#FurbabyFriday: @dochappycamper Revisits How Many Cats is Too Many? #catlady #MyWANA

Welcome to a revisited Furbaby Fridays with Dr. Tammy. This was the very first post I did for this feature even though since this blog's creation I've tossed out stories about my experiences as a veterinarian. Furbaby Fridays was my attempt to keep some of the stories going on a regular basis. Things got too hectic as my life tends to do, so this feature took a back seat for a bit. I'm hoping to give at least a post a month to this one. I'm starting out revisiting with the previous posts including the ones covering the things toxic to pets.

After twenty-one years as a veterinarian, I've seen and experienced quite a few memorable cases. Some of them would break your heart just as much as others would make you smile. Today I'd like to talk about a topic that quite a few people don't ever think about until they have a problem.

Just How Many Cats Is too Many for One Household?

If you put ten veterinarians in one room and ask this question, you will undoubtedly get ten different answers. Over the years I've come up with one criteria that will help you determine if you should have a cat in the first place and just how many you are willing to share your space with.  Drum roll please...you need a MINIMUM of one litter box per cat.  That's right. I said one box per cat. The rule of thumb is actually one box per cat plus one. So if you have two cats, you should have at least three litter boxes.

But I live in a small studio apartment? I can't have more than one box.

Well, then you shouldn't have more than one cat. Sure, two cats may do fine with the one box if it's a large one, but once you start adding the third, fourth and fifth cat to your furbaby family, you are asking for a world of hurt with only one litter box. 

Cats are very territorial. If they start to feel crowded or stressed in any way, they are going to start exhibiting behavior problems. The first of which is inappropriate urination. This doesn't just mean spraying urine on walls, doors and windows. Stressed cats will start urinating on bedding, furniture and clothing. You name it, they will pee on it. 

Stressed cats can develop a syndrome called FLUTD: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. This can be a life-threatening condition in male cats. Cystitis can develop because of the stress causing the cat to be unable to urinate and it's bladder to fill. Toxins normally expelled from the body through the urine will then back up causing kidney problems, even kidney failure, electrolyte imbalances that can cause a fatal arrhythmia, not to mention the cats are in excruciating pain. It's not pretty and requires an emergency run to your veterinarian.

The second most common behavioral issues with a crowded cat household is aggression directed at one or more of the other cats, or even human family members. Many cats are euthanized every year because of aggression towards humans. Most of these cases could have been avoided if the warning signs were noticed from the beginning. 

My cats do just fine with one litter box because they know if they start peeing on my stuff, they will be banished outside.

Good luck with that. As a veterinarian who has to treat outdoor cats for injuries from fights, dog attacks, hit by car/truck injuries, not to mention the contagious viral diseases that affect cats, I always recommend cats stay indoors. My two cats are indoors and they are quite happy. They have four litter boxes, multiple toys and scratching posts to keep them busy and we give them individual attention. We don't have fighting between them and we don't have any urinations or defecations outside of their litter boxes. Now if someone could find a way to retrieve all the bottle caps they've tossed under the stove and refrigerator, life would be "purrfect" for them!

If you live in an area where your cat is able to go outside and roam around without being exposed to the dangers I described above, more power to you. The folks who live in heavily populated areas should think twice about letting their cats roam. You may not mind having strange cats in your yard, but your neighbors may not be so happy about it. Some cities also require outdoor cats to be licensed and others have a limit on how many you can have in the house so make sure you check with the local animal control office for the local regulations.

Think twice about bringing home a cat!

I'm not saying DON'T have a cat or several cats as part of your family. I want you to think about a few things first before you bring that cute little fur ball into your home.

1. Is your living space big enough for the required number of litter boxes?

2. Are you willing to scoop out those boxes at least once a day and completely clean them out at least every other week?

3. Do you have a local veterinarian to be sure each cat is healthy before you bring them into your home and to help you keep them healthy afterward? This includes vaccinations, annual checkups, grooming if long haired, nail trims, dentistries, and proper nutrition. (For you vegetarians and vegans: cats are CARNIVORES. Their diet has to be mostly MEAT. If you can't handle the idea that your pet has to eat meat, then don't get a cat.)

