Cat Hoarders

I dropped by my local Humane Society (OSPCA) today to drop off some stuff for the yard sale they're holding on August 23rd. The large storage room was bursting at the seams, so it should raise lots of money to help run the centre.

While there, I visited the cats (of course) and found that the shelter had recently taken in 42 cats from the home of a "cat hoarder". I'd never heard that term before, and discovered it applies to anyone owning ten or more cats. I looked up "cat hoarder" on Google, and got over 5,000 hits, but didn't check any of them out because I was afraid there would be heart wrenching photos -- and I'd already seen enough.

The OSPCA had posted some pictures at the shelter depicting the living conditions the felines had to endure -- mounds of garbage strewn throughout, and filth coating every surface. The cats had never played with toys nor had any human interaction, yet they didn't turn away when I patted them. I'm hopeful that once adopted, the cats will respond to the love given by their new families.

You know, we joke about the 'crazy cat lady' , but having too many pets might overwhelm the average person -- no matter how much that person believes they love the animals. I suppose, instead of treating these people with humour, we should make sure the cats are receiving the appropriate care.