Expert: Shanti Zinzi - 7/27/2011

Question
Hi Shanti,

We currently have 13 cats at home. We initially had three [a 7-yr-old, a 4-yr-old and a 3-yr-old].  And then just before Christmas season 2010 I found a feral mama and her litter of 4 kittens struggling to survive in a grotty urban area, and started feeding them 2-3 times daily.

Our local animal welfare and cat rescue agencies were unable to trap/keep them because they were all overflowing at the time [our summer period].  I hired a trap and used cat carriers to trap mama and her kittens and brought them home.  We later discovered that mama was pregnant again, and had 5 kittens in early March.

After a period of adjustment [and lots of intense learning on my part] everyone seems to be getting along fine, although we still have not had mama cat spayed because she is still flighty about being handled, but that is next on the list.

Anyway, my question is, with 13 cats and their different temperaments, who like playing together, I am concerned about how much human attention they need.  They are all friendly with me and my parents [who enjoy the cats' company too], and are free to wander in and out of the house [except the mama and kittens who stay inside], have outdoor shelter also, and we prefer to keep them safe inside overnight.

None of them seem wanting of attention [their behaviour is calm and playful].  I'm just not sure if there is a daily attention quota for cats that is recommended.

Thank you

Answer
Hi Jody,

Thank you for inquiring and for saving the kitties.. Yes, they are all going to need to be spayed and neutered asap, as you will soon have a lot more than 13... They can start mating at 6months which it seems the first litter is.
Inquire on a discount from a humane society but that should be your TOP priority.
The March kittens in the next couple of months may be able to have kittens as well-so you need to get them spayed and neutered ASAP..
Honestly, this can become hundreds of kittens in no time. Please understand the urgency here...

6mos old is teenager and although we don't want pregnant teens it won't stop them from mating...some may not mate until 7-9 mos but that doesn't matter they are ready and can very well mate at 6mos...

The litter mates can mate with each other. Keep the males and females separated until they are all fixed..

It is nice to hear they get along but i would seek them out and have them exposed to people (people coming into the home etc) because if you are ever at a place where you couldn't care for them it would be incredibly difficult to get an "under-socialized" cat adopted..
There are some of the cats that are killed in the millions each year throughout the world..
Get them all used to being handled and picked up...Start training them for potential vet visits-have them comfortable with opening mouths, trimming nails, etc and be very gentle while doing it.

You can put several on your lap at a time if there isn't enough time in the day...and give them cuddles..and kisses and lots of pets. Whisper to them and talk gently etc..
There is no set quota but i would think at least a half hour a day of good handling with picking up, holding and getting them comfortable while holding, etc would be recommended esp when they are kittens...they can come seek you out and reward them for it with gentleness and kindness and play games with them etc...
Cats that live with less cats would require more and seek you out more for their affection needs but they are also in a time period  in their developments where play and honing skills are more of what we witness. But, they must be very comfortable with humans and human handling for the highest probability for success. Heaven forbid one gets ill and must be medicated-it could be almost impossible to do unless they are all comfortable with handling etc..

If they didn't have each other they would be more likely to seek human attention, but I would still insist on getting them very used to human handling and pets..
Thanks again, good luck with the surgeries!!
Best,
Shanti