) I personally don't think the number you have is too many animals as long as they are all well cared for and in a forever home and you are within any legal limits. But that is coming from someone with 7 cats and 3 big dogs right now

Originally Posted by okiron

There are no laws regarding the rabbits and rats around here. Only cats and dogs. And that all depends on what city we decide to live in. The managerment company we want to rent from has many same style buildings in different cities/counties. And even then, the foster parent who told me I have too many have more cats than I do. I don't think this is a question only I can answer. It wont be me who's going to accept or deny my own application. It does matter what other people think in this case. If I was buying from the pet shop I would never bother asking. But I'm asking from a foster parent/rescue worker point of view.

Personally, I don't think I have too many. And we can handle more starting in a couple months

And don't worry, I don't plan on turning in my adoption papers until my buns are safely back in my arms again.

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Sorry, I didn't mean it was only a question for you in the sense that the rescue wouldn't care, I guess I just wasn't sure whether you were actually asking for your benefit or just to see what other's thought about the rescue's side of things...

I don't think you have too many either, look at me, I have four kitties and two bunnies and we make one big happy family!

Have your buns not been with you recently? (sorry, I haven't been around all that long) What kinds do you have?

I agree that only you can provide the answer - but perhaps this particular cat wasn't too great living in an environment with so many other animals before, so perhaps that's something you have to take into consideration. A two bedroomed town house may be a little small, but on the other hand, I know someone who has four cats running around in a one bedroomed apartment without any trouble.

Fingers crossed that you can take this kitty on, because you obviously really love him and want to give him the kind of life he deserves.

Well he was a stray his foster found in a parking lot so we have no idea what his history was. He's a shy guy but has lived perfectly fine with 12 other cats so far inside a Petsmart. Compared to that, our place would be a palace lol.

Thanks for the finger crosses guys.

And like I said, I don't think I have too many and with time and money (and a bigger place) I plan to add a lot more onto the family. The numbers right now will seem like small cakes. I'm just worried about the rescue people not thinking the same way.

Well as long as we stay in Orange County the pet law limits us to 4 cats and/or dogs meaning legally, I can obtain him

I hope it works out

Huh.....too many animals to foster/adopt another one! So...they would rather make the cat live his life in the shelter than live in a loving home. That's just plan crazy. We've got 3 cats, 1 dog, 2 rats, and a fish tank. I by no means think that is too many animals! (And we still plan on getting 1 more dog for sure)

Good luck!

I have 10 cats in my house, plus 2 large dogs & a tiny weenie dog, so don't ask me!

I don't think it matters how many you have, it matters how you take care of them. Mine are all fixed, vetted, clean, (relatively) friendly.....they're well cared for. I know people who have 1 cat that's got fleas, never been to the vet & is just disugsting.

That said, I was declined to foster a cat because I was a "hoarder" back when I think I had 6 cats. The woman who declined me had far more than I do even now!!

You have laws restricting the number of pets you can have?

I hope you get your kitty, it sounds to me that you'd give him a good home

Originally Posted by Onyxx

You have laws restricting the number of pets you can have?

I hope you get your kitty, it sounds to me that you'd give him a good home

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Haha we do plan on moving to somewhere with a more lenient animal ownership law sometime in the near future. We do plan on adding at least 4 dogs and 4 cats more into the family in the next 6 years. And that's only the ones we're planning out lol.

Originally Posted by Onyxx

You have laws restricting the number of pets you can have?

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The laws are to give them something to stand on when charging a 'hoarder' case or attempting to remove animals from such a situation. We have laws here, but they're never enforced unless there's an issue with their care...

I think that as long as you can care for them and give them the attention they deserve, it's not too many.

NO, you do not have too many!! I can understand the foster mom's concerns, but after all, she is human and her judgment isn't infallible. IMO, WhiteCatLover's experience has been far too common
In a related note, I have a Catholic friend who has 6 siblings and they were taken to the doctors on the same day for their annual sports physicals. One woman overheard the receptionist ask the mom to point out all the kids that were hers, and the nosy woman loudly commented to another woman in the room, "OMG, some people just reproduce like rabbits!" at which my friend's father jumped up, pushed the littlest ones first and snapped at her, "You're right, you know that, you're absolutely right! Now, which two do you want me to shoot first?" and the receptionist quickly told him, "Good for you!". And one of the other women in the room apologized for laughing. My friend said that she felt so proud of her father for speaking up. (although suggesting to shoot a child, even in sarcasm, could have gotten him in LOTS of trouble - maybe he should suggested which ones did the critic want to take home herself, to get them off his hands, or something less violent.)

I don't think that's too many. When I got into breeding, I set my personal limit on how many adult cats would be in the house. And never went over that. It was 6 adult cats (kittens don't count as they were spoken for before they were born and I only had them for 4 months).

When we get Jack next year it will be 3 cats and 1 dog. That's our limit. If I want more, then DH and I will have our first fight and I'll lose

It depends on you, your family, your personal space, your funds, your time schedule, vet care, and things like that, some people's too many might not be for others. Like someone else pointed out, I have seen people with one pet that take just horrible care of it and people with several pets that treat them like royalty, as it should be.
All our pets are indoor. One spoiled rotten talkative cat is our personal cat limit in this household. Dogs are a different story.

MANY vibes that you get that kitty!!!

Hope you get the kitty, it would seem to me that since you are asking questions, and weighing the issue's involved you would always put the best interest of the animal first. In my opion that in itself would make you a wonderful owner for any pet...

Good luck

Thanks again you guys.

tierre0 I would like to think I'm a great animal owner and do what's best for each animal. I hope with the time I have, I could convince them that