How many pets are too many?

After Paris Hilton was investigated recently by Animal Services for having too many pets, she managed to reduce the number of dogs she has from 17 to 10, which some would argue is still too many.

It would appear that not all of Paris' animals live with her - some of her dogs apparently live with animal handlers in LA (possibly to ensure compliance with the LA law restricting non breeders to a maximum of three dogs per address) and she also also has at least two monkeys, two rabbits, and some ferrets who live on a ranch in Nevada, with a zookeeper in attendance.

It's clear that Ms Hilton has the financial resources to maintain a menagerie of that size, and it could be argued that having animal handlers look after your pets is no different from having a nanny take care of your children. We won't therefore go into a discussion on the relative merits of such an arrangement beyond pointing out that this - like pretty much everything in the celebrity world - is not a typical example of pet ownership.

On the other extreme, we have the recent story of an elderly couple in Arizona who were clearly unable to provide for their 800 (that is not a typo!!) dogs and 82 parrots - unfortunately as in a case like this, over 800 animals are clearly too many for anyone to effectively take care of. While the couple claim they were breeders, authorities suspect animal hoarding - a dysfunctional behavioral disorder that involves people having significantly higher than usual numbers of pets, and not recognizing when they are unable to care for them properly. Not only does this pose obvious animal welfare risks, but is also public health issue.

So how many pets are too many? Where's the happy medium? What is an optimal number of pets? In many instances, this is similar to asking a family how many children is too many - clearly each situation is unique and you should consider your specific situation when looking to adopt animals - part of making sure that you can enjoy the companionship of your pets for life is knowing whether you have the capacity to adequately care for them. Pet population control (spaying or neutering your pet) can help limit the number of furry friends you end up with, as can a bit of forethought.

When looking to introduce a new animal to your family, consider things like:

• Facilities - do you have enough space for your pets' social and physical needs?
• Budget - can you afford to support your pet(s) - vet bills and food are only part of the equation, depending on what animal you have and whether they live inside or outside.
• Needs of existing pets - will a new addition cause stress or provide valuable companionship? Do you have time to give all your pets the level of attention they need, or will a new pet lead to an older/less exciting pet being neglected?
• Your existing commitments - what is your work schedule, do you have the time to spend with and physically care for a new pet? Is your partner or spouse as committed to this adoption as you are? Do you travel a lot, or are you planning to relocate at some point, and where do your pets play into this schedule?

Other considerations include the size of your family; any pet limit and/or nuisance laws in your state or county; and home owner association or renter regulations limiting the number of pets in a home. A good pet adoption service or shelter will likely want to be reassured that you've thought about these things before allowing you to adopt one of their pets - their goal above all is to find loving, lifetime homes for the animals in their care.

Considering these things will hopefully mean that a pet adoption will result in a well cared-for companion for life!