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We’ve all heard the stories of people keeping outrageous numbers of animals. The Today Show ran a segment on the topic just last week, to coincide with the premiere of Animal Planet’s new show, “Confessions: Animal Hoarders”.
But why is it so many of these tales seem to involve women and cats?
There was the elderly woman in Phoenix with 104 cats, 10 of them dead and tucked into freezers; the woman in Greeley, Colo., whose house was condemned after authorities discovered she was harboring 83 felines. Women cat hoarders have been discovered in Citrus Heights, Calif., where a woman and her mother had 60 cats; Orange City, Fla., where rescue workers discovered an unconscious woman surrounded by 59 cats and Piney Flats, Tenn., where a 64-year-old woman was found living in a trailer with 31 cats.
And that’s just so far this month.
Is there something that makes women more prone to animal hoarding than men?
“According to a 2002 study, 75 percent or more of animal hoarders are women who are middle age or older, usually unmarried and often socially isolated from family and friends,” says Dr. Christiana Bratiotis, project director of the Hoarding Research Project at Boston University’s School of Social Work.
One reason women may hoard animals more often is because we’re biologically hardwired to take care of things.
“Animal hoarders label themselves as rescuers,” she says. “And when you think about the connotation of that word, that seems to fit in with the gender role of women in this society. We’re rescuers and caregivers and care providers.”
While it may be difficult to reconcile care-giving with horror stories of homes littered with animal feces and/or dead carcasses, Bratiotis says people who hoard animals really do believe they’re caring for the creatures.
“Because of their mental illness, they have a very distorted belief that they are the person best suited to provide care for the animals,” she says. “They’re reluctant to place their animals in another person’s care, despite the fact they’re not well-fed or getting adequate veterinary care. They believe they’re doing well by the animals.”
While it seems that cats somehow are the hoarders' pet of choice, that's simply because there's such a prevalance of felines says Bratiotis. After cats, people also hoard dogs, birds, horses, sheep, goats, rabbits, rodents and reptiles. Or occasionally, a mix of everything, as in a recent Philadelphia hoarding case where a woman was found with 53 cats, eight dogs, 21 chinchillas and eight birds.
While the exact line where a loving cat owner starts to collect them and edge into hoarding country can be hard to pinpoint, Bratiotis points to the criteria experts use to define animal hoarding.
If the cats are not well-fed, not getting adequate veterinary care, don’t have enough space and are regularly making too much of a mess for you to clean up, you’ve got too many, she says, whether that number is six, 16 or (gulp) 60.
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Why do you think about people collect animals? Ever known anyone who hoarded pets? Tell us about it in the comments.
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I believe this is a side-effect of our fragmented families. Human beings are social animals who evolved to live in multi-generational family groups. Until the 1930s, the Dust Bowl and World War II, most people lived on the farm and that provided a family situation for our elderly. Our society's and, more importantly, our Federal government's emphasis on the nuclear family changed that. To facilitate economic growth through manufacturing, much of it to fuel the war effort, working age people were forced into the cities and, later, into the suburbs. Living conditions were two- and three-bedroom apartments or three-bedroom houses. Social pressures said each child needed their own bedroom. Guess what? No room for the elderly members of the family - they were supposed to remain "independent," thus isolating them from the family. As any mental health worker will tell you, isolation can cause a host of mental health issues. Animal hoarding is just one of those issues.
We, as a society, need to find a way to allow families to reconnect in a healthy manner. Just providing "senior citizen centers" and other form of day habilitation is a poor, an usually insufficient, substitute. It gives the elderly some relief during the day, but the isolation returns at the end of the day.
". . .our Federal government's emphasis on the nuclear family. . ." Please provide documented, unbiased proof of that statement.
The industrial revolution is scarcely confined to the U.S. Facilitation of growth through manufacturing is more a function of capitalist corporations than any other entity.
Numbers of bedrooms does not substantiate your thesis. A 3 bedroom apartment would have been considered palatial in late 19th-early 20th century America yet the multi-generational family unit was still somewhat the norm.
Why are you not considering the separation that occurs when Gram and Gramps stay on the farm while the kids move to town/city? That is isolation by choice not because the elders are squeezed out.