4. Cats and dogs are a lifelong commitment. You can't just get rid of them when they no longer suit your needs/desires.

5. Are you willing to give up being the Master of your house? Once a cat enters, everything and everyone is there to serve them. ;)

I hope this post helps to give you some insight on what it takes to be the "guardian" of a cat. You can't make them fit your lifestyle. They allow YOU into theirs. Once you are "in," it's your responsibility to make sure they have everything they need to keep happy and healthy for many years to come.

Until next time...

~Dr. Tammy

#FurbabyFriday with Dr. Tammy, Sirius, and Gandalf

This week, I thought I would revisit a post I originally shared October 2011. In it our "boyos" were growing fast and taking over every single minute of our house. From the moment we brought both of them home, they've made sure my husband and I knew they were in charge. LOL 

Sirius was the first addition to our home having been abandoned at my veterinary hospital when he was barely two weeks old. Since he was so young, he needed to be bottle fed every couple hours. He was a bit of a demanding little thing even then, but he took over my husband's heart right from the moment I walked in the door with him. The first person he purred for was my hubs. The stinker knew right from that moment he was the King of the house! Even then, he was a biter so I told my husband we were going to get a second kitten so they could beat up on each other and not us. That's what I tell my client's who have kittens who are bottle fed. Usually they turn into little biters and having another kitten to grow up with usually curbs that biting...well, that was before anyone met Sirius Black!

Two weeks after Sirius took over our lives, little Gandalf the Gray was abandoned in a shopping cart near out clinic with four other kittens. He was six weeks old and the largest kitten of the litter. I took to him right from the start and thought he would be the perfect addition to the family and one who could give Sirius a run for his money.  I was definitely right about that part. As soon as Gandalf arrived, Sirius was fascinated by his older brother. Sirius was still in the awkward phase and very wobbly on his feet. Gandalf on the other hand could run and jump up on the bed all on his own. 

These two fun loving brothers are merely watched over by myself and my Muse.  I can't say we own them. On the contrary, it's more like these two fur balls own us lock, stock and barrel.  And you know, we wouldn't have it any other way.  As you can see by the above picture, anything we bring home, they immediately claim as theirs and won't give it up until they feel like it. Period. 

Does that sound familiar?  I'm sure it does. Anyone who's a guardian to a cat or several, knows full well what I'm talking about.  Being a veterinarian doesn't make me exempt from any of it.  In fact, I think the demands of these two rugrats have escalated beyond what non-veterinary folks have to endure.  The fact the I know better doesn't stop them from using their kitten secret powers on me and their "Poppy" at every turn.  When those powers wear off, they resort to the ever popular ankle biting.  Believe me, these two can tag team with the bites and kitten sad eyes and will have you putty in their paws in no time.  That telltale snarky purr will let you know that they got the best of you, but you won't care.  They're just too damn cute to resist.

There's no sleeping in for these two. At 3am every single day, rain or shine, they start crawling all over us in bed.  It's really subtle at first. Slowly they move up our bodies to settle on our chest or stomach. Any movement at all, will set off the slow rumbling purrs from both of them. With each passing minute, the purring gets louder and louder until it nearly echos off the walls.  Well, it seems that way since by this time they have made it up to settle on the pillows on top of my head and close to my ear.  Now the nibbling of the cheeks begins.  A few licks of those rough tongues are thrown in for good measure before they bite harder my chin. Notice that I said MY chin.  Those buggers won't bother their "Poppy" like this in the morning.  Oh no!  It's "Mommy" who will get up and feed them if they keep up the pleas.

Pushing them off of the pillows doesn't work.  They just go for phase two.  Gandalf will pounce on my feet, biting through the covers while his little brother Sirius nuzzles back up around my head and bites my ear.  I already have them pierced, but Sirius seems to think I want a few more holes.  Gandalf gets tired of chasing my toes and lands full pounce on my stomach.  Not a good thing this early in the morning as my bladder is near bursting.  I break free of the monsters long enough to make a break for the loo, and then they turn their attention to "Poppy" still snoring in the bed. 

Gandalf launches into his "happy feet" dance on "Poppy's" abs.  When he doesn't get the response he's looking for, he goes lower...THAT gets my Muse's attention.  He rolls over, strategically covering up vulnerable body parts and says "It's too early, boyos.  Five more minutes."  And in less time than that, he is fast asleep, snoring once again.  Do these boys give up?  Not a chance!

