[Search for users] [Overall Top Noters] [List of all Conferences] [Download this site]

Conference misery::feline_v1

Title:Meower Power is Valuing Differences
Notice:FELINE_V1 is moving 1/11/94 5pm PST to MISERY
Moderator:MISERY::VANZUYLEN_RO
Created:Sun Feb 09 1986
Last Modified:Tue Jan 11 1994
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:5089
Total number of notes:60366

1311.0. "Help me convince Hubby" by VLS5::ALEXANDER () Thu Apr 28 1988 10:53

    
    I need help convincing my hubby that getting another kitty
    is NOT such a bad idea.  Were the type of people who derive
    sheer joy from our own kitty and love other peoples cats too.
    I know deep down, he would love it if I brought one home - he
    doesn't fool me for a minute.  His main concerns are: What to
    do when traveling, increase in hair, catfood cans ( we sort our
    trash and have to peel lables & rinse - no big deal really )
    kitty box maintainence...the usual.  I feel that the pleasure
    a little kitten in our home would bring, far outweighs the added
    responsibility. Yaddie, our present cat is two years old now and
    still has kitten tendencies...(jumping sideways, batting wine corks
    around, climbing into bags you know...) I think she'd get used to
    it,,,plus I think my husband is worried about insulting yaddie by
    getting another...TWO CAT OWNERS....help me out.  How did you deal
    with these things?...I recently had Smitty for three weeks and toward
    the end they were really warming up to each other...and smitty is
    an 8 year old (and quite large) Kitty. She went home last night
    and I'm gonna miss havin two... I will continue to work on the hubbs
    ( he's admitted "if it were a calico, i might...") with your help!
    
    Thanks
    Nancy&Yaddie
    
    
T.RTitleUserPersonal
Name
DateLines
1311.1You NEED two...HELCAT::MASONExplaining is not understandingThu Apr 28 1988 11:1812
    1. One cat NEEDS company.
    
    2. Get a shorthair.
    
    3. They will get along fine (soon if not immediately).
    
    4. Two are no(t much) more difficult than one no matter what you
    do with them for travel purposes.                            
    
    5. Now is the season!
    
    Gary
1311.2I agree...you need twoUSMRM2::ESILVAThu Apr 28 1988 11:308
    Yes, I agree with Gary.... a cat does need a feline friend to play
    with...thats why I have two...plus its double the fun!   And you
    never feel guilty about leaving them alone...they have each other
    while you're at work.
    
    Hope this helps!  :-)
    
    Erin
1311.3It can be done....NUGGET::CARIBOThu Apr 28 1988 12:0919
    Tell him there are others out there that have 4, 5, 6, etc.  I thought
    that I might have problems talking my husband into another cat (we
    currently have 3) and was very pleased when he said DO IT (tonight
    is the night that I go to Framingham to pick up Mr. Whiskers if
    he is still there, if not some other lucky kittie comes home)!
    
    The previous message is correct in saying that they keep each other
    company, that is why I'm picking up another purr-box.  I can't wait.
    Your right in saying that it won't be any more trouble, you have
    to run the can opener anyway, right? You have to clean the box
    regularly, so what is the problem with one more little (or big)
    kitty.
    
    Good Luck, I did it. I'm sure you'll also be successful.
    
    A fellow Kitty Lover,
    
    Lorna
      
1311.4Kitties need other kitties58019::HTAYLORCat lovers are a special breedThu Apr 28 1988 12:2315
   YEAH!!!!!!!!  Mr. Wiskers has a new home!!!!!!!!!!!  WONDERFUL!!!
    
    Now, for your Hubby.  I do completely agree with the last few replies.
    Two furr faces is double the fun.  They are so funny when they play
    (sounding like a heard of elephants running up and down the hallway.)
    and they love each other so much.  I don't know what Silver would
    do if she didn't have Tabbatha (and visa versa).  They also look
    SO cute when they cuddle together. 
    
    Two kitties isn't much more trouble than one.  Keep talking about
    it to your Hubby and he will eventually come around.
    
    Holly (Who has two kitties and will be adding two more kitties in
    September as soon as they are old enough.)
    
1311.6Two is no different than oneFSHQOA::RWAXMANThu Apr 28 1988 12:5623
    Two really isn't much more trouble than one.  As far as more cat
    food cans are concerned, you will *buy* more, but not *open* any
    more than usual if you do what I do.  Both Chauncey & Nikki split
    two cans a day.  When I had Chauncey alone, I was giving him two
    cans per day and found he was eating too much and getting too fat.
    So when Nikki came along I was still opening the same two cans per
    day, but now both cats are eating them instead of just one.
    
