Cat Hoarding ( Need some advice?)

[jagman]

My brothers girlfriend has become a Cat Hoarder. My brother moved in with me
a few days ago because her hoarding has gotten out of control.
She currently has a total of 9 cats living in her 2 bedroom apartment.
4 adult cats 5 newborns from 2 different moms. The adult male is not
fixed.and the 3 female adult cats are not fixed either.

When confronted about the situation she starts crying and say's
"I just dont want to talk about it!"
I think it might be time for an intervention???What do you guy's think?

[DeDukshyn]

Cat's quickly go from "oooh, their so cute let's get two!" to "Ooh! Kittens are so cute! we need kittens!" to "Oh my God what is happening! I can't control all these cats!!!", but then "getting rid of them" sometimes has to happen in ways one does not want, and is affected by emotionally -- creating yet a bigger problem.

So I agree. It should be addressed before it gets worse.

Just my 2 cents as a happy cat owner

[Robin]

It is always so unfortunate to see this happen to somebody, especially because it is usually out of somebody being loving and sincerely wanting to help. This woman needs to understand that this is her fault and she must take responsibility for her actions, but her sympathetic and empathetic emotions must also be validated.

Just make it known to her that that the situation can and will spiral out of control, just like quicksand. The more she hesitates to confront this issue, the more HARM she is going to do to herself, other people, and innocent animals.

She must also understand that if she doesn't begin immediately to look for potential owners who will adopt the cats, then they will have to go the hard way. You must treat this like any addiction...and the first step is always to acknowledge that one has a problem.

[Sidney]

Yea I had nine once. LOL (after a batch of kittens was born). But I was able to find homes for the kittens quite easily. Is she open to the idea of finding homes for them, at the very least they all need to be altered. I am a huge cat lover and I know how hard it is to part with even one furr-ball of love If she cries over this, that tells me she knows there is a problem. Maybe she is just too overwhelmed to solve this problem alone. It might be easier for her if she knows there is a caring home for them to go to. Is there a no kill shelter in the area? I know, most of them are full, but many do have fostering capabilities.

[jagman]

Posted by DeDukshyn (here)
Cat's quickly go from "oooh, their so cute let's get two!" to "Ooh! Kittens are so cute! we need kittens!" to "Oh my God what is happening! I can't control all these cats!!!", but then "getting rid of them" sometimes has to happen in ways one does not want, and is affected by emotionally -- creating yet a bigger problem.

So I agree. It should be addressed before it gets worse.

Just my 2 cents as a happy cat owner

I think your right DeDukshyn...I love all my animals very much but
I think animals deserve proper care and love and she just doesnt have
the ability and time required to take care of 9 cats.

[Sidney]

I only have three, and that is way more than enough poop scooping to deal with. She perhaps also needs to be reminded that her landlord may not think too highly of the situation either. It would be completely different if she had some land for them to roam, but in an apartment that size, is just not healthy for her or the animals. IMO

[jagman]

Posted by Sidney (here)
Yea I had nine once. LOL (after a batch of kittens was born). But I was able to find homes for the kittens quite easily. Is she open to the idea of finding homes for them, at the very least they all need to be altered. I am a huge cat lover and I know how hard it is to part with even one furr-ball of love If she cries over this, that tells me she knows there is a problem. Maybe she is just too overwhelmed to solve this problem alone. It might be easier for her if she knows there is a caring home for them to go to. Is there a no kill shelter in the area? I know, most of them are full, but many do have fostering capabilities.

Yea Sidney we have a really good animal shelter here in town. The lady
that runs it is an animal lover.

[Pam]

The first thing that needs to be done is to get these cats spayed or neutered. If she cannot afford that there are many low cost spay/neuter programs. In my area they charge 10 bucks per cat. Then she will benefit from finding homes for the kittens. I do NOT suggest the easy way out which is dumping them at the Humane Society. Although they do their best finding homes if they can't they may be but to death that way. At least that will put her down to 4 cats that will not be reproducing.

