# Do you ever wonder if you have the potential...



## thenakedorchid (Sep 15, 2010)

... to be a cat hoarder?

I only have my two girls right now, and don't worry, I won't be getting anymore until my living situation drastically changes. But I do visit the shelter once in awhile just to spend time with the cats, specifically the ones that I WISH I could take home with me! And while I do want to eventually adopt more cats for unselfish reasons - giving a home to a pet who needs one, taking care of them and making sure they are healthy and happy - I do want them for selfish reasons, also. 

Cats are just so PRETTY. I sometimes have a strong desire to have many of them simply to have many pretty creatures around me. And I often wish for types of cats that I don't have yet; for example, I'd like a calico, a red tabby, a silver tabby, a brown tortie/torbie, a blue point, a pure black and a pure white cat, etc. And I have an affinity for medium/long-haired females. That really sounds like a collector-syndrome to me, and sometimes I worry about myself because of it.

Does anyone else ever feel this way?


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

I do sometimes. It's like a secret fantasy, but to me, it is ONLY a fantasy because I KNOW right now I have as many animals as I can manage and still draw real joy out of doing so. If I had more, vet bills would need to be juggled and food quality would have to be compromised, not to mention I would be unable to maintain the same level of hygiene compromising my own health as well as that of my children. 

Right now, I don't own my home, I rent and having more cats would not only make eviction in this apartment imminent, but would drastically limit where I could move to in the future, and more than likely, I would have to rehome animals I would've grown attached to...anyway you slice it, not good! So yes, for selfish reasons, it would be great to have more cats, but rationally, it is not practical, safe, hygienic, or affordable.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

> Cats are just so PRETTY. I sometimes have a strong desire to have many of them simply to have many pretty creatures around me. And I often wish for types of cats that I don't have yet


I feel the same way about pretty women, but the logistics of managing that many relationships simultaneously tends to result in financial difficulty and ultimate failure, similar to cat hoarding I would assume. 

So we all have to learn to exercise self-restraint.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

I definitely have the potential to be a cat hoarder!! My mom told me once she thought I may become one some day. I won't though, because I know that as much as I want to save them all, the living situation for the cats decreases as you hoard.


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

Ducman69 said:


> I feel the same way about pretty women, but the logistics of managing that many relationships simultaneously tends to result in financial difficulty and ultimate failure, similar to cat hoarding I would assume.
> 
> So we all have to learn to exercise self-restraint.


*splutter!* *choke!* *cough!* 

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah!

You are one twistedly hysterically funny dude. I'm totally looking you up when I move to TX. ;-)


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## thenakedorchid (Sep 15, 2010)

Ducman69 said:


> I feel the same way about pretty women, but the logistics of managing that many relationships simultaneously tends to result in financial difficulty and ultimate failure, similar to cat hoarding I would assume.
> 
> So we all have to learn to exercise self-restraint.


Hmm... I once dated a guy who thought that way... but he considered restraint to be unnecessary.


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## Auntie Crazy (Dec 10, 2006)

thenakedorchid said:


> ... Cats are just so PRETTY. I sometimes have a strong desire to have many of them simply to have many pretty creatures around me. And I often wish for types of cats that I don't have yet; for example, I'd like a calico, a red tabby, a silver tabby, a brown tortie/torbie, a blue point, a pure black and a pure white cat, etc. And I have an affinity for medium/long-haired females. ...


I feel exactly the same way, including the affinity for medium/long-haired cats (except I like males over females). I'll take a pair of each, please! :love2

I'll never be a hoarder, though. I like a neat house... in fact, I insist upon it.... too many cats and the upkeep becomes too much work and interferes with my pleasure in the cats' company. 

My preference is a max of five (and yes, I know I have eight right now - would you like to adopt a couple?). :wink

AC


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Ducman69 said:


> I feel the same way about pretty women.....


That made me laugh/snort Diet Pepsi out my nose. Thanks. 
MowMow was quite fascinated and had to thoroughly investigate my face to see where the leak originated.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Each time I think about getting another cat I weigh the pros and cons. I guess that is what seperates someone who *wants* more cats and a hoarder who can't control the impulse to bring more home. The majority of us on here i imagine would love to have more but understand the consequences/ limitations of having more so we don't.


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## Claiken (Dec 18, 2007)

If i ever was, it owuld only mean many cats - NOT the filth and garbage situations iwth dead cats under piles of crap that you see one TV...

Im sure many of you have at least seen commercials for those shows lol


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## thenakedorchid (Sep 15, 2010)

AC, not helping!!! lol

Considering I'm NOT getting any more cats due to my living circumstances preventing it... I guess that means I'm NOT destined to be a hoarder. *thumbs up* Once I get a house, I will be adopting more cats, though. I just hope that when that time comes, I will know when to stop. Just as I know that I have to stop for now.


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Ducman69 said:


> I feel the same way about pretty women, but the logistics of managing that many relationships simultaneously tends to result in financial difficulty and ultimate failure, similar to cat hoarding I would assume.
> So we all have to learn to exercise self-restraint.


