Stereotypes tell us that cats are independent and self-regulating pets that are relatively easy to take care of.

Jaden Lesley would beg to differ.

Cats require lots of love and attention. Six cats require… loads of love and attention. Most cat owners are prepared for this kind of commitment; hopefully, they are well-researched, understand the habits and needs of cats, and know what they’re getting into. 

But what happens when you never wanted a cat in the first place? Not to mention SIX cats. (Ooh, foreshadowing). Since acquiring six cats, Jaden has become quite the knowledgeable pet owner, and provides some wise words to people who are thinking of adopting lots of animals.

Pep & Pup

How did you come to be a cat owner? Were they something you always wanted?

Jaden

Well, as a child, I always thought it would be fun to have a farm in my backyard. But when the reality of having a lot of animals came to be, it was absolutely not enjoyable.

Basically, my brother was dating a girl that happened to have a cat. She was moving into a new apartment and asked my mom if we could catsit while she moved. My mom was like, ‘yeah, no problem.’ When she came to drop them off, we found out that she actually had two cats, but we agreed to watch them anyway. 

Fast forward a couple weeks later, she never came to pick up her cats, and suddenly we were somehow the owners of two cats. I was like, hello, not our problem! 

P&P

And where did the other four come from?

Jaden

Well, we were the naive new owners of cats who didn’t really know anything about taking care of them, and we didn’t realize what a boy and a girl would do if they were left alone. As you can imagine, this cycle repeated itself a few times, and suddenly there were 12 cats.

P&P

12 cats?!

Jaden

Yeah, two adults and ten little kittens. We had to give some of them away to new owners because it was just too many for us. Now we have six and there’s a whole system in place to keep them apart.

P&P

What kind of system?

Jaden

There’s a girl’s room and a boy’s room. They all hang out, and then they switch.

P&P

Wow, what are your six cats’ names?

Jaden

Okay, so there’s Duke who’s black; Bubba, who’s the father; Puma, who’s the mom; then there are the twins who go by Genvieve and Solange (or Bella and Stella, depending on our mood); and Sacha, who has autism.

P&P

Do you pick favourites?

Jaden

No, I think depending on the day, I love or hate them all equally. Having said that though, Sacha, the autistic one, definitely has an extra special place in my heart because she’s a little bit softer than the rest of them and shows you more love at times. But I think they’re all sweet, except for that I’m allergic to all of them, so that’s really a challenge. It makes it really tough to love them physically because my face swells up and my eyes water.

P&P

Oh no.

Jaden

Yeah it’s tough, but I love them. 

P&P

Were there any unexpected challenges that came from having so many cats – other than your allergies?

Jaden

Oh my goodness, there are so many unexpected challenges! Number one: when cats are in conflict with each other, they stop using their litter boxes and treat our house like one big litter box!

Unexpected challenge number two: males are very temperamental. So when Bubba and my brother are in disagreement, which happens more than you might think, Bubba treats my brother’s bed like a litter box. Like, who does that? (Laughs). That’s crazy!

Unexpected challenge number three: is keeping them separated. Obviously you don’t want more of them.

I think the most surprising challenge though, is they’re obviously just small and cute animals, so as time goes on, you develop some sort of attachment to them whether you want to or not. So now, I love all these little allergy-inducing cats.

P&P

Well, that is a lot of challenges.

Jaden

Mostly heigan related.

P&P

What’s your favourite part about owning a lot of animals?

Jaden

Well, we have a big backyard and they really like to go outside, and most cats aren’t allowed outside. It’s really nice to see them running around, playing together, and having fun. We’ve tried to teach them tricks, but that doesn’t really work.

I think the other positive thing is they do bring a lot of happiness to your life. There’s always someone there, they warm up your home, and give you lots of cuddles – sometimes.

They are truly simple creatures though. What used to be our dining room is now the room that separates the cats. And don’t get me wrong, they all get to explore the house and they get lots of love, but it doesn’t really matter where they are because they sleep for a lot of the day! Even when they stretch their legs, they walk like 3 feet and lay back down. So, they live very simple lives.

P&P

Would you call yourself a cat person?

Jaden

Sometimes, because of this experience, I don’t consider myself to be an animal person at all. But no, I really do love animals and I’m currently dog sitting on Rover. 

P&P

Would you ever get a dog?

Jaden

Yes, I would love to get a dog! And I think it would be nice to have a cat too so they can hang out with each other. 

P&P

Do you have any advice for pet owners who are thinking of getting more animals? Maybe even six?

Jaden

You definitely have to be cautious and introduce new pets one at a time. I would recommend having a backup plan too. Like humans, not all animals get along with each other, and you need an alternative plan when that happens. Like I said before, they can be temperamental and you don’t want animals in your home fighting all the time.

But other than that, I would say six is probably a lot unless you live in a really big house with people around to help out. I think two or three is a good number, but it really depends on the person. Three would make a little family for each other and you’d still have lots of cuddle buddies.

Fun fact though, each cat needs at least 30 minutes to an hour of attention per day. So if you want six, you need to have a lot of free time on your hands. But I don’t think there is such a thing as ‘too many cats,’ it depends on the person and the home.

Final Thoughts

There are so many things to consider before getting a pet. If they’re properly cared for, they will repay you with unlimited love and cuddles. But, as Jaden and any other cat owner would tell us, it’s a lot of work, and it’s important to know what you’re getting into before you pull the trigger and get a pet.

Compared to dogs, most people consider cats to be less effort and more easy going. While that is certainly true some of the time, cats are emotional, loving creatures who need attention to thrive. Like dogs, many of them will quickly bond with their owner and form a connection – a well-deserving reward for the time and effort you put into your new friend. 

If you’re considering getting a cat, read on and learn everything you can about the requirements, trials, and joys of cat ownership.