We come home, get greeted, or, if it’s our turn, seek out the cat to announce our arrival. There’s play time, dinner time, and then nap time. That’s when we notice the quiet living room. We are ready for more cat time.
And there is no cat.
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Cats sleep two thirds of the time. This is great when we are busy. But when we long for cat company, the cat is often not available. They might like to sleep on our laps, the couch, or in the same room, but often they need their alone time.
This is the “cat gap.”
Once we know how much fun cats are, we want more. More interaction, more fun, more of the intensity and affection cats provide. If we find ourselves wanting more than one cat can give, we should consider more cats.
Of course, then people would know we like cats.
I don’t know why this should give anyone pause. If we like completing marathons, painting pictures, or collecting Beanie Babies, and get more, society approves. Getting more cats implies nothing more than the fact that we like cats. Then there’s the practical aspects.
More cats are easier than one. How can this be?
Cats do not have to obey the laws of physics. Once we are spooning out food or scooping litter, more cats do not double or triple our workload. It only increases it in small increments. More cats increases our cat pleasure exponentially, so more cats are fun, squared.
We find the burden of amusement and training is greatly lifted with more cats. More cats can play with each other, help each other figure out navigation and guidance, and be companions when they are alone. When we have more than one cat, they form a social mind towards our stuff, wherein one cat is daring to investigate and another cat is saying, “Don’t do it, you’ll get us in trouble.”
This illustrates the communication advantages. By virtue of their interaction with us and each other, we increase the potential of each other’s messages getting through. Any requests by us will be understood by the cat who has the best receiver, and then they will pass it on to the other cats.
Cats who aren’t good at communicating with humans learn from other cats. With desirable cat skills, adding other cats increases all the cat’s skills in that area, because they have other cats to model the desired behavior. Group cats are far more likely to send and receive community signals with their face and body when they get constant practice with other cats. This makes the signals obvious and easy for humans to pick up.
It’s as though each cat we add tunes the antenna better.
Yes, it’s a commitment to cats. It’s a smart commitment to cats. That’s part of cat self-maintenance domination in all categories. Cats have ways that make taking care of them simple and reliable, leaving more time for enjoyment.
Half of all people with cats have more than one. Because they know that the “cat gap” is not just wanting cat time and having none available. It’s also the gulf between our two species when we are dealing with a cat in isolation. It’s the pressure on the cat to be all things to their people. Closing the gap fills the hole in our lives.
Because with more cats, we get far more.
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There’s more about multiple cats in The Way of Cats than the article you are reading now. See more posts on the MULTIPLE CAT ADVANTAGE.
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You are so right about multiple cats. I adopted my Maxie and Rosie together because they were sisters from the same litter, the only surviving kittens from a rescue situation. Half of the fun is seeing them interact with each other. One minute they’re grooming each other with great love and care… then one of them slaps the other and they’re off. Just like sisters.
I discovered a much harder cat gap in the new days between the death of my cat and adopting these two. No cats anywhere! I had no idea an empty hosue could feel so empty.
Yes, it’s wonderful to see what cats do with each other. That’s why I say two cats isn’t just double the enjoyment. It’s fun, squared.
At this moment I have 12 cats & kittens, indeed a one big happy feline family:) the more the merrier, hehehe… In fact, they outnumbered the humans population at my home now;)
My brother & I love to watch & observe their behaviors & characters day to day, they fond of imitating each other & apply it to us! And, they love to impersonate our behavior too, LOL
I have two cats at present, a snowshoe male going on 11 yrs old, and a little tabby female, about 8. Both are shelter adoptees. They get along well, not “cuddle up” friends, but share the house and my attention with equanmity. My husband recently died. I have learned about two female Siamese, each ten years old, who have been life companions and who were relinquished together to a local no kill shelter. They must be adopted together. I can’t stop thinking about them. I haven’t gone to meet them yet, but still wonder if they could help me while I help them. Each of my current cats came to me after the death of a previous cat, and I found a surprising level of comfort in providing a home to a cat who needed it, when I had a place to offer. But thinking about integrating two tightly bonded cats to a household with two other cats gives me pause. I recently saw your facebook page, and am wondering if you have any thoughts.
.-= Woodstock´s last blog ..First Homestand =-.
I am so sorry for the loss of your husband. I was once widowed myself; it’s a terrible blow.
I think it would work out well adopting these two Siamese, because two cats who are already friends form a unit which balances out the two you already have. This isn’t one new cat intruding on territory; this is two cats who can support and reinforce each other. They won’t have loneliness pushing them onto the other cats, and your present cats will not be able to outflank them, either. The two new cats are also in the right age range for mutual understanding.
Two new cats is actually an easier proposition, in some ways, than one new cat, as I discuss in this article. And these two, already friends, are optimized for such a plan.
I think your heart is telling you the right things.