Should You Adopt Two Cats Instead of One? #AdoptaShelterPet

We've almost always shared our home with at least two cats, and it's worked out pretty well for us. After Fritz crossed the Rainbow Bridge, we adopted Cosmo as a companion for Saffy. A few years later we adopted Phoebe to round out the trio. Cosmo gets along swimmingly with both of the girls, but Saffy and Phoebe don't hang together very often. Whatever the case, someone always has someone else with which to socialize, play and nap.

Saffy, Phoebe and Cosmo

I believe there are definite benefits to adopting two cats instead of one, if your situation is well-suited for more than one kitty. Here are some things to think about when considering bringing two cats into your home:

1. Companionship

Two cats usually entertain each other, providing social and mental interaction, exercise and additional grooming. Cats don't crave packs like dogs do, but they do tend to live in colonies in the wild, so the multi-cat household can be an easy and comfortable environment for two cats.

2. Space

Do you have enough space for multiple cats? Although cats can enjoy interaction, they also need space to be alone, hide and find height. Even a small home can be "catified" to create extra space with cat towers, shelves and other above-ground spaces for cats to inhabit. If you're looking for ideas, be sure to grab a copy of Jackson Galaxy and Kate Benjamin's new book, Catification -- it just came out this week, and includes some fun and practical solutions.

Also remember that you'll need space for as many litter boxes as you have cats, plus one.

Saffy and Cosmo

3. Cats or kittens? 

Adopting kittens from the same litter can be a benefit because they've already been socialized together. A kitten and an experienced cat can be a great choice as well -- that's what we've done in the past. It's important to make sure the adult cat with a history of living alone. When adopting an older cat, always access the history, if possible. Some cats specifically don't like children or other animals -- we need to respect those pieces of information. Sometimes adult cats were surrendered together, are close buddies, and it's a good idea to keep them together, if possible -- or at least not split them apart.

Cosmo and Phoebe share the vent (sort of)

4. Time and finances

In my experience, it's been a positive experience to have more than one cat, but there are definitely a few considerations regarding time and finances. Do you have the time to correctly socialize the new cat/s with any existing pets? This is critical and sets the tone for life with the new feline family members/s.

Multiple cats means multiple vet bills, jugs of litter and food. Truly examine those needs against your budget before making the adoption decision.

Do you share your home with multiple cats? Did you adopt more than one cat at the same time? What's been your experience?


This post is sponsored by BlogPaws. I am being compensated by helping spread the word about DIY projects that enrich cats' lives, but Catladyland only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. BlogPaws is not responsible for the content of this article.

CATastrophes Web Series Makes Us Laugh, and Helps Cats!

If you read Catladyland, I'm pretty sure you've got a great sense of humor and are all for cats finding great homes. Well, my friend Alana Grelyak of the Cat in the Fridge blog has teamed up with filmmaker husband Michael Gabriele to create a new humorous, cat-centric web series called CATastrophes. And Discovery Digital Network's Animalist.com has picked it up! This is good news for humans and cats alike!

CATastrophes stars Alana and actor/comedian Kris Flanagan, and each episode features adoptable cats and a couple who has to deal with comedic situations surrounding the cats. What's so cool about the series -- aside from the fantastically fun storylines and outstanding production quality -- is that these cats in need of homes get extra exposure. Win-win, right?

Kris and Alana are simply CATastrophic.

Between the longer features, Alana and Kris will offer tips on living with cats, showcase harder-to-adopt kitties and even reenact viewers' stories. And within the features are critical messages about important topics like spaying and neutering. The CATastrophes team has really figured out a way to use their medium to entertain and educate the public. And I much prefer their style to the hard-to-watch commercials and videos that feature the darker side of the subject.

Cats in tie = good entertainment.

The episodes will air weekly on Animalist.com and YouTube, and today's new one stars the one and only Lil BUB as a cat who has the power to take humans back in time! Also featured are adoptable cats from Tree House Humane Society in Chicago. I'm a big fan of The BUB, and thoroughly enjoyed this clever story. I'm planning on subscribing to the channel so I don't miss an episode. I'm sure after watching the current episode, you'll want to do the same thing. Plus ... BUB! Here it is:

Catladyland loves to support anything funny that also helps cats. This is exactly what CATastrophes does. I hope you'll join us in enjoying and sharing this fun and thoughtful new project.

This post is sponsored by Discovery Digital Network. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about CATastrophes, but Catladyland only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. Discovery Digital Network is not responsible for the content of this article.

#AdoptaCatMonth : What to Consider Before Bringing a Cat into a Home With Children

June is Adopt-a-Cat month, and I decided to write about something for which I feel a ton of passion: kids and cats. During my five years blogging and freelancing, I've received more than a little feedback from readers who don't think kids and cats should ever mix. They believe -- either from experience or opinion -- that kids are too rough and loud with cats.

Although this can be the case in some homes (as it is in homes with dogs, rabbits or any other type of pet), I believe it's more the exception than the rule. Don't let these preconceptions deter you from bringing an adopted kitty into your family; however, it's important to think about a few things prior to adoption.

We adopted Saffy as an adult and she immediately connected with my kids.

