For me. Three is enough. yes I would love more because I love cats but I have three very different cats in personality and I wonder what another would bring to me that they don't

Plus I am very lucky and they get on. They are not best friends but they don't fight. My needs might be to get more but there needs are not to share their territory

Plus Archie is the worst behaved cat going and is like having 47 football hooligans in the house anyway!

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then i can see the problem

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She sounds like a very loving person and her cats are very lucky to have her. I'm not surprised she's reluctant to go to the doctor in case she has to go to hospital and leave her cats, especially if her family's attitude is so uncaring ('get rid!') Unfortunately this (totally reasonable) fear has major implications on her health.

What would really help her is knowing that there is a reliable plan B in place should she not be around for any reason. You are right, 7 cats is an awful lot for one person to take on. The RSPCA scheme is a good idea. But have you heard of the Cinnamon Trust? They are a charity specialising in looking after people's pets when they are ill or when they pass away. They have a network of volunteers nationwide who can help with taking pets to the vet, temporary foster care, and dog walking of course. You can leave your pets to the Trust in your will, and they will look after your pets for the rest of their lives, whether that's in a long-term foster home or in one of their sanctuaries. The Cinammon Trust sanctuaries, unlike the RSPCA, are set out like proper homes with sofas, carpets, TVs, gardens, lots of cuddles, etc. They won't be confined in enclosures.

They have also pioneered Pet-Friendly Care Homes and have produced a guide so that people who have to go into a home can take their beloved pet with them.

The Cinnamon Trust - The National Charity for the elderly, the terminally ill and their pets

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Rescue cats for many years, currently one moggie and 3 young Maine Coons.

if one of my family was to give me advice i would say if they were paying the vet bills then maybe they would have a say and since they wouldnt then it is nothing to do with them

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Well if your family is expected to pick up the pieces and deal with your 7 cats should you become ill or die, then it is their business.

All the more reason for this lady to get in touch with an organisation such as the Cinnamon Trust and make her own arrangements independent of her family. So that she can tell them, with peace of mind, to butt out.

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Rescue cats for many years, currently one moggie and 3 young Maine Coons.

You say your gt aunt is getting on a bit, how old is that?

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