Animal Hoarding

[lifelongMOgal]

Originally Posted by STLCardsBlues1989

So I was watching a show last night about animal hoarding. This lady ran a private shelter and she had somewhere around 250 cats. Animal control told her to have 85 or less. So she did that. She gave the rest to the humane society. A lot of the cats had upper respiratory infections and different contagious diseases.

I currently have 3 housecats and 2 dogs (I live with my parents). We have six strays outside. We spayed the mother and hope to get the two female kittens spayed (I have another thread on that). Hopefully these kittens get spayed. That's why I'm working to make sure that happens (I am also very thankful for those who have contributed. You help me greatly. I could not have taken care of the cats I have taken care of without your help).

That said, I can see the mentality of a hoarder. I am not one. I don't want these cats (as in I hope that they find homes. I'm willing to give them up to good owners). But when you have a situation (like mine and like many across the country), where the only other place to take the animals is Animal Control, it can be easy to get in over your head. That's why I'm doing what I can to make sure that I don't have to take the cats to the pound, but that I don't have any more litters either.

It just seems like it would be so easy to get swamped, especially in areas without many resources.

Do any of you know someone who has had issues with hoarding? How do you set limits for yourself? How do you reconcile your love for animals with the fact that you can't save them all, and sometimes nobody can or will save them? Unfortunately, oftentimes the animals in shelters and pounds are put down. At the same time, having too many animals is not fair to the animals or the person. How do you decide how many you can have and how many might face the needle?

I feel so sorry for these people on these shows. I very much hope I don't have to make the choice between letting them breed or taking them to the pound. That's a very difficult thing to deal with.

Have you ever dealt with hoarding? What did you do? And how do you help animals when help is difficult to find?

I have suspected someone as an animal horder. I believe the heart is the right place without the resources to support it. This individual is living at a poverty level and the animals on the property are skin and bones. I've anonymously notified the local Sheriff's Department to no avail. In poverty stricken rural areas I don't think there really is much that can be done when law enfocement resources are similary strapped.

When livestock have broken through this individual's poor fence I ignore them and allow them to graze as the land they have escaped is barren.

[MissNM]

An animal that is of proper weight, and has fresh food, clean water, clean shelter, attention, and the ability to exercise is usually enough.

If an animal exhibits symptoms of illness and has not seen a vet, that can be a good indicator that a person is either emotionally incapable of caring for an animal or has reached the threshold of their finances.

One thing people don't realize is that kittens are fairly inexpensive. As animals get older, they get much more expensive. The kittens/puppies that you can afford now will all be elderly pets later. We are in this boat, but are fortunate enough that we can still manage the vet bills. I can't imagine where we would be if we had added kids to the mix or if I lost my job.

It's when things start to pile on that people loose their heads. Noone wants to admit that they are on a downward spiral. It's like depression, it creeps up on you and you don't know it when you are in it. Family and friends need to catch hoarding behavior early on while the person still has their wits to get themselves out.

[skel1977]

I can also understand why people horde animals. I guess they just dont know when to stop.

[ashcody]

I do actually have a friend who has 3 dogs, 7 cats, 3 guinea pigs all inside a mobile home. She found a pregnant stray and decided she would give them all a better home since she would have no way of knowing what conditions they would be living in if she were to give them to strangers. Surprisingly, she takes very good care of all them (has multiple litter boxes, cleans them daily) and her house doesn't smell like there are a ton of animals living there. She has had them all fixed and gives them their monthly flea treatments.

I, myself, own 2 large dogs, 2 cats, savannah monitor, brazillian rainbow boa, sudan plated lizard, and have a 75 gall. fish tank full. I could not imagine owning anymore than 2 cats (if they were strictly indoors, like my 2 are). The city I live in is actually working on making it required to pay annual fees for pets and provide proof of rabies vaccines, the amount is higher for unspayed/not neutered pets. (all money goes to local animal shelters) hopefully, it will cut down on strays and unwanted pregnancies.

[MissNM]

Originally Posted by ashcody

I do actually have a friend who has 3 dogs, 7 cats, 3 guinea pigs all inside a mobile home. She found a pregnant stray and decided she would give them all a better home since she would have no way of knowing what conditions they would be living in if she were to give them to strangers. Surprisingly, she takes very good care of all them (has multiple litter boxes, cleans them daily) and her house doesn't smell like there are a ton of animals living there. She has had them all fixed and gives them their monthly flea treatments.

Healthy and happy - can't beat that. I don't consider that hoarding.

Originally Posted by ashcody

The city I live in is actually working on making it required to pay annual fees for pets and provide proof of rabies vaccines, the amount is higher for unspayed/not neutered pets. (all money goes to local animal shelters) hopefully, it will cut down on strays and unwanted pregnancies.