What's your agenda here?
I would be interested to read studies on the subject. I have read snippets of information that suggest people who hoard animals are/were often the victims of some sort of molestation or abuse in their childhoods. In the case of hoarders the result is a person who enjoys the unconditional love of the animals and is reluctant to "abandon" them to the dangers of the outside world. They are driven to "protect" the animals because they themselves were not protected. Because of their past trauma they collect animals past any reasonable limit, which is where the situation reaches a threshold of a disorder.
However it sounds like some of the posters here are describing situations where a residence, building or specific area has simply been overrun by a feral colony, which isn't quite the same thing. People in such situations are willing to take action, but may be overwhelmed by the problem.
Diane Mapes write:
but that doesn't explain why so many collect cats and leave them in locked up and abandoned homes they rarely visit. Quite close to me the fire department had to be called in a few years back because some woman had decided to fill her no longer lived in house with 100+ cats. Once every few weeks she would come by and bring in more. I'm far more inclined to agree with Goat Rancher Bob that it is a medical issue in many cases.
Unforunately it is not just seniors who hoard animals. It is far more complex than fragmented families, although our seniors are among the worst taken care of in the world.
The title of this article was poorly chosen, as the answers to both questions were anticlimactic and vague. It may as well have been "Lonely Animal Hoarders: Why hoard animals? Why lonely people?"
The article I was hoping to see would have addressed why women choose cats as pets in the first place, and why that choice is linked with increasing isolation from humanity.
Sam - I think the answer to your question lies in the current state of humanity. We are sinking fast - although most people have on their rose colored blinders and don't see it.
The urge to protect the innocents from the atrocities perpetrated by humans is very strong - resulting in hoarders. They are trying to help - but unfortunately become part of the problem.
I completely agree with your thoughts on the title. I do not think it was well-chosen and poorly represents the point of the article - which is certainly an interesting one.
I don't agree however, that only women hoarders are the less socially interactive ones. I think that can also be said for male hoarders, don't you?
Unfortunately, in our society, life is cheap. Female cats have many many litters, and stray cats are everywhere. If you have a cat and something happens to it, oh well, there are plenty more to be had. If, God forbid, something were to happen that would decimate the cat population, and only rich people could afford to have the "status" of a cat, ah, that would change people's perspective. It's a sickening comment on us. Hoarding is a problem which needs to be addressed, and the animals rescued from a dangerous situation, but don't confuse that disease with the actions of caring men and women who see the pathetic lives these poor creatures live on the street and try to help them by giving them a home. As long as they are properly cared for, and the caregiver is not overwhelmed, it's not anyone elses' business to "count" animals. The town I live in has a pet"quota" which is laughable. They want to regulate animal ownership, but they don't even have a humane society which does anything to allievate the stray population. And, most importantly, they don't care about the animals' welfare at all. The whole system stinks. Hoarding is a mental disorder, no matter what is hoarded...helping stray animals, not hoarding them, is NOT a mental disorder. Please remember the difference.
I totally agree with you. I have 10 cats and a dog. All cared for and well fed. Cannot group a hoarder with people who just happen to have a big family of "furry", "feathered" or "scaly" ones.
Well...with cats you don't have to walk them. Hence staying in isolation. Just a guess
I live with an unknown count of feral cats, all going in and out a hole behind the clothes dryer and through the doggie-door I installed for my remaining dog, a 15 year old Chihuahua who amazes me to this day for his longevity even though he is deaf, severely arthritic, basically toothless and only has one eye. I can't afford to put him down so I can close off the one entrance, and I do have one cat of my own, that had been spayed years ago, so I wouldn't want to close everything off.
I have a soft heart and felt that these strays; since they found their own way in, needed love and food also. Having no shelter in this rural town, and no access to a Humane Society, I am doomed to be branded a mentally ill senior citizen that hoards cats. I would love to get rid of them all, but I have no options but to feed them so they don't starve. I couldn't sleep at night if I starved them.
What is a person like me to do? They have taken over my house and the cleanup is getting more difficult. I want a humane way of ridding myself of this problem. Any suggestions?