I currently have 15 cats under my direct care, but please do not make any assumptions about me or my ability, or lack of, restraint. :wink





MowMow said:


> I guess that is what seperates someone who *wants* more cats and a hoarder who can't control the impulse to bring more home.The majority of us on here i imagine would love to have more but understand the consequences/ limitations of having more so we don't.


I have a difficult time with people commenting to others: "Oh, bring that kitty inside and keep it inside permanantly!" and/or "Oh, what's one more?" in regards to strays or ferals that show up at our homes. I sometimes want to tell these people (_who may only have a few pets_) to "bite me". When they are/can do what I am doing ... sure, make those comments and we'll commiserate together about the efforts we are making and great lengths we are taking to make a difference. But if they aren't already doing what I do, I find their comments are not welcome and it makes me irritated at them. Oh, I know their hearts are in the right place, but contrary to popular belief ... I would enjoy simplifying my cat-life.

As I said earlier, I have 9 housecats. Quite possibly 10 if this young kitten's neurological issues aren't resolveable. In fact, I think she's been inside too long for me to put her back outside with her family. Then on the other side of that coin ... I've got her FAMILY (_mother, 3 siblings and a possible father_) down at my barn. Who the heck WANTS 15 cats? Oh, I can afford to care for them; feed/vet them well, but if something drastic were to happen, all would suffer and I would suffer with that knowledge.

So, with 15 cats ... it *does* seem hoarder-ish. But it isn't because I know I cannot become a one-woman shelter.
I truly believe hoarders' intentions are good but they quickly become overwhelmed and then do not know where to turn for help. They are either mentally imbalanced and do not recognize the problem or they are shamed into a silence that effectively cuts them off from the assistance they and the animals need.


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## Kobster (Feb 1, 2007)

I think when I was younger, I had more hoarding potential than I do now. I at one point had six-seven cats in my one bedroom apartment (this was ten years ago mind) Granted I didn't keep them all, most were fosters, but still. I had more than I had room for or money to care for properly. Now that I've seen what all can go wrong with a cat, I'll never have more than two dogs/two cats at one time.


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## Jan Rebecca (Oct 14, 2010)

Have you ever watched the show 'Animal Hoarders' on TV? Some of them hoard to the point the animals are living in horrible conditions - I don't see how - if they really love these animals - they allow them to live like that. 

Keep living in the smaller place if you are truely worried about it - no room to be a big time hoarder there -eh?!


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

Well, the term 'cat-hoarder' has such a negative connotation - I'm sure everyone here would agree that in the extreme it's something to be avoided. Too many cats, unhealthy conditions, not enough food, water, vet care. 

Personally I have the potential to have lots of cats. I rent, but my landlord is fond of my five and even feeds them for me when I'm away. 
This year I took in feral cats from local rescue groups and set them up with an indoor/outdoor situation in a barn I own that is about 5 miles from where I live. 

So I have two cat families, 13 cats in all that I know of, and they're all loved and well-cared for. I'm not looking to expand. I just had to reluctantly turn down a request to take two more. 
Although I won't deliberately adopt more ferals, I'm sure a few more will find their way here over the years. 

All my ferals are young, and I'm anticipating taking care of them for the rest of their potentially very long lives. So in that sense I have to be very careful about adding.


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## thenakedorchid (Sep 15, 2010)

Jan Rebecca said:


> Have you ever watched the show 'Animal Hoarders' on TV? Some of them hoard to the point the animals are living in horrible conditions - I don't see how - if they really love these animals - they allow them to live like that.
> 
> Keep living in the smaller place if you are truely worried about it - no room to be a big time hoarder there -eh?!


You'd be surprised... some people hoard in trailers!

Doesn't matter how worried I am about turning into a hoarder, however... I am definitely NOT staying where I am now.


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## Mimi81 (Nov 25, 2010)

I would love to but at the moment my studio is not big enough...maybe one day!


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

thenakedorchid said:


> You'd be surprised... some people hoard in trailers!


You are right, I saw one episode where a woman had over 100 small dogs in her trailer.


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## Dusty (Aug 28, 2010)

thenakedorchid said:


> You'd be surprised... some people hoard in trailers!


You should have met our old neighbors, sheesh, they were the reason we moved, it was disgusting. We called animal control and the health department about 4 times each to report the 50-some-odd cats they had in an 800 sq ft trailer. They also had 7 people living in this trailer, 3 of which were children under the age of 10. Somehow, "the living conditions were fine" and "the animals were well taken care of" - despite the piles of waste all over the floors, furniture, counters, and even on these people's clothes. Ick!
They had 3 dogs chained up in the backyard, too. It was just awful, I was so glad the day they got evicted (ironically, two days after we moved) and the animals were sent to no-kill shelters ):



As for myself, I do wonder from time to time if I could. I also place the blame elsewhere, such as my calendar, which has an adorable Ragdoll for this month that I want to take out of the picture and keep with me. If wanting a specific color more than anything is a start to collector-syndrome, then I've had the potential ever since I saw a Seal Bicolor Ragdoll. They're just so cute, and pretty, and fluffy.. nekitty
But I know that I can't afford any more cats right now, and moving out of my parents' house and finding a place will likely be hard enough with my two cats unless I rent a house with someone or find a cat-lover Landlord. Every apartment I come across seems to say, "No cats allowed", "No pets allowed", or the fairly rare, "Max total of two pets/cats" - I must be looking in the wrong places. And then on top of that, paying for rent, food, and school; any extra kitties would take a serious toll on the overall health quality, food quality, and living space.
Like others have said, there's a difference between acting on the impulse, and sitting down to consider everyone involved and your current living situation. Hoarders tend to just take more and more in, letting it become seriously out of control.