If she loves cats she can volunteer at a cat rescue. She will feel really good about doing that and she can get her kitty fix that way...

[AriG]

Amazing synchronicity today. I am currently reading, "My Gentle Barn". A very touching story about Ellie Laks, the founder of The Gentle Barn Animal Sanctuary in California. http://www.gentlebarn.org/

Ellie bonded with the animal kingdom after suffering abuse and neglect as a child. She saw the animals as her only friends and her emotional well being relied upon them. It was her survival technique.

I would be very careful in the way that I approached this if I were you. Although your intent is to ensure the well-being of the cats as well as your friend's well- being, taking any strong action hastily could cause her severe emotional trauma. If it were me (without knowing the people involved), I would offer to take a couple of them home with me for a couple of days and see how she deals with parting with them knowing that they are in good hands. Often times, it is not the possession of the animal or parting with it that causes distress, but the torture of "not knowing" what will happen to the animal. If she handles this well, then perhaps you might be able to find people who are willing to foster them for her (due to the size of the apartment). Once she knows that the cats are being loved and cared for, she might release her undue anxiety.

I have a farm animal sanctuary. I have an abundance of animals from all species. Leaving them alone for the day causes me concern. When I have a sick animal, I am beside myself. Extreme connection to animals and their well being is a blessing, but without the resources to properly care for them, it can also be a curse. And I am certain that I too, have bonded with animals to address insecurity and rejection issues.

Perhaps you could provide your friend with a copy of "My Gentle Barn", to help her identify with any potential underlying cause driving her hoarding. It might give her relief to know that she is not alone and that her obsession can have beneficial long term consequences for her and the animals she loves

[Tesla_WTC_Solution]

Get a big cardboard box. Get a sign.
And get to the biggest/friendliest grocery in town with those kittens,
start giving them away ASAP.

Or in worst case scenario, pick a warm dry night and put the box at the Humane shelter.
I am not sure what to say.

My grandfather and father used to shoot my cats all the time.
Whatever you do don't let it get to the point where you are killing these poor creatures.
It's not much different than killing a person considering how much our species has done for Earth.

This brings back many bad memories.
My dad shot two cats he "couldn't afford to fix" and they were the best pets I've ever had.

Batman and Black Baby. they would follow me miles through the woods in Kentucky.
What sort of cat follows its owner through the woods?
These animals were my children, they trusted me, and now gone...



it's a messed up world.

[Fairy Friend]

I have to admit I have had similar problems. Best laid plans and all. Twice my daughter went to take her cat in to be fixed only to find that she was already pregnant. The first litter was 4 and we easily found homes for them. The second letter was 9 kittens. 9!! They were all quickly adopted out from our local humane society.

I do not understand how kittens can be so scary and cute at the same time.... Kittens, especially when they're hungry, I think I have swarming capabilities...Cute and scarey at once.

Now, I have what I refer to as my grandson's army, which has a canine division (3 dogs), a feline division (5 cats) and aquatic division (goldfish). I bit off more than I can chew. It is a common mistake. I also have a geriatric dog (15years) who is the equivalent of 90-93 years old in human terms. And is now a challenge. So I hired an army to help with my grandson's army and a big steam cleaner and we do the best we can. And I've had to ask for help and it usually comes. I will try not to make the same mistakes. You can only handle so much.

[Tesla_WTC_Solution]

Posted by Fairy Friend (here)
I have to admit I have had similar problems. Best laid plans and all. Twice my daughter went to take her cat in to be fixed only to find that she was already pregnant. The first litter was 4 and we easily found homes for them. The second letter was 9 kittens. 9!! They were all quickly adopted out from our local humane society.

I do not understand how kittens can be so scary and cute at the same time.... Kittens, especially when they're hungry, I think I have swarming capabilities...Cute and scarey at once.

