How many cats are too many?

We all have collections, maybe you collect books or stamps or baseball cards or, maybe you collect animals. If you do, you’re likely an animal hoarder. Animal hoarding is defined as keeping a larger than usual amount of domestic pets and being unable to provide adequate care for them. Instances of animal hoarding are becoming more common although there is some debate as to whether it is happening more or if society is just more aware of it. Hoarding is normally an effect of a mental disorder rather than deliberate cruelty, in fact, hoarders typically deny that they are unable to provide for their pets and generally do care deeply for their animals. Lately animal seizures from pet hoarding have been in the news a lot.

                        

Cats at Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary

Steve and Penny Lefkowitz of Alachua County, Florida, love cats and wanted to help save the strays in their community, In 2003 they opened the Haven Acres Cat Sanctuary and began taking in cats. They quickly became overrun with unwanted family pets and exceeded their authorized limit of 100. Then, in June of this year animal control officials found a dead cat in a cage along with many other sick cats and decided to step in. In the end 697 cats were removed (yep, 697!) with 100 having to be euthanized because of serious health problems. The remainder of the kitties are being spayed, neutered and cared for by University of Florida veterinary students until permanent homes can be found for them. As for the Lefkowitzes? They’ve been charged with 47 counts of animal cruelty and still maintain they are not animal hoarders. I can think of 697 examples of how they’re wrong.

Worst. Neighbour. Ever.

Cats living in squalor with Diane Way

In the Spring of this year a Toronto woman, Diane Way, was arrested and charged with cruelty to animals and permitting unnecessary suffering when it was discovered she was housing 100 sick and injured cats. Neighbours had complained for years about a disgusting smell emanating from Way’s residence and Canada Post had even stopped delivering her mail due to the offensive stench. It wasn’t until when, during the last federal election, a pollster visited the house and was so taken aback by the smell he called the police thinking that someone had died that authorities entered the property. When they entered they were horrified by what they found: a house stained with urine and feces and 100 cats (some living in the roof and walls) who were completely feral and afraid of humans. They removed 50 cats the first day but had to set up cat traps for the remaining 50. The cats were in awful shape with ruptured eyes, urine scalding, hair loss and open sores being prevalent. Neighbours say Way, formerly a lawyer, started with four cats then multiplied as they had kittens and she couldn’t bear to part with them.

It’s easy to find animal hoarding amusing. Who hasn’t laughed when Simpson’s character, Eleanor Abernathy throws cats at people passing her house? Or joked that their single neighbour with three cats is on the verge of becoming a cat lady? Researching this post and realizing how detrimental hoarding is to the animals (and the humans) has made me take this way more seriously. If you know of an animal hoarding situation please contact your local SPCA or humane society to take action.