A lot of cats vs. animal hoarding

notme1295

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I was wondering about this and not sure where to post, but I thought this forum would work. I saw a lady on Oprah the other day who has 81 cats and they showed her house and all these cats. It seemed that she was very devoted to caring for them but obviously, you can do a good job and when you get to a certain number of cats it isn't going to matter. In the end she agreed to give up all the cats, which I thought might be unrealistic but that's another matter...

I'm wondering if anyone could clarify for me how you would personally distinguish someone who has a lot of cats with someone who is an animal hoarder. I think I've seen posts from people who are "permanent" homes (opposed to foster) to up to 8 cats. Many of the stories I've read about hoarders talk about 30-200 cats. So where is "the line"?

Like how would you judge how many cats is enough? By temperment of the cats and how well they mesh? By their various habits (litter box, food)? By health concerns requiring separate food types? By your financial situation? By the space in your home? Etc etc? The woman with 81 cats spent tons of time caring for them, and no doubt thought she was capable, so I don't know that judging your own abilities would be a very good measure to go by, but maybe I'm wrong?

What I've read about hoarders is that these things are typical:

-The cats have medical problems that go untreated
-Dead or very sick animals are often found
-The cats are usually not altered and are sometimes inbred
-The homes are usually very dirty with cat feces and urine throughout, and unkempt litterboxes

Anything else? Is there a magical "number"? I've known people with less than ten cats where all of the above would be accurate, but they probably wouldn't be called "hoarders", is that right?

Sorry if I sound ridiculous. Thanks for any comments, clarification, and insight.
 

purity

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I think the limit is the number that you can afford to look after properly. That includes food, litter, vet bills and companionship. I have two kitties as that's all I have space for, but if I lived on a farm I would love to have more (provided I could support them).
 

arlyn

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I don't think there is a magical number.
I think the line is crossed when you have more than you (personally) can realistically handle.
My MIL is a permanant home to over 20, and she bottle feeds sometimes up to three seperate litters of fosters at a time.
She works at a vet clinic, allowing her to greatly defray vet costs (most things are free for her, except major surgeries).
She had her home legally listed as a pet sanctuary, non-profit, which allows her to defray feed and sundry costs by way of tax write offs.
Her home is spotless, her cats are well cared for, healthy, happy, spoiled, and unless you happen to see a cat, you'd never even knew she had any just from walking into her home.
 

beckiboo

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I know one person with 5-10 cats, litter box never clean, minimal vet care, inbreeding to the point of defects. (She has since improved, thank goodness!) She has huge potential to be a hoarder, except her dh has finally insisted on proper care of the animals, and got rid of a pile of them.

Another person in rescue has 80ish cats in her home. All vetted, well cared for. All but a few available for adoption, and several taken to adoption shows weekly. All 27 litterboxes are scooped at least once daily. She knows everyone's name, and they are living peacefully. These are all pet quality cats, none are feral. Many too old to be adopted, will live their lives out in kittyland. She is a saint.

I don't think the numbers matter as much as the care. And the willingness to say no to people who think you are a cat dump. And to not accept or get rid of one cat who disturbs the colony by fighting, etc.
 

ravyn

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Some people eye me as if they think I'm crazy, because I have six permanant cats, and two that may or may not become permanant depending on how things progress in the next couple of months. But my cats are all in terrific shape, they're all fed and cleaned, they all get along, and their needs are always cared for. My house is clean (well, as clean as can be expected with having just moved and not done unpacking/rearranging). I've seen people with one or two cats where the litterbox was overflowing, the cats were unsocialized, patchy, sick looking, or otherwise unhealthy, where the house was just filthy, etc.

So, its as much as you can reasonably and financially care for, yourself. Hoarders have a certain mentality. Being, they don't think anyone can take care of their animals as well as they can, that if a genuine rescue gets hold of them the cats will be immediately euthanized. They will take in any cat regardless of circumstances and will never part with it after, even if someone offers to help. They are blind to the suffering and lack of care of their pets. Most will say, when raided, that 'they take good care of their cats' and that they're being picked on by the ASPCA.

Six cats is my personal, self-imposed limit. I can take care of more, but I felt a line had to be drawn for my sanity's sake
If it DOES become eight it will be because there is little option otherwise. And I would never imagine even possibly keeping eight if I wasn't confident in my financial and time situation to do so.