Your child's age and level of maturity

Not every 5-year-old child has the same personality or maturity level. My kids shared their home with a cat since the day they were born. They weren't grabby or particularly loud. Some family's homes are more chaotic in nature, and cats probably shouldn't join an environment like that -- felines prefer a more gentle and peaceful vibe.

The cat's personality

If you're able to, learn about the personality of the cat before adoption -- don't just choose your new family member based on "pretty fur" or "cute face." Many shelters offer a short history of the cat that may indicate whether or not the cat is good with children, other cats, and if he or she is active and playful or more shy. Always consider an adult cat, whose history is more clear -- plus, adult kitties are often overlooked in favor of kittens, and small children may be able to properly handle adult cats rather than fragile, tiny kittens. Give a mature feline a chance!

My son has almost always helped feed the cats.

Spend some time

Before bringing kitty home, allow your child to spend some time with him or her. Many shelters have private visiting rooms where you can observe the interaction between the child and cat.

Teach your child

Before adoption, and during the first days at home, teach your child the proper way to handle the kitty, and how to read basic cat body language. Your children's friends who visit should also receive a short lesson. If your child's friend is particularly grabby, loud and has little experience with cats, it may be best to place your kitty in a closed room during the visit.

My kids have always shared their home with cats.

Your schedule

Many families have a busy lifestyle. Although it's true that cats are quite independent, they still require daily attention, interaction and playtime. If your family is one that leaves home early in the morning and doesn't return until late evening, it's a good idea to rethink the choice to adopt a cat.

So if you have a family and are thinking about bringing a cat into your home -- yay! More homes for cats! But please remember that bringing a new cat into your home requires a lot of thought and responsibility.

This post is being sponsored by BlogPaws. I am being compensated for spreading the word about Adopt-a-Cat month, but Catladyland only shares information we feel is relevant to our readers. BlogPaws is not responsible for the content of this article.

Maddie's Pet Adoption Days Hopes to "Empty Out the Shelters"

What better goal than to empty shelters and find loving forever homes for 10,000 dogs and cats? Well, Maddie's Pet Adoption Days is setting out to do just that. On May 31 and June 1, 200 organizations in nine states will participate.

The largest event will take place in New York City, where Maddie's Pet Adoption Days is sponsored by Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals (Union Square: May 31, Union Square Park : June 1).

Guess what? The adoption fee is free. That's right -- there is no charge to adopt a pet during Maddie's Pet Adoption Days; however, only well-qualified individuals may adopt. Adoption standards are the same as any other day of the year. And each dog and cat are vaccinated and spayed or neutered.

Maddie's Fund is a California-based, family foundation, established in 1999 to help the creation of a no-kill nation. In 2013, Maddie's Fund Adoption Weekend, over 3-thousand dogs and 5-thousand cats were adopted nationwide!

Based on a survey from last year (conducted by Maddie's Fund):

• Over 50-percent of those who adopted said the waived fee was a motivation to adopt.
• 33-percent of the adopters indicated it was the first time they'd adopted from a shelter or rescue organization.
• Coming out of last year's event, 99-percent said they'd recommend adopting from a shelter or rescue to family, friends and co-workers.

Sweet Saffy!

We adopted our Saffy from Animal Humane Society 13 years ago.  We didn't care about a specific breed and knew shelters are usually good about being upfront with information about a pet's personality. We also wanted to adopt an adult cat, and knew they are often overlooked in favor of kittens. Saffy was a little over a year old. When we petted Saffy at the shelter, she immediately started purring, and I don't think she's stopped. I know she was lucky to find a home that day, but we were even luckier because she's brought such joy to our family.

A kitten finds a forever home during last year's event.

In addition to shelters knowing about pets' personalities, there are other benefits of shelter adoptions, including the reduction in demand of puppy mills and backyard breeders, access to a wide range of purebreds and mixes, and shelter pets are already vaccinated, spayed or neutered, and often microchipped.

If you'd like more information about Maddie's Pet Adoption days:

Click here for NYC adoption events.
Click here for events outside NYC.

And please help spread the word! Together, we can help shelter animals find loving, forever homes!


This post is sponsored by the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals. I am being compensated for helping spread the word about the benefits and joys of pet ownership, and the upcoming adoption event. All opinions are my own.

Help Increase Cat Adoptions and Dispel Myths!

We interrupt the Friday Fanglish post for a very important message!

If you're reading this blog, you probably already know cats are pretty cool. Unfortunately, there's sometimes a stigma attached to the cat parents and that's really too bad ... because we're pretty cool too! Did you know that cats outnumber dogs in the U.S.? In fact, there are 86.4 million cats in homes across the country. With their new campaign, Petfinder.com is on a mission to dispel the typical cat person stereotype and increase feline adoptions.

One of the ways we can help is by spreading the word by sharing downloadable graphics included in this post. Grab the graphics by clicking here and then post them on your blog or social media outlets.

One of my favorite parts of the campaign is the gallery of proud cat dads, including the Cat Daddy himself, Jackson Galaxy. And guess what else? My husband John and his Saffy girl are a part of the gallery!

I have a soft spot for guys who love cats. Cat moms and dads alike are a diverse group! We're funny, smart and compassionate people. Let's get out there and proclaim "I am a cat parent!" 

We'll be back next Friday with more Fanglish cat slang. Until then, catch up on past lessons!