Now, I have what I refer to as my grandson's army, which has a canine division (3 dogs), a feline division (5 cats) and aquatic division (goldfish). I bit off more than I can chew. It is a common mistake. I also have a geriatric dog (15years) who is the equivalent of 90-93 years old in human terms. And is now a challenge. So I hired an army to help with my grandson's army and a big steam cleaner and we do the best we can. And I've had to ask for help and it usually comes. I will try not to make the same mistakes. You can only handle so much.

You would probably love the Shepherds for Lost Sheep program,
it's where people train therapy dogs for disabled veterans and the program places them.

Then you can say "byebye doggie" and not feel bad. lol

[Sidney]

Posted by Tesla_WTC_Solution (here)
Get a big cardboard box. Get a sign.
And get to the biggest/friendliest grocery in town with those kittens,
start giving them away ASAP.

Or in worst case scenario, pick a warm dry night and put the box at the Humane shelter.
I am not sure what to say.


My grandfather and father used to shoot my cats all the time.
Whatever you do don't let it get to the point where you are killing these poor creatures.
It's not much different than killing a person considering how much our species has done for Earth.

This brings back many bad memories.
My dad shot two cats he "couldn't afford to fix" and they were the best pets I've ever had.

Batman and Black Baby. they would follow me miles through the woods in Kentucky.
What sort of cat follows its owner through the woods?
These animals were my children, they trusted me, and now gone...



it's a messed up world.

That is HEARTBREAKING Tesla
My dad used to deal with chipmunks in a cruel way ( I won't go into detail here), but I finally told him absolutely not and to, let me relocate them. I literally relocated about 30 chipmunks per week for a couple years. (They had destroyed the majority of their foundation at that point, so I understood he was pissed at the damage).
But I taught him, that killing is not always the answer. He told me years later that he had suffered a great deal of remorse, losing months of sleep, after realizing that he had done away with their lives needlessly. We both had a good cry over it.

Anyway, Back to topic (sorry Jag), I do agree with AriG, regarding the trauma that can come of parting with her animals. I too, most likely am so close with animals because of a shiity childhood. So, she is right about dealing with all of this delicately.

[Snoweagle]

Many wonderful comments for such a traumatic decision. Nobody likes to lose someone they love. Advising her to seek new homes for them is clearly the favoured option.
Somehow I suspect that option has already been made to her, sometime between the birth of the kittens and your brother arriving at your place. Also understandable she doesn't want to talk about it, no one does when they aren't ready.

Maybe, just maybe, those pets are replacing something missing in her life?

[Bluegrass]

Posted by jagman (here)
My brothers girlfriend has become a Cat Hoarder. My brother moved in with me
a few days ago because her hoarding has gotten out of control.
She currently has a total of 9 cats living in her 2 bedroom apartment.
4 adult cats 5 newborns from 2 different moms. The adult male is not
fixed.and the 3 female adult cats are not fixed either.

When confronted about the situation she starts crying and say's
"I just dont want to talk about it!"
I think it might be time for an intervention???What do you guy's think?

The most important issue I see is that she has taken a quantum leap and has open her eyes to see a more wider and troubling horizon: "we and the animals in this planet". Perhaps this girl is simply way ahead of us, and it is just a matter of time till she solves the logistics for the well-being of her cats, with a little help of animal-loving friends. The rest of people around her may need a little "intervention".

May I recommend you and your brother to see the documentary "The Witness".
Here is what Wikipedia has to say:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wit...282000_film%29

PREVIEW of "The Witness" (Film Trailer):

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=3Gv0y1qYx1w

THE FULL DOCUMENTARY "The Witness" (43 min.)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ldc19xU0upA

I also recommended the award-wining documentary "Peaceable Kingdom". I have only found a preview (film trailer), as it is still a paid (donation) documentary. However if anyone wishes to see it in full (56 min.) , I may send him/her a copy, and may buy it later from Tribe of Heart, the organization that brilliantly filmed it.

PREVIEW "Peaceable Kingdom" (FILM TRAILER)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qbamdBF4L1Y

More info in: The Tribe of Heart Screening Room:

http://www.tribeofheart.org/sr/sr_wi...om_english.htm

A final thought:
When I read about aliens and humans on this earth/universe in forums like this, I cannot help it but compare to the situation of humans and animals in this planet; the same technological gap, the same vulnerable position. What will be the final outcome? What should be the final outcome?

