Is having more than one cat in the city cruel?

I have just read a story on a new study done claiming that in urban areas keeping more than one cat is cruel to the cats and makes them stressed and miserable. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-...areas.html

Do you agree with this? Do you live in an urban area and have cats? Do you think they are suffering even slightly?

It also talks about letting cats indoors jump and climb because they are more comfortable in high places. It talks about modern open plan living being unnatural for cats because they prefer having small hiding places? Where is your cats favourite spots? Do they like being up high or finding enclosed spaces - or are they like mine with a preference for sleeping on newly washed and dried laundry with the ability to take up a whole double bed to themselves when they feel like it?

I think that an equally strong argument could be made for the opposite, that having only one cat is cruel. Any animal, I would think, could benefit from having another of its kind around.

Two cats can provide company for one another whenever their humans are not at home, and even while their people are around, another cat provides a different type of company that can be valuable for the wellbeing of each.

Cats may appear independent, but they are not solitary creatures, as can be observed by anyone who has seen two cats together. Even when they are not particularly fond of one another, there is an interaction that may be beneficial to both.

When they get along, their playing together can provide exercise, and when they don't, they at least have added stimulation.

In truth, I wouldn't go so far as to say that it is cruel to have only one cat, but I certainly wouldn't argue that it is cruel to have two. I do believe, however, that one should never have more cats than they can provide for, including both time and the cost of proper food and veterinary care.

I think that it is going to be a case of looking at it on a cat by cat basis. Some cats are obviously fond of each other and are much better together. Some cats hate each other and must for their own sakes be kept apart. Most cats it seems are happy to rub along ignoring each other.

I can sort of see something in the bit about urban cats feeling overwhelmed by other cat numbers, feeling unable to roam as far because of other cats they dont like. However I do not think restricting each home to a single cat is automatically the answer. Consideration should be given to leash use allowed cats to explore places that are maybe a distance from home. Also I do agree that open spaces are not necessarily favourites for cats - but providing cardboard boxes and tubes, some special cat shelves, maybe a tunnel through interior walls where possible can all help.

I disagree with that... I think that shouldn't make much of a difference. Cats are mostly inside pets anyway so what's the difference. I think it's a positive if you have more than one... they are never really alone especially if you work during the day. Just my opinion though.
We have 2 cats and they love getting into the smallest spaces, I wonder how they do it sometimes!! Our cats never seem to jump up very high though... no clue why.

Danyel

I think that one of the points the research is making is that left to their own devices with free options cats choose to spend far more time outside with it observed that "farm cats" range further and staying outside longer, while City cats have more closer contact with other cats in a smaller radius.

The question I would ask is whether there is sufficient evidence to conclude cause and effect. They have concluded meeting more cats in a smaller radius restricts their desire to roam which is causing stress. How do they know that traffic is not the cause of the stress and that the reason farm cats go so far is because they are worried by not meeting enough other cats?

As I said above I think it has to be looked at on an individual animal basis - some cats would be stressed on their own some are undoubtedly stressed by too close contact with others but it is not sheer numbers that needs to be looked at but more the individual relationships.