Both furballs streak to the bathroom to cut me off before I can get to the sink to wash my hands.  Zipping in and out between my bare ankles, nipping as they go, I get herded toward their empty food bowls.  At this point, I wave the white flag.  My skin is already bruised from those teeth and claws. I am too tired to fight back. I shuffle out to the kitchen with both boyos thudding down the hallway.  For animals who are supposed to be stealth hunters, they sure can make a hell of a lot of noise running down the hall!

Once the dishes are filled to their satisfaction, we make it back down the hallway to the bedroom.  The dishes are placed in the appropriate areas on their mats and then...nothing.  Two pairs of glowing eyes stare up at me, unblinking.  "Now what?"  I am too sleepy to figure it out at first, so Sirius walks over to their water fountain bowl and flips his foot in it.  "Forgive me, your highness.  Let me top that off for you."  I grab the water jug from the bathroom and fill up the chamber of water bowl and then climb back into bed, snuggle up to my Muse and try to get a few more hours of sleep. 

No such luck.

Sirius is not hungry after all.  He climbs up on top of my head again and starts purring Beethoven's Fifth in my ear.  One paw sneaks across my face and settles on my mouth, in essence telling me to "Shush, it's time to sleep."  Hmm, I think it's time to toss one black kitten out of the bed, but he thinks otherwise.  He slides off of my head and settles between me and his Poppy and is out cold in thirty seconds flat.  I'm beginning to feel ganged up on here!

Alarms go off about thirty minutes later and it's time for Poppy's shower.  Now the boys fly into the bathroom and watch him get ready, from shower, to shave, to brushing teeth. Sirius is up close and personal watching every single movement so that he can perform it himself "when he grows up."  I kid you not.  This cat studies everything we do in the bathroom. It's unnerving at times.  Gandalf on the other hand loves to watch from a distance, but will help you get dressed.  Pulling your socks away from you as you reach for them, sitting on your pants, giving them one last fluff before he lets you put them on, you know, the usual. 

Both kittens will then bolt down the hallway as Poppy makes his way to the kitchen to get a bottle of water and his keys.  Sirius grabs for the bottle, as Gandalf grabs for the keys.  Tag teaming at it's best once again.  Oh and don't go leaving money lying around either.  They will pocket every single dollar bill they can find.  One afternoon, Gandalf had a twenty dollar bill in his mouth as he came running out of the master bedroom.  With the cash and the keys, I think those two were going to go cruising in the Mustang looking for babes!

Since the Mustang was off to work with their Poppy, they came back to the bedroom to get me up again.  Seems that it was time to scoop the litter boxes, all four of them.  Yes we have four covered litter boxes for two cats.  The rule of thumb is actually one box per cat, plus one.  We were wise to use four.  These two fill up at LEAST two boxes daily.  They are lean mean pooping machines!  I just wish Sirius would leave the litter IN the boxes and not track it all over the house.  I can dream can't I?

Litter box clean up is a major production in our household. No sooner one of us gets a box scooped out, Gandalf will hop in and dump another load.  This happens with all four boxes.  Where the hell does he keep it all?  Oh and we can't leave the lid off of the litter bucket.  Sirius will try to pee in that when we are dealing with Gandalf.  Once again, they work together to make our lives just a little bit harder.

Nothing is sacred in our house. As soon as you sit anything down, they are all over it investigating what the new "thing" is and exactly what they will be able to do with it later. I swear, both of them nearly have seizures from the excitement when we bring in the groceries. Each and every single bag and box must be investigated by both cats thoroughly before we can put anything away.

Even with their antics, and they do new stuff every single day that surprise the hell out of us, we wouldn't have it any other way. They have grown up so fast and have taken over our hearts and our lives.  I know we can't imagine our lives without them now.  When I look into those two pairs of eyes, I know they feel the same.  They chose us just as much as we chose them.

#Furbaby Friday: How Many Cats is Too Many?

