Should you have one cat or two?

Is it more the merrier or are our feline friends happier when they are the only cat in the home? 

Cats are naturally solitary animals and more than happy in their own company. However, over time and through domestication, they have adapted to happily co-exist with other cats, and other pets, under the right circumstances and even form beautiful partnerships!

When considering if more than one cat is the right decision for you, you may want to think about the following:

• Playing with another cat can be very beneficial, for example, coordination can be taught and fined tuned with an enthusiastic friend.
• When your cat is in a playful mood, they will have their own playmate. This is especially helpful if you spend long periods of time out of the home. Playing together will keep them both mentally and physically stimulated. This social interaction can enrich their daily lives. 
• They also have emotional support helping them to relax when visiting the vet or staying away from home, in our Cat-topia!

A few other things to keep in mind:

• An older cat can feel irritated by the addition of a new cat to the home especially if the new cat is younger and wants to play while the older cat would rather snooze! Bringing two kittens home together would be ideal but it’s not impossible for a younger and older cat to get along and bond. 
• There will be the additional cost of more food, vet visits, multiple litter trays and more time and effort required from you for cleaning and petting. Each pet will need an equal amount of time and affection from you. 
• Being instinctively solidarity animals, they don’t enjoy sharing important resources and being in a situation where this is required may cause them stress. You can make adjustments to make this more comfortable for them by having multiple litter trays and water bowls. Also ensuring each cat has their own space to retreat to when needed.
  

Ultimately the decision to add a new pet to your family will depend on your unique situation. A healthy happy cat with its needs met will thrive, with and without the addition of a new friend!

How many pets do you have? We’d love to know!