I, too, live with an unknown number of feral cats. Every time the neighboring military post sends a unit off to Iraq, Afghanistan, or wherever, several new cats (and sometimes a dog or two) show up. Some have visible marks on their neck fur that indicates that they recently wore a collar. Most of the cats will not let me near them: they do not know me and I smell too much like the herd dogs. The animal feed in the barn, no matter how tightly I try to contain it, attracts rodents and the rodents attract the cats. Most stay only a short time, then move on. Some come back when the weather gets cold.
Some of you will say that I heartless. Unfortunately, even if I catch the cats, there is no place to go with them. (Dogs, I can often place.) The county animal shelter and the ASPCA shelter are always full; to make room, they are constantly euthenizing former pets. The real heartless ones are those who just dump their unwanted pets and drive away.
God bless you Goat Rancher Bob for doing the best you can. And yes - the real heartless ones are the ones who just walk away from a pet with no regard for it's future.
This is a "throw away" society and unfortunately most humans are too arrogant and self absorbed to realize that all beings have value. All beings deserve to be respected and safe. Good for you for trying.
Of course cats will take advantage of food and shelter if it is offered, but are you stuck with the responsibility? Over time, your ad hoc rescue program will not be sustainable, as more and more cats survive and reproduce thanks to your efforts! There are healthier and better alternatives. Even if you are in a rural area, you can look up options such as trap/neuter/vaccinate/return which reduce their numbers without killing them; I assume that there are vets in your area who would co-operate, and perhaps the state or town would fund their assistance as a health measure. Please check out http://cats.about.com/cs/feralcatmgmt/a/ferals_TNR.htm and good luck!
yopu can call and get help from somewhere---- where r you
Yes, I am a female and I rescue animals. But I do not hoard them. The true issue is that there are many irresponsible pet owners out there. Unless you are a license breeder there is no reason why pets are not to spayed or neutered. For the past twenty years, I have helped people, usually older females and always cats, trap and neuter the older cats while taking any kittens and placing them for adoption.
The story is always the same. It was only two cats left behind by a neighbor, I started to feed them and one had a litter, so I had to feed them also. Six months later that young litter had three, four or five females who each had a litter and within a year I ended up with 30 cats. As noted in several areas above, these women can not stop feeding these strays because of their caring nature. It becomes overwhelming for these older people on a fixed income. Even if they would stop feeding, these cats are survivors and will go elsewhere and continue to breed.
My group of animal rescuers put our monies together and help with the spaying and neutering of these animals. We usually only leave the original 5-7 cats in a colony and we educate the kindly neighbor to look out for any new cats. We try to place kittens in area no-kill shelters but they are always full. Mostly we try to place the kittens on our own but there has been times where I have had 9-10 kittens at my house. This is very expensive when we talk about spaying and neutering at $60-$100 per cat. Then there is fostering the kittens until they are placed, and hope that they are healthy.
Right now I have two kittens, both had bad case of fleas, ear mites and worms. I have had them for 5 weeks and the vet bill (no spaying as they are still too young) totalling just over $500. The vet, who knows me, gives me 50% discount on all of my rescues. I can not adopt them out until they are healthy, probably another two weeks and at least another $150 since they are old enough for shots. This is only two of the last batch. One of the other rescuers has 5 kittens, luckily they are all healthy and a third rescuer who has three kitens with herpes. There is no possible way that an 80 year old woman could have done this by herself. Six of the original seven cats have now been neutered, the last female just gave birth to another 5 kittens. Since we do not have any foster homes, we will have to handle them on a daily basis until we have homes for them. If you have been keeping count that is a total of 15 kittens.
I truly believe that there is an issue of epidemic proportions with no aid from anyone, there is only so much that we, as recuers, can do. And then there are the all of the those elderly women who do not ask for help, and continue feeding until their colonies are close to 100 cats. I have met those, and the reason the bring them into their homes is because they can't leave them all outside, "these are the nice ones". Often times these women will forgo buying themselves food in order to feed the cats.