That being said...the two 'fosters' ARE NOT STAYING!! *gotta keep telling myself this
*
 

ryobious

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I agree that is has to do with each person and what they can properly care for. I have 7 permanent cats and a dog and currently 9 foster cats. I spend usually two hours a day cleaning. Everyone is up to date on shots, spayed or neutered and in very good health. I have 12 litterboxes, scooped twice a day, various feeding stations that get cleaned and refilled everyday and bedding that is all washed once a week. It is alot of work but I love doing it.
 

pingu

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I would probably say if you can't bond with each of you're cats every day because there are too many then thats where the line ends.
 

jennyr

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I agree with Pingu - I have three and that is as many as I feel I can cope with emotionally and have a good relationship with each one in a normal house. I have recently turned down offers of more, even though I have the gravest suspicions of what their fate might be. I did find a home for one kitten, though. It is all about your personal capability as well as assessing how your existing cats might cope.
 

elizwithcat

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I watch the show "animal police" on animal planet. Hoarders are the people that have a lot of animals in deplorable condition, never take them to a vet, there are feces in the house, and the cats appear to be semi-feral because they don't have enough attention. If someone has a lot of cats but their house is clean, cats have vet care, spayed and neutered and not semi-feral, then that person is a rescuer and not a hoarder.
 

june

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The interesting thing was that they said that all of the cats went to a no-kill shelter. With pet over-population being what it is, shelters being filled to overflowing , and rescue organizations being strained to the limit, one can only wonder what kind of shelter suddenly had room for 81 cats all at once.
 

beckiboo

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Originally Posted by June

The interesting thing was that they said that all of the cats went to a no-kill shelter. With pet over-population being what it is, shelters being filled to overflowing , and rescue organizations being strained to the limit, one can only wonder what kind of shelter suddenly had room for 81 cats all at once.
It is amazing what rescuers and foster homes will take in. I take limited numbers in myself, but some people will foster 100 cats a year. No matter how long or short they stay, that's a lotta cats to take care of!

And if many of those 81 cats were feral, they may not be easily adoptable. It is a huge dilemma. Every person who adopts from a rescue organization saves a life. And everyone who spays or neuters before their cats can reproduce, help avoid the problem of overpopulation.
 

wellingtoncats

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I know a member here at TCS who has owned thirty cats at one point, not sure if she still does. Sue??

The magic number is how many you can afford to keep. For cats there will be food bills, medical bills and added charges. Also time is a key factor. I personally don't want to own more then ten cats at any one time.
 

fatkitties

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My friend's aunt has/had (I don't know her anymore) 4 cats, and her house STUNK like crazy. She used cardboard flats for litter boxes, and they were overflowing. There was a blanket of cat hair on EVERYTHING. She's not a hoarder, but her cats looked awful and weren't taken care of. And outside was worse. She took a huge chicken coop, built a wire pen around it so they could go outside, and put a bunch of cats in there. Again, stunk like crazy in there, and the cats looked awful. And she fed them that really cheap feed store cat food. Yech! I'd call her a hoarder outside, but her house inside looked like she had way more cats than she did.
When I was a kid we at one time had 6 cats in the house. Aside from the fact that my stepdad wouldn't let us take them to the vet (aurgh!) and they got cheap crappy food, they were at least cleaned up after! My mom cleaned the litter box a couple times a day and it didn't stink in the house.
I used to volunteer at a cat rescue, there were a whole lotta cats in the main building, but it didn't stink in there, the boxes were scooped many times a day, all the cats got whatever medical help they needed, and although they don't get the highest quality food, all of the donated food is mixed together so the cheap stuff helps stretch out the better stuff. There was a couple outside buildings for the cats who weren't adoptable, like refusing to use the litter box, or neutered but still spraying, and those were very clean as well. Sometimes it kinda smelled like cat pee, but that's because of the males that wouldn't stop spraying. The floors/walls were kept clean though, and the litter boxes were scooped regularly.
If the place stinks and the animals aren't taken care of, they should be removed. As long as the person can keep them healthy and take them to the vet if necessary, and DOES IT, they should be allowed to keep them.
My animals bring me so much joy, and I'd LOVE to have more. I want more. BUT with my time, space, and money, adding another mouth to feed is not an option. I know that. I won't turn a stray away, but it won't stay here for long either. Even if I do have to take them to the humane shelter (not the worthless dog catcher kennel here), I feel better knowing they are off the street and not going to die from an animal attack, malicious person, or a car. I have a soft heart, but I know I can't realistically bring every stray animal into my house. It's a stretch paying for the ones I have already, sometimes!

Amber
 
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