Welcome to the very first "official" post of Furbaby Fridays with Dr. Tammy. I say the first "official" post since last year I had talked about a variety animal/pet related topics on Not Enough Time in the Day. After nearly 20 years as a veterinarian, I've seen and experienced quite a few memorable cases. Some of them would break your heart just as much as others would make you smile. Today I'd like to talk about a topic that quite a few people don't ever think about until they have a problem.

Just How Many Cats Is too Many for One Household?

If you put ten veterinarians in one room and ask this question, you will undoubtedly get ten different answers. Over the years I've come up with one criteria that will help you determine if you should have a cat in the first place and just how many you are willing to share your space with.  Drum roll please...you need a MINIMUM of one litter box per cat.  That's right. I said one box per cat. The rule of thumb is actually one box per cat plus one. So if you have two cats, you should have at least three litter boxes.

But I live in a small studio apartment? I can't have more than one box.

Well, then you shouldn't have more than one cat. Sure, two cats may do fine with the one box if it's a large one, but once you start adding the third, fourth and fifth cat to your furbaby family, you are asking for a world of hurt with only one litter box. 

Cats are very territorial. If they start to feel crowded or stressed in any way, they are going to start exhibiting behavior problems. The first of which is inappropriate urination. This doesn't just mean spraying urine on walls, doors and windows. Stressed cats will start urinating on bedding, furniture and clothing. You name it, they will pee on it. 

Stressed cats can develop a syndrome called FLUTD: Feline Lower Urinary Tract Disease. This can be a life-threatening condition in male cats. Cystitis can develop because of the stress causing the cat to be unable to urinate and it's bladder to fill. Toxins normally expelled from the body through the urine will then back up causing kidney problems, even kidney failure, electrolyte imbalances that can cause a fatal arrhythmia, not to mention the cats are in excruciating pain. It's not pretty and requires an emergency run to your veterinarian.

The second most common behavioral issues with a crowded cat household is aggression directed at one or more of the other cats, or even human family members. Many cats are euthanized every year because of aggression towards humans. Most of these cases could have been avoided if the warning signs were noticed from the beginning. 

My cats do just fine with one litter box because they know if they start peeing on my stuff, they will be banished outside.

Good luck with that. As a veterinarian who has to treat outdoor cats for injuries from fights, dog attacks, hit by car/truck injuries, not to mention the contagious viral diseases that affect cats, I always recommend cats stay indoors. My two cats are indoors and they are quite happy. They have four litter boxes, multiple toys and scratching posts to keep them busy and we give them individual attention. We don't have fighting between them and we don't have any urinations or defecations outside of their litter boxes. Now if someone could find a way to retrieve all the bottle caps they've tossed under the stove and refrigerator, life would be "purrfect" for them!

If you live in an area where your cat is able to go outside and roam around without being exposed to the dangers I described above, more power to you. The folks who live in heavily populated areas should think twice about letting their cats roam. You may not mind having strange cats in your yard, but your neighbors may not be so happy about it. Some cities also require outdoor cats to be licensed and others have a limit on how many you can have in the house so make sure you check with the local animal control office for the local regulations.

Think twice about bringing home a cat!

I'm not saying DON'T have a cat or several cats as part of your family. I want you to think about a few things first before you bring that cute little fur ball into your home.

1. Is your living space big enough for the required number of litter boxes?

2. Are you willing to scoop out those boxes at least once a day and completely clean them out at least every other week?

3. Do you have a local veterinarian to be sure each cat is healthy before you bring them into your home and to help you keep them healthy afterward? This includes vaccinations, annual checkups, grooming if long haired, nail trims, dentistries, and proper nutrition. (For you vegetarians and vegans: cats are CARNIVORES. Their diet has to be mostly MEAT. If you can't handle the idea that your pet has to eat meat, then don't get a cat.)

4. Cats and dogs are a lifelong commitment. You can't just get rid of them when they no longer suit your needs/desires.

5. Are you willing to give up being the Master of your house? Once a cat enters, everything and everyone is there to serve them. ;)

I hope this post helps to give you some insight on what it takes to be the "guardian" of a cat. You can't make them fit your lifestyle. They allow YOU into theirs. Once you are "in," it's your responsibility to make sure they have everything they need to keep happy and healthy for many years to come.

Until next time...

~Dr. Tammy