Animal hoarding describes a situation where people keep so many animals – usually pets – that it becomes a health risk. Both hoarders and their animals may suffer the consequences. We encounter these situations on occasions when we clear a house of other hoarded items.
The Sad Realities of Animal Hoarding
A recent report in the media highlighted a shocking discovery of over 80 cats in a foreclosed U.S. home. The unfortunate new owner found several animals in need of medical attention when they arrived. We can only imagine what the state of the house must have been, and what a clean-up task awaited the house clearance service.
Animal hoarding certainly does leave a trail behind. A leading animal welfare organization asks, ‘Is this a case of do-gooders gone wrong’. Or, putting it differently, is someone taking on more than they can cope with, versus do they have a psychological condition.
A Broad Definition of Animal Hoarder
An animal or pet hoarder has too many creatures for their resources, be these space or financial considerations. They are not ‘bad people’ per se though. It’s more a matter of not knowing when or how to to stop. In fact, these generally kind people believe they are doing ‘the right thing’ for the animals.
There does, however, seem to be an overlap with hoarding, in that:
- Conventional hoarders store things because they believe they will have a future use.
- Animal hoarders accumulate creatures because they believe they are saving them.
I’m Concerned About An Aging Relative
Recent research reveals a pattern among animal hoarders that may help you find an answer to your concern. As many as 80% of animal hoarders may be female, with some 50% older than 55 years. Some 71% are likely to be single, divorced or widowed, with around 50% living alone.
Curiously enough, male animal hoarders are most likely to keep dogs, with the female gender preferring cats. Some 80% of either are likely to have diseased, dying, or dead animals on their premises. A somewhat unsurprising 93% live in unsanitary conditions.
There’s an interesting cross-over to conventional hoarders in the Psychology Today review we linked to earlier. Their researchers found that 93% of animal hoarders’ homes had dysfunctional toilets, showers, sinks, stoves, or heaters. Hence both classes of hoarder apparently neglect themselves in favour of their collections.
Most Hoarders Live in Chaos (Image ©Avery Associates)
Primary Drivers Behind Animal Hoarding
American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals observes that animal hoarding often results in over-breeding, animal starvation, illness and even death. Yet despite this, Psychology Today reports that the vast majority of hoarders “claim that their animals are being well cared for and are healthy, despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary.”
Therefore they believe that “at the minimum, all animal hoarders have an unrealistic belief system”. This again creates a bridge across to conventional hoarding, where those with both conditions have an unrealistic belief in the value of their collections.
Hoarding, Animal Hoarding & OCD
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) display a pattern of unwanted thoughts and fears, known as obsessions according to Mayo Clinic. These fixations compel them to repeat behaviours that obstruct daily activities, and cause considerable distress.
This is not something that hoarders can sort out themselves, as some relatives and friends may press them to do. The pattern often focuses on specific themes. These keep coming back to the extent that they become daily rituals, reducing their quality of life and potentially overruling everything else.
How Avery Associates Could Help
Psychology Today makes an interesting observation towards the end of their review of animal hoarding, and hoarding generally:
“Most often, people with OCD who struggle with this symptom will hoard common items of minimal value such as newspapers, books, clothing, and containers (i.e. boxes, paper, and plastic bags).
There may be such a large amount of clutter that has accumulated in the home, that it becomes difficult to use furniture or appliances or even to move around easily. One study showed that 100 percent of 71 cases of animal hoarding also involved the hoarding of inanimate objects.”
Avery Associates cannot assist with clearing the detritus of animal hoarding, because of the health risk and the need for special skills. We can however help with valuing an animal hoarder’s possessions, and have special skills cleaning firms seldom possess.
Call Avery Associates in Greater London Tooting on 0800 567 7769 or 0208 640 00 44 to learn more about us. Please rest assured of our prompt and courteous service, and of our careful attention throughout the stressful process of clearing a hoarder’s home.
More Information