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

I could be mistaken, but I think the hoarder mentality is that they are 'saving' the cats. In much the same way that many of the same people have trouble throwing even junk mail -even garbage - away and want to save everything.

In that sense I really do feel I will never go down the road of too many cats. I like things really clean and tidy, to the point of being minimal.


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## dweamgoil (Feb 3, 2010)

Yes, you are right Greenport ferals. They do believe they are 'saving' the animals, but I don't think it's in exactly the same vein as to how they think of material possessions. With the stuff, they seem to feel they can't let go because they will use it later, someone else can use, or they have an overwhelming emotional attachment to the item (s). Either way, the root is an untreated and often undiagnosed attachment disorder of some kind, and the comforting feeling of collecting is all they seek until it becomes an addiction, and just like most addictions...in the end, it becomes destructive.


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## katlover13 (Apr 15, 2008)

Sometimes I think I could easily become a hoarder but the knowledge that I could not adequately take care of them would stop me. The eight cats I have now have the best of food and vet care. If I could not provide that for them I would not have taken them on. At the same time, when I was volunteering at Carolines Kids I would get a cat on my mind and would obsess over that cat until it was either adopted or came home with me. That is the main reason I no longer volunteer there, it was an unhealthy place for me to be mentally. I still support Carolines Kids with donations, but my time away from there was consumed with thoughts of the cats that I could not bring into my home. I recognise my unhealthy way of thinking and try to avoid situations where I would be tempted to bring another cat home.


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## Greenport ferals (Oct 30, 2010)

Wow, I can identify with that. 
I get so attached to certain animals at our local rescue organization Animalkind. Especially the abuse cases. Wish I could take them all home and love them until their final days.


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## thenakedorchid (Sep 15, 2010)

I can also identify with that. I go so far as to think up possible names for a kitty that I'd like to bring home! Maybe I should start staying away from the shelter...


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## Saydee (Nov 9, 2010)

As others have mentioned, I might lean toward hoarding if not for the important concern that I be able to take full car of my pets. I only have one cat, and the way I figure it that's about all I can afford when you consider the contingencies. Sure, I could afford to feed and get regular check ups for more than one cat, but I want to be able to afford emergency surgery that might cost $6000, for example.

Thus, until I'm able to confidently say that I could afford two $6K+ surgeries at the same time (in the case of a catastrophic accident or illness), I won't own more than one cat.


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## Ducman69 (Aug 28, 2010)

thenakedorchid said:


> I can also identify with that. I go so far as to think up possible names for a kitty that I'd like to bring home! Maybe I should start staying away from the shelter...


Invest in some cat wigs, and you can give your kitty a new name and pretend you just met instead.









Hi Cutie, you new around here?


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## saitenyo (Nov 28, 2010)

This is why I make an effort to never look at Petfinder unless I am specifically looking to adopt. My rationality prevents me from adopting more cats than I can comfortably care for, but it doesn't change the fact that I'd _love_ to save every one of them if I could.

I do fancy the idea of maybe having more cats someday when I am capable, but I don't know if I'd ever be able to convince the significant other. He's pretty set on the two-cat max.


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## Sinatra-Butters (Aug 9, 2010)

Ducman, I have seen those wigs before, I want some so bad!


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## Carmel (Nov 23, 2010)

I know how you feel. I love cats so much, sometimes I look online at the shelters and go "oh, there's a _chocolate_ one!" or "_oh my god_, a flame point!" ... but I have two cats, in two separate houses (it's a long story), and honestly that is enough. I can't save them all!

As much as the kitties are pretty, I know that if I had any more than two I would feel like I don't have enough time for all of them. It would also get expensive. Well, more than it already is. A single animal being sick is so costly. It's great when they're healthy but you also have to care for them when they're getting sickly and old, it's a key responsibility. Factoring in that your pets might be around the same age and might all start getting problems... well, it wouldn't be a pretty picture when you get those vet bills! 

I think my limit - if I ever have a job that can afford it - would be two cats. Maybe a dog. That's a big maybe though, since dogs need a lot more attention. I've always had a dog in the family household so I'm not sure what I would do without one, yet I've also never been the one that always walks or feeds the dog, so that's a big and life changing responsibility... anyway, that's kinda way off topic...


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## LilRed (Jul 16, 2008)

It is the time constraints that stop me. I feel like I don't have enough time to spend with the two cats I have already and to add more, would take away from them. But if I ever hit the lottery and could afford to quit working, I could reach my full hoarding potential!


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