In July, 2010, a sheriff’s deputy asked if I would accompany him to a house in the country. Although any animal could be hoarded, cats … Our veterinarian reveals why the payoff for your pet is well worth any extra work. Sadly, the rate of recidivism is close to 100% for these cases, even when the people get psychological help. All of the cats who were deemed adoptable were vaccinated and micro-chipped as well as dewormed. Dogs are right up there with cats when it comes to animal hoarding, followed by birds. Vetstreet does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. This paperwork stayed with the cat, even when it was shipped out to a new shelter. Vetstreet. Financially, can the owner reasonably afford their care in the event of an emergency. Only one kitten came out looking pretty ill with an upper respiratory infection, but he was easily cleaned up and moved into the air conditioned truck. When a high number of cats live together and aren’t being properly cared for, the results can be horrific. Corpses were found embedded in the chimney and living room furniture. Animals are confined to houses, apartments, or trailer-homes. That cat was left for later retrieval, after all of the easy-to-catch cats were outside. Here are a few questions to ask yourself or someone you know who might be showing signs of being overwhelmed by their menagerie: Assuming these questions are answered honestly, any responses in the negative may be an indication that the pet situation might be less than manageable. They moved on with the case. Ironically, animal hoarding can sometimes spring from genuine humanitarian impulses. She wants a fence outside built to get 46 cats out of the house. I was shocked at how many cats there were and shocked that the HSUS had enough carriers. I have bad allergies and can't help too much, but as a nurse, I don't the situation should be left without  some interventions. I have to admit, it worried me to bring another cat home because I could see myself in the same situation, with too many cats. Great that the local vets and techs pitched in to triage and treat. The Consequences of Cat Hoarding. Letters may be edited for style. Cat hoarding (also called cat collecting) is the collection of large quantities of cats without the ability to properly care for them. Even though we had a search warrant and a legal right to be there, it was important to all of us that the three people be treated gently and with respect. Please do your best to speak openly and honestly to those people. Our new tool will narrow down more than 300 breeds for you. Last month, one of our area’s local “rescuers” was charged for having about 50 Chihuahuas in her house. They were so pretty in the early morning sunshine. To submit a commentary for consideration, email news@vin.com. Things somehow just got out of hand. It does not need to be fancy, but, it does need to be clean! Answer Save. We left in a convoy of approximately 10 vehicles, driving past the high school as the kids were heading in for the day. Animal hoarding is defined by an inability to provide even minimal standards of nutrition, sanitation, shelter and veterinary care—often resulting in animal starvation, illness and death. Staff helped and cleaned and fed, and then cleaned some more as I could not have adequately cared for that many cats on my own. Section 42.10 of the Texas Penal Code. There have even been cases of farm animal and exotic pet hoarding. So the ability to catch these cats and get them into carriers without them getting upset was important. So how do you know if your neighbor or uncle is an animal hoarder? Animals collected range from dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and rodents. 2001-2020  Email us, copyright=new Date(); I had no idea she was a hoarder. Animals “collected” by hoarders range in species from cats and dogs to reptiles, rodents, birds, exotics and even farm animals. VIN News Service commentaries are opinion pieces presenting insights, personal experiences and/or perspectives on topical issues by members of the veterinary community. Most states in the US will allow you to own up to 5 or 6 cats (and up to 3 dogs). I moved on home to take a mid-day shower! This was less loss than both I and the HSUS had expected, based on the average hoarding case. What Animals Are Most Commonly Hoarded Statistics show that cat hoarding is the most common type of animal hoarding with more than 50 % of reported cases involving cats. What they considered to be hoarding made me kinda sick, through the tube. Does each pet have a place to retreat if feeling stressed? Unhealthy conditions for the animals and the humans. The lady is a former teacher, and understands that she have too many, but she feels she needs help. But I’ve also known a man with only four pets whose living situation was such that “hoarding” became a reasonable description. People who work with cats know that staying calm is the key to handling them, especially if you have multiple cats. They said everyone underestimates the total and mine was a lot closer than most. If you want to know the legal number of cats you can own in your area, you will have to contact your