We make fun all the time about the “Crazy Cat Lady” down the block. But in reality it’s not funny. Most of these people suffer from a mental disorder known as hoarding. Hoarding is an obsessive compulsive disorder that is difficult to control. We’ve all heard about hoarders that are unable to throw things out, and it gets to the point where there is no room in the house to actually live. Well, in the case of “the Crazy Cat Lady,” it’s not items she collects, its cats.
They defend their actions by telling themselves they are saving these cats lives by getting them off the street, and giving them a good home, but although they have a roof over their heads, it is by far not a good home for the cats. These hoarders don’t recognize that these cats are living in overcrowded and horrible conditions. Some hoarders have so many cats it’s impossible to keep a clean litter box, therefore forcing the cat to go in the house. This and other factors can lead to disease, and the hoarders usually doesn’t have the funds to take the cats to the vet.
By the time most animal hoarders are discovered by the authorities, conditions are usually very bad. It’s typical to find dead or dying cats in the home. Not to mention several cats with disease that could have been prevented if the cat lived in cleaner, less crowded conditions.
In recent years, Animal hoarding has been recognized as a real mental illness, and the authorities are now have a better understanding about how to handle the situation that could benefit both the hoarders and the animals they collect. In 1993, the largest number of cats found in a residence was 640. It doesn’t take much to visualize the living conditions in that home. Therefore, if you suspect that there is a crazy cat lady in your area, please call the authorities so they can get help.
By the way, there are some men who hoard animals too, but the majority are women.