My brother lived in the house he and my son inherited, my son lived with me and we didn't visit the house much, my brother is slightly handicapped due to a motorcycle wreck in his teenage years, he ended up with 30 + cats the house reeked. I ended up having to move in and force him to get rid of most of the cats, it was a fight, I thought I would have to get animal control in on it, but I could not let him get my son's house condemned over cats. He did finally see the light and slowly turned the cats into the humane society. If a person don't want to spend the money to spay or neuter it will just turn into a huge problem, I feel for anyone dealing with a family member hoarding animals
Goat Rancher Bob, IMO your premise is very well thought out and expressed. Kudos to you.
Sam, I also agree with your thoughts about the article's subject. IMO men can have too many animals as well -- especially when they have family members to help care for them physically and financially.
My own thoughts about women and cats might shed some light on that specific.
I'm an older single female who has had cats as pets for decades. Presently I have two domestic short-hair neutered males. That combo seems to work better than female-female; besides, any more than two and you are immediately labeled as "the cat lady", crazy or not.
The reasons I prefer cats to dogs has a lot to with practicality. I don't have the fenced yard that most dogs need and should have to run around and play in; I'm not home all the time to give the companionship or regular walks that they need; and canines' relatively short life spans are personally problematic for me. (Empty nest syndrome? Maybe.)
In contrast, cats are easy to like, keep and afford. They don't require constant attention or affection; they don't chew shoes or furniture; they use litter boxes on their own volition; they keep themselves clean and are easily groomed at home; they don't (over)eat much food; and veterinary costs are relatively low. My "boys" can be left at home alone for 2-3 days because they can function quite well without me. And contrary to popular opinion, cats can be trained to come when called and will play games with "their" humans.
The best part: Healthy, well cared for cats that are kept indoors can live into their late teens and early 20's. Perhaps this is why I've had so few cats in my time; they were given every opportunity to become long-term, affectionate and well-loved companions.
I believe cats are the hoarding pet of choice for exactly the reasons you cited. Easy of care. You don't have to walk them, you can feed them all in one shot, etc. Dogs require much care, as do the plethora of other animals.
This article got far too much exposure with the complete lack of research the writer performed.
Healthy, well-cared-for cats that live inside but are allowed to go outside can live into their late teens and early 20's too, as my cats can attest. Not all, but some cats are miserable if kept inside all the time.
Well, cats breed really fast, so if they aren't neutered, you end up with a lot fairly quickly. Maybe the intention is not to own so many, just no resources to neuter.
A couple months ago I stumbled onto a hoarding situation, a 68 year old woman, 80-90 dogs and cats. What astounded me was how difficult it was to get help for the animals. The authorities don't want to do anything because she's a "nice woman". The police like her because they can take stray dogs to her rather than driving all the way to the pound. Meanwhile, you have cats in severe states of malnutrition, dogs gone deaf from ear infections, you can smell the urine and feces from outside the house. It's amazing and frightening that this can go on!
Hoarding anything is the issue, not just hoarding cats. I like Sweeteve's comments. There's a big difference between helping strays, and keeping animals "prisoner" because of emotional issues. Keeping anything "prisoner" is the problem, whether it's animals or just "stuff" that takes up living space and makes for an unhealthy environment. Both women and men are subject to hoarding "stuff". By focusing on women and cats, the article is taking advantage of an old cliche to draw in an audience.
Ghosty - It's very easy to get overrun with cats as they just multiply and multiply and soon you have way more than you bargained for. Here are some resources which may help:
http://www.alleycat.org/NetCommunity/Page.aspx?pid=191
http://www.humanityforcats.com/tnr.html
I would suggest contacting them. They themselves may not be able to help you, but the cat community is a close-knit one and they may be able to find someone local to you that can help out.
I have 13 cats at the moment and while I am not even close to being a hoarder its definetly not easy. I probably spend more money and time on them than I do on myself. I just rescued a 6 week old kitten that was probably dumped off next to the Cleveland Clinic. She has probably cost me around $250 in vet bills. I have always preferred cats. To me they just seem smarter and they interact on a higher level than a dog does. I have a kitten who talks constantly and you can easily tell when she is annoyed. I will probably get home from work and then spend a good 2 hours feeding them and playing with them and cleaning up after them. If you have the stamina and the money to take proper care of them..go ahead. But if you are just going to collect them and then forget them even when they are suffering it makes you no better than the people who purposely abuse them.
i can completely understand how someone could go from rescuer to hoarder. I worked a cat rescue and routinely fostered cats and kittens, but there are so many animals that are in need. Long story short, I ended up with 14 cats/kittens in a large 3 bedroom apartment. it was chaos and overwhelming. I saw and learned that I needed help, and found homes for most of them.
