How many cats do you want?

I was away from the boards for awhile and noticed when I came back that lots of people I remembered from before had added to their kitty families, which has me curious - how many cats do you want (at one given time, I mean, not over your entire lifetime)? Realistically, I mean, not like if you were a billionaire and could afford to take care of as many as you wanted, etc. - but given your circumstances, how many? How did you decide on how many is right for you/what things factored into your decision?

I have 2 Russian Blues in their prime, and once I move into a bigger place in the next year or two, plan on adding 2 Siamese/CPSH kittens to the mix.

My limit is probably ten - at the moment we have twelve but seven of them are kittens.

To answer my own question, for now I want just the four I already have, because four is as many as I can afford to care for and have the space to accomodate right now. However, I'd like to adopt a fifth in a couple of years when I graduate (because I adore kitties and feel the more the merrier, *insofar as I can properly care for them*, of course, I don't mean that in a hoarding sort of way) and have a larger budget and a larger apartment. I don't think I'd ever want more than five - I'm not sure I could care for more than that, even with more money and a bigger place ( and six is the legal limited imposed by the city, anyway, and I'd like a dog as well at some point, so I couldn't have more than that without breaking the law, anyway, which I wouldn't do).

In my opinion.... 4 is acceptably comfy, and 5 is the limit, so I picked 4.

Sierra is an only child and likes it this way! She would absolutely not tolerate a new addition!

Umm..well I am already pretty well in a good number, LOL what made me decide? I love animals..and i know I can care for them. and you know what they say there is a special place for those who tend to animals. and in our home theres always room for one more.

Well, I really liked having 2, and two cats is what I usually had growing up. But then a stray adopted me. (sort of a half-feral, but really just a poor little girl living outside!)

Then she came up pregnant. So we have 11. We'll keep momma, and one, ONE, of the babies. So I guess 4 is a good number now. We just spent a bunch of money on a cat fence to keep our kitties in and bad critters out, so that helps the situation some.

2 is the perfect number I think anyway. they have a playmate so they won't be competly bored, but not soo many that you're over run. Vet costs are doable with 2 also.

Unless I had litter mates I would of course keep them together, if I could

I dont' know, I have 8 know and I want more - I feel that for every cat I take into my home it is one less off the street and one less at a humane society some where waiting for one of two things, a foster family or the other.. I can't take any more at this time because I need more room but If we get a spot in the country look out.. I have a wonderful vet, good prices and as nice as can be. So I am not worried about the expense yet anyway.. I love kitties... I just worry sometimes about what would happen to them all if something actually happened to me.

For 14 years, I had one cat. Then two guys needed new digs, and we tried it on for size. Once the deep freeze from Shasta had thawed some, we realized that one cat is wonderful, but more is better. We seem to have found a comfort place at 3, so won't likely go higher unless it were a real rescue.

Two sweet babies.

I got Princess only a year after I adopted Orei. They're best friends. I could never have just one.

I would LOVE to have three, one more! Then it could be "The Three Amigo's"

I have 6, and with the dog, the birds, the aquarium and the tarantula, I have my hands full.

6 is all I want (I said that when we had only 4 cats that we had plenty )

I have two right now but when i move out i will definintly get another one. For is my ideal number as i'm sure as time passes i will feel the need for further fuzzy cuteness!

My next two will definitly be rescue cats, had my eye on two fiv kittens but they have been adopted already

Two for me - enough to keep each other company, but not too many that I don't have enough time to spend with each of them!

I would really like to have one more boy, but I'm having a hard time getting Jerry to agree..............

I'm not . That is my dream to open up a sanctuary for cats and help all the unwanted or abused cats in the world. I only have 2 cats because living in apt it is difficult to have more cats. Most apt. owners don't want people with animals, and charge a high fee here to rent to a person with animals. Plus I live in the south and when we have hurricanes you have to evacuate . I dare anyone try and find a hotel that accepts more than 2 cats. If I had my own home and was out of hurricane country I would probably have 3-4. But for now I am stuck only with 2.

I put three because that's my current number and what I feel like I can responsibly care for. I had two for a long time and really had no plans to get another, then along came Pete. It just happens that way sometimes.