county/district. Animal hoarding is considered a crime in most states and is covered under every states animal cruelty laws. Reprint policy | Not sure about food puzzles? That’s why I always encourage concerned friends to consider an intervention with a pet owner who may be in trouble, or I recommend that at-risk pet owners ask a cross section of their pet-loving friends to answer these questions for them. Toward end of the 20th century, animal welfare professionals, mental health experts, veterinarians, and other animal lovers began looking seriously at animal hoarding. © Many pet laws are set at the local level, ... including any stray or feral cat or dog." All rights reserved. We then moved them to the temporary shelter where each cat was put in an individual cage with food, water, and litter. If you  have any suggestions to add do contact me. The stench was making my nose and eyes run as well. Regulation of Pets Sadly seems like younger vets not interested in my area. She wants a fence outside built to get 46 cats out of the house. We do not verify their content for accuracy. Take our breed quiz to find your next pet. I am so lucky that my colleagues were able to spend the time helping, as I could not have triaged 169 cats in one day! Hawaii, however, specifically prohibits hoarding, and sets a specific number – any more than 15 animals (dogs and cats only are considered; there are no provisions for birds or reptiles) constitutes hoarding if the animals are not properly cared for, and can be prosecuted as a misdemeanor or as a criminal offense. They are never pleasant. Aww, 3 cats isn't hoarding! The cat wrangling skills of the HSUS personnel was something to behold. Hoarding isn’t about a person who rescues animals and is unaware that they’re getting in over their head – hoarding is about a psychological condition. It sounds like the house is contaminated from what she tell me and I'm going to see about talking to the animal humane department. Thankfully, living in Wyoming has a huge bonus – we don’t have fleas! Many hoarders collect items in response to anxiety or trauma as a coping mechanism. If you cannot afford to keep all of the cats in clean litter, with clean food, you have too many. My brother is going to call her to see about building an area for the cats to go. It is likely that up to a quarter million animals – 250,000 per year – are victims of hoarders. Want to give your pup yummy, low-calorie treats? I thought that hoarding would be having more along the lines of 60+ cats. They had wire cages, cat litter, litter pans, dishes, food, etc. I had asked several of my local colleagues to help to evaluate the cats the next day. Wonderful, compassionately written story. If you cannot afford minimal vet care (spay/neuter and vaccinate) for all of your cats, you have too many. I’ve had a couple of those calls. If a law enforcement officer believes there is abuse, he has to call in a veterinarian before anything can be done. I ended up taking home one 4-month old kitten. We’ve got the skinny on which foods are OK to feed him. Does anyone know if there is any set number of cats that is now considered illegal and will … Vetstreet. With all this attention being afforded to hoarders of all stripes (reference a veritable media explosion on the discussion of animal and non-animal hoarding), I've noticed a trend towards a demonized depiction of the so-called, "crazy cat lady." Thelma Harcum All of my cats adopted me! Dr. Patty Khuly says determining if someone is a hoarder is not necessarily about the number. For example, I knew one person with more than 30 cats who I wouldn’t call a hoarder (this was a very rare case involving an almost supernaturally wealthy woman who took impeccable care of her pets). We removed 156 cats that day, working from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the terrible heat in a small, stinky house. She took me into a bedroom. I'm trying to figure how to help her. VIN News Service: the story behind the stories. A basic rule of thumb when determining if a person is suffering with animal hoarding is to decide if the owners have control of the home or the pets have control of the home. Though you might assume there’s some set number of cats or dogs beyond which you’d clearly classify as a hoarder, the designation is not so simply achieved. Favorite Answer. The number one issue that any pet owner will tell you is the poop. My food bills are staggering for seven cats (don’t tell my husband!) How serious is the problem? Many of us, however, do know those who might be. She’d been in with one just a few months before. They had an anonymous tip that there were over 20 cats being kept in a small house, and they were worried about the cats’ welfare. She’d only brought about four cats to the clinic. My day was spent moving back and forth between the house and the triage area as well as talking with the owners. That was my wake up call, and my 12 permanent clinic cats eventually whittled down to 7 as they died and I quit adopting. Are the pets properly taken care of according to modern animal welfare practices and veterinary standards of care? 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