Its so hard to understand what it is like to be a rescuer unless you actually put yourself in that situation. You see the horror that people are capable of and you want to take away all the pain that these creatures have endured - but it is at a significant cost to yourself.
I now have 5 cats in a house and donate money and supplies regularly. Unfortuntely I cannot help more because I can easily see that my heart is bigger than my means.
What a nice person you are. I feel your heart aching for these poor little creatures that have suffered at the hands of human beings who have no feelings for their pets, once they have outgrown the cute and cuddly stage.
ghosty: First of all, if you cannot afford to have the feral cats examined by a veterinarian, then you must close off your house in order to protect you, your dog and your cat. I love cats and I have adopted ferals, (yes, they can be socialized), but they can also carry rabies, feline leukemia (FELV) and feline AIDS (FIV). Rabies, of course, be passed to both you and your animals; the latter two can definitely infect your cat if it gets into a fight with an infected feral. Your dog is also elderly with numerous health issues: As a simple matter of his own safety, he shouldn't be allowed to wander in and out of the house unattended--he would be unable to protect himself if he had to. If you are able to walk, consider closing off the pet doors and take him outside when he needs to go. Put out a litter box for your cat and keep him indoors: Contrary to popular belief, domesticated cats lost the ability thousands of years ago to effectively defend themselves against most wild predators. Cats adapt very nicely to living exclusively indoors: Mine were strays and ferals and they no longer have any desire to go out. It just takes a little patience on your part.
There may not be a Humane Society in your local community but there probably is one in your state. Ask neighbors to get the contact information for the one closest to you and please give them a call. You sound like a lovely person but you have indicated that your situation is becoming increasingly difficult---that is not healthy for you or any of these animals. If they are left to continue breeding, you WILL be overrun with cats and the unfortunate truth is that many of them will die from disease. I know you wouldn't want that so please call them for assistance!
When I was a teenager (long ago) our town vet, who lived alone and was a man, had hundreds of cats in his house. We went there to get our own cat fixed, and though the house was cleaner and the cats healthier than described in the article, the smell was nonetheless overwhelming and you couldn't help but think that the doctor was himself not well. I agree with comments that the problem is loneliness, more than anything. I've always kept cats, and when I was single it was a great comfort to have a couple of cats curl up with me. What can we do to help people who are lonely, so that they don't project their need to be cared for out onto animals?
Spay and neuter!
I have a sister who is a hoarder. She was living in New York, in an isolated house, with about 80 cats...didn't have money to pay her rent or feed those animals. Finally she was evicted...moved out to Albuquerque and has started to collect animals again...so far...12 cats and a dog in a one bedroom apartment. She's collecting unemployment insurance and can't seem to pay her bills every month. This affects other people around her since we are constantly lending her money and being stressed out by her.
Currently I have 7 cats and 2 dogs, but please understand that my daughter-in-law, granddaughter, and their pets (which are included in that number) have moved in with me and my husband while her husband is deploying to Afghanistan. I have a 4 bedroom, 2 bath house, and with 3 adults, one infant, and 9 animals, it gets beyond crazy. My 2 adult children have nicknamed me Crazy Cat Lady, but all in fun. Hoarding animals though is nothing to make fun of. I have the room and the finances to take care of all of my pets, it's when the lack of feeding and care causes the animals to suffer, that people need to step in and help. Being unable to spay/neuter or vaccinate your animals just leads to more animals that need homes (that are too few) and diseases that run rampant. Neighbors need to look out for each other, not necessarily be "nosey", but care about the welfare of shut in's that could be vulnerable to getting caught up in a situation like this.
The article listed one route cause of an abundance of cats. I think it is time for communities to spend more money on spay and neuter clinics for cats. It will save money in the long run. Too much is now being spent on housing and eventually destroying the animals. I think it's time something was done about this. I would also make the selling and breeding of cats illegal.
