Did anyone reading this see Come Dine With Me on Channel Four today from 5.30 pm to 6.30 pm?

The meal tonight was made by a lady in Croydon who has ten cats.

A couple of dinner guests commented about the cats with one saying that ten cats was too many for one home.

If you did not see the programme it is on again this evening from 6.30 pm to 7 pm on Channel 4 +1.

The people in this evening's edition of Come Dine With Me will also be in tomorrow's episode on Channel Four.

Is ten cats too many for one house?

If you own a large number of cats would you object to someone criticising the number of cats you own?

Please vote in the poll at the top of this page and/or comment in this thread. Thank you.

Depends on the size of the home, surely, and the time and ability of the owner to look after ten cats. Ten cats in a council flat would be too many by my reckoning. Ten cats in an eight-bedroom mansion, not really.

I was thinking that too - it is all about the size of the home and how much time the cat owner has to look after them.

Everyone in a home with lots of cats should be cat-friendly too, of course.

they were lovely cats if a bit patchy i dont know if their fur was meant to be like that, i would still lock them away from the guests though as 3 of them really disliked cats

I thought they all looked really manky and horrible!

And having them all over the worktops!!

For the home she lived in I don't think it was too many and it was clear that she adored them. I don't think she should have had them roaming around freely at a dinner party though.

Having so many is irresponsible ownership, it lso looked like she had lots of dogs because she had dozens of tins of chappie in her porch, it was unhygenic to have them in the kitchen, in her bedroom, in her bed, and unhygenic yto let them in where she was cooking.

Filthy woman.

I noticed that - quite understandably - one of the cats did not look pleased at the reaction it received from one dinner guest who claimed it had red eyes (its eyes are actually blue as the programme commentator pointed out more than once).

I think it is a rather nice cat and I do not understand why the guest seemed to dislike it.

I don't think one cat is hygienic in a house, nevermind ten!

I agree. It looks like a happy home for cats with an owner who clearly cares for them and looks after them well.

It must be quite expensive to keep ten cats - food bills; vet bills etc.

You have just insulted my cat.

Agree. As a cat owner it's one of those things you budget into your life. You choose to have them so you should make sure they live a good life. Smokers budget for their habit as do drinkers. If you like to go out every weekend you budget for it. IMO if you have a pet you chose that option. It would be selfish and cruel to then deprive that pet of a good life.

If it came down to feeding myself or feeding my cat I'd make sure she came first.

Cats are one of the cleanest animals you can have. Like children they have to be educated.

they lick their arses, that's not clean.

Anyone that allows a cat on a kitchen surface should be banned for life from ever being on Come dine with me imo. Its so disgusting, I really dont mean to offend anyone, but, cats being on your worktops is the same as you personally taking a number 2 on your countertops. Its just filthy, the way that come dine with me makes cat owners look they should have their tubes tied. Animal anus and food worktops were NEVER meant to mix! ANIMAL ANUS AND FOOD WORKTOPS WERE NEVER MEANT TO MIX.

Nevermind the issue of animal hairs too in food too! I feel disgusted just writing this on my lappy, let alone ingesting some cat poo on food!

We have two cats and a dog...the cats would never try and get on the worktops etc..and of course the dog is too stupid..lol

We adore all our pets..and the cats have the run of the whole house beds etc..but even we draw the line as far as kitchen and food etc is concerned.

I cannot understand how anyone could criticise the lady in Come Dine For Me today who keeps cats.

Some cat rescue centres are full up and are pleading for funds to keep going. She has given over most of her home to ten cats to live in. Apart from the large food bill, it requires time to look after them.

If everyone looked after cats as well as she did there would no abandoned cats and no cases of cruelty against cats.

She should be applauded for the good work she does for cats.


That is very good of you. You are clearly a good cat owner.

We pick our noses, scratch our arses etc. We're not the cleanest of species either. One difference is we have access to showers and baths. Cats have access to that through cleaning themselves. The bacteria in their mouths is no more harmful than the bacteria in yours.

I agree. Cats spend a considerable amount of time cleaning themselves. Even when they are tired and/or unwell they still make sure they are clean.

I've had cats all my life. I can't imagine a home being a home without one.

I do think she should have been a bit more considerate of the guests who clearly didn't like cats though. Maybe keep them in a seperate room for a few hours

I am sure your cat enjoys owning you.


Perhaps she should have refused to let in anyone into her home who might criticise her cats? It is her home - and if she wants to keep ten cats no one should go there and criticise her or them.

She certainly does enjoy owning me

I am however aware that not everyone shares my love of animals. I have a good friend who is scared of cats. I just put my baby upstairs with her toys and bed and she's fine.

So do humans

I wonder why she is scared of them - they mean no harm (not to humans anyway ).


It is very good of you to give her some toys.

My cat has never taken much interest in toys. Instead, one of her favourite games has been scratching wallpaper with her sharp claws - and doing so with a very mischievous look on her face . I did ask her to stop this but she has continued to do so - oblivious to my concerns.

When I say toys I mean the tops off all my pens, the bits of wire stuff you get holding the cord together when you buy a new kettle etc Not to mention the catnip I spray on my slippers

When mine were kittens they scratched but like children they got punished for misbehaving and eventually learnt how to behave