File :-(, x, )
Too many? Anonymous
How many pets is too many for one person to own? Growing up I feel like my family had a ton of pets (1 horse, 1 dog, 3 parakeets, 1 hamster, and fish) but that we were able to care for them all very well because we had a huge backyard, lots of time, and there were 4 of us to be spending time with the animals. I'm in college now and in a month I will be out of the dorms and living in an apartment.

I had previously decided to adopt a cat from our humane society place as soon as I'm living somewhere that allows pets. But suddenly I'm remembering how precious my hamster was and I feel like I want to buy one. And then I remember how cute my parakeet was and how it would sit on my shoulder and say "helloooo" and I feel like I want a parakeet too.

Is this me just missing my old pets because I'm currently pet-less? Will this go away once I adopt my kitty? Are three pets too much for one person to take care of? How many is too many for one family to own and how many is too many for one person to own. Please discuss.
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
it depends on the person.
there's two of us here, living with over 50 animals (most of them snakes and amphibians, mind you)
But we do have four keets (best when kept in larger numbers) 3 hamsters and 3 cats.. everybody does really well.
>> Anonymous
When I was a kid we had 1 cat, 2 dogs, 3 rats, 2 parakeets, and I think 8 or 9 cockatoos.

Worked out fine for a medium-sized 3bdr California home, but I'm sure you could easily keep many more in a home where you had more land.
>> Anonymous
Most of it is just missing your current pets, yes. Don't load up on them. Start with the cat or the parakeets, and then look into getting the other. I know you loved your old hamster, but that's not an animal that will give you what you're looking for.

Or maybe you should try something entirely different so you know you aren't just getting a pet for memory's sake - a different breed of dog, a ferret, some rats, a rabbit or chinchilla? At least a cat that looks entirely different from your old one? Take your time, do some research, the doors are open to bring home whatever animal you choose.

And you have the money and time, and know you're mentally well enough to have a lot of pets without just simply having them to list off, there's nothing wrong with having more than one pet. Personally, I value having just a few pets at a time so if I want to splurge on a new cage or obscenely expensive toy, I can.
>> Anonymous
>>238494

Me again.. First line, *missing past pets.. yeah, tired

Also - I doubt your want will go away with getting your kitty. After a few months you'll probably want those parakeets, or some other dependent small pet. That's normal.
>> Anonymous
You can never put too much of your money into cats. What if there is a run on the cat store? You always need to be prepared.
>> Anonymous
If you don't have the time to enjoy your pets, then you have too many of them. If they're a chore than even one can be too many. You can have 100 pets and if you're happy with them and care for them well, then who's to say if its too many.

Actually the answer if 7, 7 pets is too much.
>> Anonymous
>>238509
lol
>> Anonymous
     File :-(, x)
As someone who is also just getting out of College and ALSO grew up with lots of animals (horses, goats, chickens, geese, guinea pigs, cats, dogs, hamsters, gerbils, fish, etc.) I know the feeling.

First I would ask: how stable is your living situation? Are you going to be living in the same place for the next five years? two years? Month? The animals that you're talking about all have long lives and need stable home environments to be happy. You don't have to live in the same house FOREVER, but certainly you should wait until you're not picking up and heading to a new place every handful of months.

Also consider your income. Can you afford proper veterinary care for plural animals? There are a lot of groups out there that help with low income people/families veterinary bills, but annual vaccinations alone can really add up.

Also some animals need more attention than others. And if you're working a crappy entry level job that has you away from home ALL day you may need to whittle your choices down to animals are more independent.

My parents (as is probably the case with yours) had a good income, lots of energy (my mom trimmed the goat's hooves herself) and a stable living situation (Our cat who just passed away lived to be 18 and spent his whole life living at the same house.)

I would recommend looking at your situation and make sure that you're ready for a pet, not just jones'n for one.
>> Anonymous
Two cats per person. One dog per person. Four rodents per person.
>> Anonymous
>>238509
Cats are a great long term investment play if you're looking to diversify your portfolio.
>> Anonymous
>>238476
That's too many cats.