Meowing on Mondays ~ In The Sandbox with The B Group and As we speak’s Chat is **What’s It Like Residing In A Multi-Cat Family**

At BBHQ, we normally run at six cats consistently. That appears to be the magic quantity for us, our Goldilocks quantity—not too many and never too little, the ‘good’ ratio. Nevertheless, now we have had occasions after we’ve been right down to solely three, and we have additionally been as excessive as eight indoors, plus feeding a number of strays that visited our backyard each day.

So, how does this work for us?

Having six cats is kind of a bit of labor, and here is why:

Everypawdy must have one-to-one time with the P.A. and Cat Dad. It’s totally impawtant that each one B Group memfurs have this time each day. So if we every get solely 10 minutes, that is an hour minimal.

Plus we prefer to have playtime and outdoors time too. We’re solely allowed exterior if the P.A. or Cat Dad are on paw to snoopervise us. Normally, the P.A. will do some gardening whereas she retains a watch on us, and as she and Cat Dad work Mon – Fri, this implies we solely get out of doors time once they get again from work. 

So kitty entertaining takes up a variety of free time.

Subsequent, there’s the grooming/brushing.

Now, a few of us like being brushed and pampered, whereas others don’t a lot. For example, Parsley will let mew brush him 24/7. There’s by no means sufficient brush for him; he’ll sit, stand or lay down and take as a lot as mew may give.  

Pandora, our bushy little Ewok/Sasquatch cat, used to hate being brushed, and the P.A. needed to actually stroll round the home whereas making an attempt to brush her. She will get mats in her fur as a result of she’s such a bushy beast, and now we have each sort of grooming implement to attempt to fight this situation. The one she likes one of the best and tolerates higher than something is definitely the P.A.’s Tangle Teaser brush, which is now Pandora’s.

From the highest:

Pandora
Smooch
Fudge

[a bowl of dry food stationed between Parsley and Fudge]

Parsley
Amber

And younger Melvyn, who’s extra like his Nice Uncle Basil than we may have ever imagined, eats his on the countertop to the suitable, simply out of shot. All of us eat collectively and have a few snacks each day. Plus, if we get hungry, we go and put in a request for an additional meal; this entails discovering the P.A. meowing lots after which main her in direction of the kitty kitchen. This technique works 90% of the time.

We even have dry meals out there 24/7, which is topped up as wanted and stationed round the home in varied places, together with clear water.

We use chrome steel bowls as a result of they’re extra hygienic. Plastic dishes are a no-go right here and might trigger chin pimples in some kitties, so watch out. We’ve clear bowls for morning and night meals, so which means numerous washing up. Additionally, all our bowls are on placemats, and we use kitchen roll, too, so clear up is straightforward if there are any spills or some heathen decides to start out throwing their meals about.

Our water bowls are many and stationed round the home. These all want altering/cleansing each day, as meals particles and dirt can acquire. We’ve Brita-filtered water, too, as our faucet water is tough and does not style that good. Plus, we use a few water fountains.

Kitty Lavatory

The B Groups Lavatory Habits: We at the moment have a number of trays that get modified each day for a totally clear one. This technique works for us as a consequence of Smooch’s inappropriate widdling points. Some days, a tray could final a little bit longer, however usually, it is all modified as soon as a day.

We used to make use of Bob Martins Cat Litter—non-clumping. It was just like the Catsan white litter, however the mud was getting fairly intense, and the ever-escalating worth made the P.A. search for an alternate. She determined to revert again to recycled newspaper litter, which she buys at Amazon and has delivered to the home. There isn’t any mud and minimal odour when dirty.

We’ve our trays in varied places downstairs so that everybody can use a tray someplace with out being bothered by one other kitty or feeling susceptible. 

Amber, our aged matriarch, suffers from arthritis and finds it tough to squat totally, so she typically by chance widdles over the aspect. To attempt to fight a number of widdle rivers, the P.A. has employed an additional tactic to maintain them to a minimal. She locations our common tray on a grow-bag tray. A widdle river is inevitable if Amber will get on a nook angle, however it does cease lots.

To get rid of widdle rivers altogether, we’d like a tray just like the one above, however a sq. one! MOL

Beds and Scratch Posts/Cat Timber

We’ve a number of sleeping locations round the home and several other tall scratch posts/cat bushes. 

We love windowsills, and every one upstairs has considered one of our funky Snuggle mats on, as they’re our favorite. The P.A. has spent a fortune on funky cat beds through the years, solely to find that we do not like them. What we do like sleeping on is the mattress, the cat beds that she has made, and sofas.

So, at no time is there any have to squabble for house.

We’re additionally exceptionally fortunate to have a catservatory with some actually excessive cat cabinets accessible from our tallest cat tree.

There’s someplace for everypawdy, and nopawdy will get in anybody’s house except they’re invited! MOL

Parsley and Fudge sharing one of many Snuggle Mats on the P.A.’s desk.

In abstract, The B Group stay a most harmonious life. There are only a few spats, as everybody appears to get alongside, so we’re extremely lucky in that respect.

Wanting after six kitties does take a variety of work, and planning is important to working a easy oppurration, however because the P.A. says, she would not have it every other manner. 

**Prime Tip** 

Get a very good cordless vacuum on your each day clear, as there’s a variety of cat hair which mew will not need build up, and an everyday brush is ineffective because it simply makes every part airborne. We use a Dyson stick vacuum and discover it really works nice; earlier than that, we tried different manufacturers, however they did not have the facility.

If mew have any questions on how we organise issues, cleansing, routines, and so forth., be happy to ask.