I have no problem with licensing and agree that un-fixed should cost more. I do have an issue with mandatory rabies shots, though. If your animals are indoor only and are never boarded (except at the vets), then shots should be at the owners' discretion.

[latetotheparty]

Originally Posted by STLCardsBlues1989

So I was watching a show last night about animal hoarding. This lady ran a private shelter and she had somewhere around 250 cats. Animal control told her to have 85 or less. So she did that. She gave the rest to the humane society. A lot of the cats had upper respiratory infections and different contagious diseases.

I currently have 3 housecats and 2 dogs (I live with my parents). We have six strays outside. We spayed the mother and hope to get the two female kittens spayed (I have another thread on that). Hopefully these kittens get spayed. That's why I'm working to make sure that happens (I am also very thankful for those who have contributed. You help me greatly. I could not have taken care of the cats I have taken care of without your help).

That said, I can see the mentality of a hoarder. I am not one. I don't want these cats (as in I hope that they find homes. I'm willing to give them up to good owners). But when you have a situation (like mine and like many across the country), where the only other place to take the animals is Animal Control, it can be easy to get in over your head. That's why I'm doing what I can to make sure that I don't have to take the cats to the pound, but that I don't have any more litters either.

It just seems like it would be so easy to get swamped, especially in areas without many resources.

Do any of you know someone who has had issues with hoarding? How do you set limits for yourself? How do you reconcile your love for animals with the fact that you can't save them all, and sometimes nobody can or will save them? Unfortunately, oftentimes the animals in shelters and pounds are put down. At the same time, having too many animals is not fair to the animals or the person. How do you decide how many you can have and how many might face the needle?

I feel so sorry for these people on these shows. I very much hope I don't have to make the choice between letting them breed or taking them to the pound. That's a very difficult thing to deal with.

Have you ever dealt with hoarding? What did you do? And how do you help animals when help is difficult to find?

i have 2 dogs and 2 cats and work fulltime..... and know that i am at my personal limit..... i know that i could not devote enough time and attention to any of them if i had any more..... that said, i have had to rehome 2 dogs over the last couple of years.... was it easy?? heck no.... i had to search over a VERY wide area to find rescues / foster homes that i felt were acceptable to take these fellas to..... each of them required me to drive over 600 miles round trip in one day and i also made sure they were completely current on vaccinations, had 6 months of heartworm and flea preventative and had enough kibble and toys to last for at least a month...... not inexpensive by any stretch of the imagination...... but i was able to sleep at night knowing they were safe and well cared for and each found his forever home inside of a month of going into foster care......

i have transported dogs that were rescued from hoarders..... they are just about as heartbreaking as the mill survivors.......

[migee]

I know some people that do have too many animals - They call themselves "animal rescue" people, and do participate in some organization. But, they simply have too many cats and dogs in their house.

Yes, their houses appear in good order - Until you look around closely.

First of all, for people like me that have an allergy, going in the houses is very uncomfortable. The smell is obvious right away, as well as the immediate itching and nose tickling.

But most of all, these people spend almost all their free time feeding and cleaning up after these animals. The animals have the run of their houses, no matter how you look at it.

And let's face it...The animals are too confined in that type of environment. (Use your common sense on this).

But today, I realized how this could be a mental illness with some people.

I took a break from work, and stepped outside of the building. There was a lady that was leaving work at that time. And we both saw a young cat, lazing in the grass...There was no apparent problem with this cat - It appeared happy, simply out for a walk. It appeared very healthy.

I walked by...She couldn't...She had to get the cat's attention.

Just chit-chatting with her, as she tried to get the cat to come to her...She explained that she had about 12 cats at home, and she did "animal rescue".

There was nothing indicating that this cat needed rescuing. I go out of the building several times a day, and never noticed it...It was just lazing in the sun, on the grass...happy and healthy.

About 1 hour later, as I was leaving work...There she was, with her cat carrier, trying to get the cat into it.

What gave her this right?...She knew nothing about this cat...The cat seemed happy, friendly and healthy...She had to get it!...She was taking it home!

I could understand if it appeared for a few days...even for a few hours..It wasn't there when I took my other breaks...It was just an hour before it appeared (probably just walking by, until this woman stooped down to get it's attention). And in that hour, that woman would not leave it alone, except for the time she ran to her car to get her cat carrier.

There's a problem with people out there...They are hoarders, calling themselves "animal rescue".

[misfitz]

Migee - exactly. Well said.

[Giesela]

You can't lump all animal rescue people into hoarders into the same group.
That said some - who knows how many or few - hoarders may have started out as rescuer's. So what's your point?