Love,

Bluegrass.

[Heartsong]

The Humane Society and various shelters in our town are quite strong politically. There are regulations for how many cats or dogs or other kinds of animals can be housed in a human's house and the conditions in which they may be housed in out-buildings like say if you were a professional breeder. If you have more than 5 dogs, you must get a kennel license.

Animal hoarders are emotionally destroyed when the authorities come and take their animals even though the animals are taken to a shelter. The hoarder will be fined. If their houses are unfit for living in, they will be told to leave - even possibly locked out. They may be jailed if the animals appear to be malnourished or sick.

Your brother's girlfriend should be alerted to her legal circumstances. If she takes no action on her own, the authorities should be alerted.....for the sake of the cats and for the girlfriend's health as well.

[vilcabamba]

I love cats. More the merrier. Once you have one..you think of them as little people that give love and no grief. You want more and more. I want 100. It all love and no judgement. Much better then the world today. I say, get rid of the sheeple and keep the cats! They are NO JUDGEMENT...and 100% mushy gushy TLC!

[Sidney]

At this point, I say keep the authorities out of it. 9 IMO (kittens are a factor here) is not hoarding. 30 is hoarding. 20 is hoarding. 9 is a number that can be dealt with without alerting any authorities. We ARE the authorities.

Jagman, are they Avalon educated? Can she be shown this thread??

[Tesla_WTC_Solution]

The cats will benefit from getting out and seeing more of the world.

She gave them life and love and now it's time to downsize, maybe the community will enjoy hearing when the next litter comes, etc.,

use the newspapers, little nickel advert, CL etc anything you can, even Facebook (make an adoption page for them?).

There are ways to deal with it aside from police etc.

no one likes dealing with hysterics but there are lives at stake.

[Sidney]

Posted by Bluegrass (here)

Posted by jagman (here)
My brothers girlfriend has become a Cat Hoarder. My brother moved in with me
a few days ago because her hoarding has gotten out of control.
She currently has a total of 9 cats living in her 2 bedroom apartment.
4 adult cats 5 newborns from 2 different moms. The adult male is not
fixed.and the 3 female adult cats are not fixed either.

When confronted about the situation she starts crying and say's
"I just dont want to talk about it!"
I think it might be time for an intervention???What do you guy's think?

The most important issue I see is that she has taken a quantum leap and has open her eyes to see a more wider and troubling horizon: "we and the animals in this planet". Perhaps this girl is simply way ahead of us, and it is just a matter of time till she solves the logistics for the well-being of her cats, with a little help of animal-loving friends. The rest of people around her may need a little "intervention".

May I recommend you and your brother to see the documentary "The Witness".
Here is what Wikipedia has to say:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wit...282000_film%29

PREVIEW of "The Witness" (Film Trailer):

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=3Gv0y1qYx1w

THE FULL DOCUMENTARY "The Witness" (43 min.)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ldc19xU0upA

I also recommended the award-wining documentary "Peaceable Kingdom". I have only found a preview (film trailer), as it is still a paid (donation) documentary. However if anyone wishes to see it in full (56 min.) , I may send him/her a copy, and may buy it later from Tribe of Heart, the organization that brilliantly filmed it.

PREVIEW "Peaceable Kingdom" (FILM TRAILER)

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=qbamdBF4L1Y

More info in: The Tribe of Heart Screening Room:

http://www.tribeofheart.org/sr/sr_wi...om_english.htm

A final thought:
When I read about aliens and humans on this earth/universe in forums like this, I cannot help it but compare to the situation of humans and animals in this planet; the same technological gap, the same vulnerable position. What will be the final outcome? What should be the final outcome?

Love,

Bluegrass.

Sliding a bit off topic, but did you happen to see the angel wings. The black markings, is a black cat with angel wings. (its the gentleman in the videos second cat, in case you didn't watch it)