OK, Someone Has to Ask: How Many Cats Is Too Many Cats?

When someone asks me how many cats I have, I always say the same thing: “Too many!” I say it with a smile and a shrug, and if they don’t walk away, I launch into the story of how we did have just one cat, and just when we decided she needed a friend, a neighbor happened to be fostering a pair of adorable bonded brothers. If we hadn’t taken them both, they’d have been split up, and we couldn’t let that happen, could we? It’s possible I’m a tad bit defensive about having three cats.

Of course, depending on your point of view, three cats might not seem like too many cats. But I live in a small New York City apartment. There’s no outdoor space, not even a terrace where a cat might stretch out in a sunbeam, and finding a spot for a litter box — never mind four litter boxes (the recommended number for three cats, according to experts) — is a challenge. As much as I love my little monsters, I do sometimes wonder if I’m over capacity. And then other times, I look at my local animal shelter’s Instagram page and think, Maybe I have room for just one more…

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We’ve all heard “cat lady” used as a derogatory term. It brings to mind overflowing litter boxes, tufts of cat hair flying everywhere, and maybe a pile of empty cat food cans in the corner attracting vermin, à la Grey Gardens. I, along with many of my fellow cat ladies, have leaned in and learned to embrace the “cat lady” label. My apartment is tidy, and my cats seem happy, except when I’m annoying them with too many kisses and cuddles. But am I in danger of ending up as some sort of urban, apartment-dwelling version of Little Edie? Real talk: How many cats is too many? 

There’s no magic number

“It’s not about the number — it’s about the quality of care,” says emergency veterinarian Dr. Ezra J. Ameis, founder of Pet Priority. “Are your cats healthy? Safe? Getting regular vet visits, fresh food, clean litter boxes, and genuine affection? Or are they hiding under beds because no one’s scooped a box in days?”

When someone asks him whether they should get another cat, he tells them to consider how their current cats might feel about it. “My usual reply is, ‘Only if your current cats would vote yes.’” He follows that up by confessing that, in all honesty, he finds that three is often the tipping point, after which it becomes difficult to keep up with everyone’s needs. “That’s not a rule or a judgment, just something I’ve observed after years in the exam room,” he says. 

Certified cat behavior consultant Joey Lusvardi concurs. “There isn't a hard and fast rule for how many cats is too many,” he tells me. “That said, it absolutely is possible to have too many cats if you can’t meet all their environmental, behavioral, social, and physical needs.” Lusvardi says to watch for behaviors like fighting and spraying, which indicate that you may have exceeded the number of cats with whom you can comfortably share your home. “As lovely as it would be to be able to make things work in whatever space, if you have a 400-square- foot studio apartment, you probably can’t keep four cats happy.”

(Let the record show that I have a one-bedroom apartment, and I have no idea how many square feet it is. Not that I’m seriously considering a fourth cat. At least, I don’t think I am.)

What to consider before getting another cat

Dr. Julie Hunt, a veterinary consultant for Embrace Pet Insurance, says if everyone in the household, cats and humans alike, is well cared for and happy, there’s not a problem. But if you’re wondering whether you have room for one more set of paws in your home, she says to ask yourself the following questions:

• Do you have the resources to care for another cat? Besides space, you need time to spend with your cats, plus funds to cover food, litter, and vet visits. “I have seen [cat parents] who put so much money into caring for their cats that they do not have enough money left over to care for themselves or their family,” Dr. Hunt cautions.

• Are you able to keep your home clean with your current number of cats? Dr. Hunt warns that some people may be overwhelmed by the amount of cleaning required to keep up with multiple cats. Between tracking litter around and vomiting up hairballs, cats can make quite the mess. If you’re not up for more scooping and scrubbing than you’re already doing, then you might want to quit while you’re ahead. 

• Do you have enough space? While Dr. Hunt says that a group of cats can live happily together, they need plenty of places to eat, drink, pee, poop, rest, and hide. “If there are not enough feeding, watering, toileting, and preferred sleeping spaces for the cats, then the cats will feel that resources are limited, and this can create problems in the social hierarchy,” she explains. 

• How are the humans in your home? It’s important to consider the needs of the people in your home, not just the cats, Dr. Hunt notes. If anyone has allergies or other health concerns that are exacerbated by the presence of cats, don’t get another cat. “Your cats should not create an adverse health environment for anyone living in the home,” she says.

In addition to these questions, cat behaviorist Stephen Quandt brings up another good one: What’s behind your desire to adopt another cat? “If you already have a good number — let’s just call it eight cats — why do you want another cat?” he asks. “Are you rescuing cats in an area where there is overcrowding? Do you want to become a sanctuary, and is that best done in your home? At what point should you be managing these cats outside? If you want another cat as a companion animal, what is it about the current eight cats that isn’t satisfying this purpose?”

I guess “because I saw a cute kitten on Instagram” isn’t the best answer.

The line you don’t want to cross

When I call myself a “cat lady,” it’s with my tongue firmly in my cheek — but it’s also with the awareness that it’s possible to cross a line from silly (if you’re reading this, I’m betting you’re familiar with the “Crazy Cat Lady” action figure) into seriously worrisome territory. Quandt, who has over 20 years of experience in the field, told me one of the shelters he works with is currently helping someone who has more than 40 cats.

Once a well-regarded cat rescuer, she depleted her savings and is now being evicted from her home. “People get into these situations for all sorts of reasons, often sad reasons, sometimes tragic ones,” he says. “Most of us never come close to ‘crossing the line’ into having too many cats. But the question should be looked at with compassion.”

Quandt says that for some people, one cat is too many, while others may be equipped to care for a houseful. It all comes down to your cats’ quality of life. “There is still a point past which one person can’t provide all the care that’s needed,” he acknowledges. “But the person can bring in helpers. Before long, they’re managing a colony, and maybe they’ll become a 501(c)(3) charity!”

That kind of talk makes me think I’d better mute my local animal shelter’s Instagram page before I can get myself into trouble. But Dr. Ameis reassures me: “If you’re quietly wondering if you’re already that cat person… trust me, you’re probably not. The ones I worry about never ask.”