10 Reasons It’s Smart to Have More than One Cat

Source: © Shutterstock

As often as my cat is on our counters or jumping from the island to the top of the fridge to the top of the cabinets, it’s not even in my realm of desire to own a second cat. However, my kids are desperate for a kitten that can grow up with our cat and be his best kitty friend. It’s not happening in my house, but there are actual real life reasons why it’s sometimes better to have two cats than one and we have those reasons here for you right now. Read on to find out why you should get that second cat.

Everyone Needs a Friend

It’s the truth; we all need a friend. A cat is the same way. Cats can become quite lonely when left to their own devices all day every day. If you’re not home or you can’t spend that much quality time with your cat, you might want to consider a second cat so that you can give him or her a friend that will prevent boredom and other issues of that nature.

Older Cats are Nuts by Themselves with New Kittens

If you have an older cat at home and decide you want a kitten, you might want to get two kittens. One kitten with so much energy and so much to burn will drive an older cat nuts by itself. If it has a kitten friend, however, it’s less likely to want to drive the older cat nuts and then everyone is happier as a whole. Kittens are fun, but they’re not always fun for older cats that have to live with them and deal with them on a regular basis.

They’ll Try More Food

You know how you can’t get your kids to try anything new half the time? Well, what about when they have a friend come over who eats something they’re not eating and suddenly your kid is all about trying new food? That’s what happens when kids have someone around to play with them. They want to try new things because they are influenced. And that is the same way in which cats work, too. They want to try new things because someone else is trying new things and it sounds like a load of fun.

Sleeping Buddies

Two cats can sleep together. What does this mean for you? This means that two cats probably won’t spend much time in the middle of the night crawling around your bed looking for someone with whom they can cuddle. If they have a kitten friend nearby and handy, they’re going to want to stay near the cat and be close to it instead of you. This might mean you get to spend more time with the cat when you want to spend time with the cat rather than in the middle of the night when you’re just over that stuff.

They’re Really Cute

Cats are cute, and why wouldn’t you want additional cuteness in your house? My husband and I wanted a third baby and we ended up with twins, and I can’t even tell you how much cuter it is to see two babies doing things at the same time than it is to just see one. And it’s so much easier because they have a built-in playmate that makes them happy all the time. It’s really cute and really sweet and really something that would work with cats, too.

Saving a Life

When you get a cat from the shelter, you save it’s life. When you get two cats from the shelter, you save two lives. Do you see where we are going with this one? You save one life or you save two. You could save more, if you wanted to, but we don’t want to pressure anyone into becoming the crazy cat people. We are just saying that adopting a cat is a great way to save a life and make someone appreciate your efforts and your abilities.

Two Cats Learn Together

When you have two cats, they’re more likely to self-train themselves to follow instructions, use the litter box and behave as a whole. One cat will learn these things eventually, but two cats will learn them much faster. This means you will spend a lot less time being stressed and overwhelmed, and that is a trait I can assure you that you will be very appreciative of at some point in your life.

Your Litter Box will be Cleaner

No, two cats aren’t a magic way to clean out your litter box. However, you will have to keep it a lot cleaner since cats won’t use it if it gets too messy. It’s like built-in motivation to keep your litter box clean, which will make the area in which you store it smell a lot better and it will make your life a lot easier. It’s not fun to clean this box, but the result is really nice, don’t you agree?

Less Chance for Boredom and Trouble

One cat will get really bored throughout the day, and that can lead to trouble. Cats are not like dogs in that they probably will not eat your shoes and try to scratch their way out of rooms by tearing up the walls and trim, but they can get into trouble. That vase on your table? They might think it looks better on the floor. That hat you love might become a missing object when the cat gets a hold of it. Just know that when a cat has a friend to play with, it will probably get into much less trouble as a whole.

They Wear One Another Out

You know how your one cat loves to get in your bed in the middle of the night and knead your face looking for some attention? Or how your cat likes to suddenly decide now is the time to chase a hair tie around the wood floor with clicking nails at 3 am? If you have two cats, they’ll do this all day and probably sleep all night. I’m just saying; it’s true.

Photo by Christopher Furlong/Getty Images