Jul 15, 2011

Cats Happen: How One Kitty Undid 10 Years of Saying No

How many of you swore forever that you'd only have one cat? You don't need more than that, you said. All that poop scooping, the vet bills, the cat hair...

And then somehow, for some reason, you caved.

That's exactly how it happened in our house. Pimp was an only child for 10 whole years, the king of the condo, the mayor of the apartment, the only child.

It never even occurred to me to get him a friend early on, and after years of him being used to peace and quiet and hogging the whole bed or couch, I figured he was just too old to throw another cat or kitten in the mix. I couldn't do it to him, I always said.

I turned away more than a few strays that showed up at my front door. I wrestled with my love of my parking lot kitties, The Meows, and not being able to bring them home, I ooohed and awwwed at kitten after kitten at adoption centers -- but I never caved. I just couldn't do it to Pimp.

And then, one day, a crazy little cow cat showed up on my back porch and my whole resolve melted away.


Don't know what it was about that silly spotted kitty that made me change my decade-long resistance, but whatever it was, I'm so glad I did!

Seriously, when people say two cats are better than one, they're not just saying that. They are! More cuddles, more love, more meows, more purrs! And if one of them doesn't feel like snuggling, the other one probably does. I'm never, ever, ever lonely or alone (sometimes to the point of annoyance, but that doesn't last long).

And Pimp? He's just fine and I think that secretly (he'll never admit it or show it publicly), he loves him and is glad he's around.

Now, when I leave for work all day or for a weekend away, I know they have each other to keep themselves company.

Yeah, I scoop poop more and have a little bit more vet bills, but I think I still come out ahead. I have two furry sons now, and I can't imagine life without BOTH of them.

I'm not getting a third one though... Yet.

Do you have more than one pet? Thinking about it? Pets Add Life (PAL) is celebrating multiple pet households. They're all about how pets add life to our lives. And they do! Check out PAL on Facebook.

This post is sponsored by the Pets Add Life campaign and the American Pet Products Association. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership, which is nice, of course, but I would have done it anyway! :)


  1. that pic of Moo is adorable.... who could say no to that?

  2. 4 sets of paws and 9 sets of hooves up!

  3. I'm working on convincing my husband for us to take two of the kittens from his mom's cat's litter, not just Quinn. Yeah, it'll cost more pet fees each month for the apartment and some more vet bills, but cats are often so much happier as a pair, especially littermates.

  4. I've now got 4 cats, only one of which, Phoebe, was chosen by me; the other 3 have moved in of their own accord.  Stewie was the first arrival, a big ginger tom who arrived and said "Well, here I am!".  Then came Busker, who is also a crazy little cow cat.  He started sneaking into the house and hanging around the garden and took a long while to come out of his shell.  When it snowed he decided it was too cold to stay out and that was that.  Now we've inherited Jess; poor little thing was left when her owners moved away, and another neighbour took pity on her and fed her.  Then he died and she was homeless again, so she moved into my garden.  She hasn't yet come into the house, she prefers the garden while it's warm.  She comes when I call her and after some coaxing, she now enjoys being stroked.  No doubt when it gets cold she'll be making herself at home.  I think there is an notice that only cats can see that reads "Cat Lady Lives Here - Food and Love Guaranteed"!!

  5. You should meet Hamlet before you say two are better than one *gRumble*

    (don't tell anyone, but I'm way happier having him here, even if he is a stinker)

  6. Pimp and Moo....they are like peanut butter and jelly or simon and garfunkel!!! So handsome!! Have a great weekend!! :-)

  7. Awwwh tear! Feel the same way had 2 furever and added a 3rd twice now lol! My husband say's 3 is CAT PACITY HA! Can't imagine life with out them and neither can an allergic (former cat not liker) husband. He spoils them more then me.

  8. I was the same way!  I was convinced that Holly (age 3) would never accept another cat and so I was going to be a one-cat girl.  But then I saw Figaro on my local animal shelter's website, and I had to have him.  I have now had Figaro for a month, and I wouldn't have it any other way.  Holly is still getting used to the idea, but she's coming around.

  9. ha ha - I have 8.  And they are my "second round" since the first "one" cat adopted us in our first apartment.  They all lived to ripe old age in their 20s but as they died I felt like my kids needed kittens, needed life, needed to experience the joy of growing up with cats - so Flame and Midnight joined the family.  They've been followed by Fireball, Thunderbolt, and Sparky, Plush, Treeno (my soul cat I drove 24 hours to get), Shadow and newly, Sebastian (after my daughter unexpected lost Sparky to the Rainbow Bridge).  Half are rescues - half are "free kitten" adoptions from friends or friends of friends.  Thankfully all additions have gone well and Midnight rules his roost (mostly) benevolently.

  10. I couldn't agree more, us 6 rescues are loving life and helping our humans too!

  11. Caroline (MacandFuzCat)July 15, 2011 at 11:28 AM

    Our first cat was an only child who lived to 17.  We waited a while (too long), then replaced her with 2.  Have kept 2 ever since.  One always becomes "mine" and the other "his" by the cats' choices.  He says "no" to a 3rd so far. . .

  12. I am not even going to tell you how many live here and I love every one of them. It is under 20. Need  to find a home for Lil Em. 

  13. Those cow cats definitely know how to worm themselves into people's hearts!

  14. Princess Sophie Bean was an only kitty for 7 years, then I fell in love with a picture of two brothers and brought them home. We lost Max (aka MooMoo) after 2 1/2 years to undetected heart failure. His brother Sammy was lonely so we adopted Harry. Sammy left us a little over a year later (also undetected heart failure) and I was lonely so we adopted Frankie. The boys fight and play with each other and Sophie ignores them all. We will never be a one cat house again. Three cat crazy is where it's at here! :) 

  15. How sweet! We caved a little easier and even when 6 kittens were added to our original 3 we kept taking in more (although we lost a couple). The more the merrier!

  16. I adopted a second cat six months ago.  My older cat HATES his new brother.  Currently, they are fighting (this is a power struggle that's been going on for weeks, not a fight right now) over a one foot square of prime real estate next to my pillow on my bed.  But frankly, it is getting better, and I'm still glad I did it.  And my newer cat, he makes me laugh my butt off every day.  Sure, there are kinks in the plan, but  the three of us are still family.  Plus my older cat doesn't whine at me with that sad, lonely cry when I come home anymore.  That's all the reassurance I need.  

  17. I've almost always had cats during my adult life and at one time I had 8. It was kind of crazy, but when they are starving and show up at the door - what else can one do?
    Right now I'm down to 3. They are wonderful - 2 boys one girl. They are great company for me and for each other.



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