    I find that Chauncey is much happier having Nikki around to play
    with.  But...my home is starting to suffer because they play so
    rough; bouncing off walls, knocking things over, etc.  However,
    the minimal damage they do is nothing compared to the joy I get
    from having them to talk to, cuddle with, and spoil rotten!  I know
    what you're going through...my fiance didn't want one cat let alone
    two.  But now when they get me upset with their destructiveness
    and I threaten to give them away, Dana won't let me.  Deep inside,
    he has grown very attached to Chauncey (Nikki & him still have some
    hurdles to overcome) even though he'll never admit it!!
    
    As far as talking him into three...forget it!
    
    Good luck...let us know the result!!
    
1311.7GOING ON THREEAIMHI::OFFENThu Apr 28 1988 13:4215
    Yeah, two are definitely better than one.  Lightning was an `only
    child' until we brought Deja home.  Lightning was 5 years old at
    the time.  Now, I can't remember not having two cats.
    
    They definitely do amuse each other (and me).  Besides, I am getting
    so much more exercise entertaining two of them now.
    
    I am not opening any more cans either.
    
    As to Whiskers....   YYYYEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH......
    
    
    Sandi (Lightning's & DejaVu's mom) (and Thunder too, soon)
    
    
1311.8MY TWO KIDSHAZEL::FLYNNThu Apr 28 1988 14:396
    
    I'm the owner of two cats, Rum and Coke. Two black cats that terrorize
    me from the moment I'm home. But I wouldn't have it no other way.
    They sleep together, eat together, go out together, and wash together.
    
    Jeannie
1311.9Twice the fun!SWAT::COCHRANEBeen there,done that,what's next?Thu Apr 28 1988 15:1314
    I adopted Charm (7 year old cat) to keep Niniane company and
    to quiet her down some (5 month old kitten).  Ha!  She's livened
    up Charm!!!  But it's worth it to see them tumbling over each other
    and chasing them around the house!
    
    I wouldn't trade "the thundering hoard" for anything!
    
    Two is great, and it really *is* less work.  Not to mention less
    guilt.  We're away a lot, and I feel much better knowing that Niniane
    isn't starved for attention and has someone to play with.
    
    You'll never go back to one again!                      
    
    Mary-Michael, Niniane and Charm
1311.10Elaine has thirteen times the fun!!58019::HTAYLORCat lovers are a special breedThu Apr 28 1988 15:165
    Really, the person to ask in Elaine Trachman.  She has thirteen
    of them and wouldn't trade any of them for the world.
    
    Holly
    
1311.11Triple the joyAKOV88::BROWNThe more the merrier!Thu Apr 28 1988 15:2017
If you think it's hard convincing hubby to let you have two cats,
imagine my challenge in convincing him that 7 (soon to be 8) is
okay.  And he changes the litter box!  I do all the food, water,
vet visits and medication -- still think I get the better end of
the deal...

Based on personal experience starting with one cat and adding more,
two cats is not twice as much work but it is more than twice as much
fun.  They keep each other company so I found them less likely to be
destructive; they still love their people and I haven't noticed them
being any less affectionate (less demanding maybe, you aren't the
only living soul they see all day).

Try it, you'll like it!!


Jan  who_has_decided_her_cat-max_=_9
1311.12Good ol' guilt...GEMVAX::ROYThu Apr 28 1988 17:4316
    There's also the guilt factor (were he to continue to say no):
    
    "But honey, if we don't take Fluffy home from the shelter by Friday,
    there going to euthanize him..."
    
                               or
    
    "Think of all those poor homeless creatures, and what good WE'D
    be doing by taking just one more in..."
    
    (This may certainly sound melodramatic, but unfortunately it's also
     true!)
    
    Good luck --
    
    Maureen
1311.1313 is WONDERFUL!TOPDOC::TRACHMANThu Apr 28 1988 18:0515
    13 is a wonderful number - except for this morning at 5 am when
    3 of the babies went sailing over my face when they were doing
    the INDY-1000 around the house - they were hungry (I think) and
    wanted me to get up. sigh...  I thought that I would have a
    black eye for sure, but nope - not even a scratch.
              
    Shoo Shoo for 13 in a swimmingl pool is easy to describe, but not
    here!!  I guess what goes in must come out!  
    
    
    
    There really are not enough words to describe love times 13 !!
    They are all the BEST OF THE BEST OF THE BEST in the whole world.
    
    E.T.
1311.14MIGHTY::WILLIAMSBryan WilliamsFri Apr 29 1988 13:3310
    In our case, I am responsible for the purchase of 3 of our 6. I
    love cats. And the others are right - one cat is lonely. Two are
    twice the fun. You should see the zoo at feeding time!
    
    On a more serious note, I'd rather someone only have one and have
    the resources to make sure it's fed properly and has proper care,
    than to have 2+ and not be able to make sure they all have proper
    care. If he hasn't objected on that basis already, he probably won't.
    
    Bryan