As far as little old ladies with cats....well as Jesus said "the poor will always be with us" so will LOLs with cats.
I lived nextstore to people who had 28 cats, eveytime 1 dead or ran away there was always a new litter. It seems that cats breed and have more babies then rabbits. In this case I do believe in "fixing" them.
My fellow co-workers often call me the crazy cat lady because I currently have 7 cats that live both in and outdoors, but are all fixed. I just have a big heart for animals and would hate to see one go to a shelter when I have the means to take care of them. Just within the past year, a customer where I work approached me to see if I could take a kitten that he found on the side of the road and could not keep for himself. As soon as I took a look at her, there was no way I could say no. Then not too long after that, my husband came home with a little boy kitty that was left after people abandoned the home next to where he was working. The poor guy was scratching all the doors and windows trying to get in to find some food. So we took both of these little critters in and they are doing fantastic today. I was grateful to be able to take care of both because Lucy did not receive proper nutrition as a kitten and even though she is a year old now, still looks as if she is a 5 month old kitten. She will forever be my baby. Then Jeffie has many allergy problems and we were fortunate to find a vet in the area that offers quality care for affordable prices.
I think hoarding all comes down to peoples lack of education about getting their animals spayed or neutered. The area Humane society where I live is fantastic and they even offer a spay/neuter clinic at discounted prices for low income families. I have used this service for each and every one of my kitties as to not let the cycle perpetuate of litters and litters of kitties being born and no home to place them in.
Just like Bob Barker used to say, 'Help control the pet population by having your pet spayed or neutered!'
I, too, have a stray (11 years old) whom we believe was abandoned and left to fend for herself; we thought she was 3 months but turned out to be six months old at the time! she is still tiny (about 9 lbs.--finally). Her name is Baby because she is so tiny. She is also one of the most lovable and sweetest cats you would ever want to meet. She loves when I buy strawberries and carrots with the tops still on: she tries to get into the grocery bag and roll around in them: I think it is a throw-back to her time on her own when she looked for sustainable food in the wild.
I have 8 pets; 7 cats and a dog; all of them rescues. They are all current on shots; and spayed/neutered. I change 6 litter boxes a day. I have a large house and yard. Yes, I am older and single; a crazy cat lady. People think cats are independent and aloof because they don't get to know them. Like all warm blooded creatures, they both give and receive affection. I think the hoarders get in trouble because they allow reproduction and become overwhelmed. Instead of just callling them crazy, why not help them. There is an outrageous stray cat population; all communities need low cost spay/neuter clinics. People who can help should donate so that we can keep the stray pet population down.
You would need a bulldozer to clean that many cat boxes. The old man at the library of congress in the movie Logans Run had a bunch of cats. Course that was fiction.
I think many of the posters on the board are correct regarding the isolationism. Our current culture is so computerized and people don't go out and meet people anymore. Our society treats "older" women as aging old hags rather than valued members of society. Cats provide a love to a lot of women that are alone. Cats purr and they are mostly gentle creatures that pretty much take care of themselves. I live alone because I have been widowed for almost 10 years but only have 2 cats but I am constantly teased about one day being a "cat" lady with 20 cats. I just could not do that. It wouldn't be fair to the cats or to me. I love cats and hate to see them in these hoarding situations. I do feel for these women.
good for you! I loved your comment---
You should check out a CBC program called Tapestry. Last Sunday they did a segment on loneliness and lonely people, including interviews with individuals and researchers. The researchers were particularly eye-opening. They found that there are a lot more people who regularly experience loneliness and isolation than most people would believe, that lonely people can be rich, poor, fat, thin, healthy, sick, active , homebodies - that, in fact, there is no specific type of person who is more likely to be lonely. They also found that many people don't really have close friends, using the example of the show "Friends" to illustrate the point. One researcher said if you asked the characters of that show how many close friends they had, they could say six. In real life most people would say less than two.
And, these researchers found that loneliness affects people very much like being starved of food, or sleep, that being around some type of companion is vitally important to people and that the absence of such companionship can cause not only mental pain but even physical discomfort, much like hunger pangs.
I suspect this hording is a symptom of this larger social issue of widespread social alienation.