Hoarders (on A&E)

[Deleted]

Sept 8, 2009 19:31:57 GMT -4 Mugsy said:

Soooo... anyone watch the cat hoarder ep? Egads. I do think these people had good intentions, but it got out of control. 30+ dead cats in the house? And their neighbours should be shot for continuing to dump even more strays and unwanteds upon them over the years. What is the matter with people?

There was a cat hoarder in the town I went to college in. When she got busted for having something like 75 cats (most of which needed to be euthanized), she gave that excuse, too. "The neighbors dump their cats here!" By the next day, people were coming to the pound to claim cats she'd stolen. It turned out that, as well as taking in ferals, she was "liberating" just about any danged cat she came across, in some cases snatching them out of people's yards. I wondered if that New Mexico couple was the same way.

What really got me about that couple was that they seemed to have no flipping idea how many cats were on their property. Cats were dying left and right and they didn't know. They had week-old kittens in the garage and didn't know. And they barely blinked when they found out. I got the distinct impression that, despite what they said, the cats weren't pets and companions, they were more like houseplants or coffee mugs piling up. I'd bet you they couldn't tell what sex the cats were or their age or what breeds they had. They hadn't named any of them. It was the feeding that was their addiction; all the plates of petrified food showed that. They should have just got a Venus flytrap and fed that damned thing all day.

[firstaid]

This might be unpopular opinion, but I think that lady should have prosecuted for animal cruelty. I guess she was let go because of good intentions or whatever, but lets face facts, greater than 30 animals suffered horrible deaths in that house. I had to roll my eyes when she kept saying her cats are like her children.

As far as the show, it makes me disgusted and sad. Can you imagine the smell some of these houses would have? Lord have mercy. I would not be surprised if the habitants suffered from serious respiratory infections or the smell of ammonia is slowly rotting their brain.

[chonies]

I thought she should have been prosecuted, too. I'm surprised she wasn't, although maybe I watch too much Animal Cops. According to NM law, she fits the bill for at least one felony charge:

. Cruelty to animals consists of a person:

(1) negligently mistreating, injuring, killing without lawful justification or tormenting an animal; or
(2) abandoning or failing to provide necessary sustenance to an animal under that person's custody or control.

Maybe they didn't have the resources or there was a mitigating factor. Also, did you notice how many of the cats had a squinty left eye? At first I thought they all had URIs and they had discharge, but then it occurred to me it might have been a result of inbreeding.

[bitterntwisted]

I missed the cat hoarder episode!?! Dammit. I saw at 8 p.m. it was a rerun and decided not to watch. Now I have to go around searching for the rerun.

The problem with the cat hoarders is that they don't realize or care about the true nature of cats. They are for the most part solitary creatures, not pack creatures like dogs. These people obsessively collect cats instead of seashells.

[Deleted]

If you want to see cat hoarding put to an artistic use, check out the Tragically Hip's video for their song "Poets". It was filmed entirely in a cat hoarder's house in Kingston, Ontario. The guy's never been prosecuted because he's the rare hoarder who actually does care for his cats (which number more than 100 in a small house). He feeds them extremely well, gets vet care for all of them, spays and neuters every single one, and has his back porch devoted to litter boxes. The house is pretty clean, too, if you ignore the cats living in the pantry.

[Deleted]

Jake the drama queen looked like Pete Wentz. In my mind, I also imagine Pete Wentz acting the same way.

[Deleted]

Sept 9, 2009 1:03:09 GMT -4 @dguzpy said:

If you want to see cat hoarding put to an artistic use, check out the Tragically Hip's video for their song "Poets". It was filmed entirely in a cat hoarder's house in Kingston, Ontario. The guy's never been prosecuted because he's the rare hoarder who actually does care for his cats (which number more than 100 in a small house). He feeds them extremely well, gets vet care for all of them, spays and neuters every single one, and has his back porch devoted to litter boxes. The house is pretty clean, too, if you ignore the cats living in the pantry.

He sounds like Harrison Withers, from Harriet the Spy.

[Deleted]

Sept 9, 2009 0:32:50 GMT -4 chonies said:

Also, did you notice how many of the cats had a squinty left eye? At first I thought they all had URIs and they had discharge, but then it occurred to me it might have been a result of inbreeding.

The Animal Control lady said a lot of them had to be euthanized because they had severe respiratory infections (I believe that was the reason) so I wonder if they also had pink-eye (or whatever the cat version of pink-eye is).

[margojata]

Why the hell was that young man still living with the alcoholic, lazy ass father? Why didn't the mother or boyfriend take him in and get him away from that toxic, abusive situation? We saw very little of mom, her living situation, etc. But if it were my child, I'd do anything to get him OUT of there. It seems like a lot of people really failed that kid.

Cat lady didn't even name the cats - I don't think she was a true cat hoarder/lover. She basically needed something to get up for every morning, and it was feeding cats. She said as much. Her husband was even happy to NOT get up in the morning with that goal. Bizarre (and it reminded me of the Duggars and their child collecting - I'm waiting for the day when they don't even both to name them anymore).

I knew a hoarder (about 15 years ago - before they had a name for it). And unlike what has been portrayed on the show so far, they were not lower income/education, etc. He was a Major in the Air Force, and she had a master's degree. She spent her day shopping and picking through trash. They had a lovely house that was just a complete disaster. My children played with their children - always in my house. I didn't want to punish the kids because of the whacked out parents. They deserved a clean, happy home to play in. Sad. The boys are mostly grown now, and seem to be OK despite that insanity.

[Spinderella]

Sept 9, 2009 0:44:12 GMT -4 @bitterntwisted said:

I missed the cat hoarder episode!?! Dammit. I saw at 8 p.m. it was a rerun and decided not to watch. Now I have to go around searching for the rerun.

I missed it, too. I believe my DVR said it would be on again on Saturday?