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Thread: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

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    Veteran Member beckatron's Avatar
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    Default Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    I'm not sure if this is the appropriate area to post in, but I'd appreciate any/all advice and opinions on the following...

    My cat ran out the back door yesterday and I spent the evening trying to find him. My backyard backs onto other people's, so I was walking around knocking on doors asking if I could look for my cat in their back yards.

    As I walked up to a house there were 2 stray-ish-looking, small cats on the front porch. There was a dish of food and water on the front step. I opened the screen door to knock on the heavy wooden door and the smell of cat pee and garbage hit me like a ton of bricks. There were more than 20 flies trapped between the doors as well.

    I had to knock twice but eventually this very old, relatively naked man opened the door. He was wearing on a very stained, very tight tshirt and tighty whities in exactly the same condition as his shirt (plus a few holes, bleh). There were MOUNTAINS of stuff behind him - lamps, pizza boxes, garbage bags - at least waist deep. There were also several more cats.

    I asked if it would be okay that I looked in his yard for my cat, he grunted at me and made scrunchy expressions with his face. I asked again, he made a gesture to go around back and shut the door in my face. Weird, but w/e. As I was walking to the back of the house, I passed a window with 3 kittens and a mom on the sill, and then again more cats (different sizes/shapes) through another window - all against the background of piles of trash.

    When I got out back, there were MORE mountains, and everything smelled worse than the open front door did. There were also more cats. I started looking under tarps, siding, bags of garbage, looking for my cat. The cats were circling around me and mewing. Most had gunk in their eyes, mangy coats, some were losing fur, all beat-up looking. It was appalling! As I moved larger items I ran into 2 bodies, one of which I'm sure was a cat and the other I'm not sure. There had to be 40+ cats there, including the ones I saw inside.

    He had food out for them but its not close to enough, they were all skinny/small and there were WAAAAAY too many in the house for every cat to be well-maintained. The neighbours on either side of him told me specifically to check his yard because he had many cats... I don't want to go around poking my nose into someone else's business, so I guess my question is, do I report him to someone? The city/non-emergency police line as a health hazard? The Humane Society? Someone else? Not at all?

    Its been on my mind ever since, I can't decide what the right thing to do is.

    Thanks!
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    Featured Member FiendishGyrator's Avatar
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    Default Re: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    You need to call animal control. That's a public nuisance, and also a health hazard, not just for him, but for anyone who lives around him who may have run-ins with these cats.

    They also might not even be "his" in his mind. Maybe they're just stragglers who he fed and more came along and not being fixed, multiplied.

    Just call your local animal control and they'll send someone out. Several of the cats will die if they're in that bad of shape, but it's better that than suffering. The rest will hopefully be put into different fostering rescue organizations. Also, the man may need help as well and this could be that help.

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    Veteran Member beckatron's Avatar
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    Default Re: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    Quote Originally Posted by FiendishGyrator View Post
    You need to call animal control. That's a public nuisance, and also a health hazard, not just for him, but for anyone who lives around him who may have run-ins with these cats.

    They also might not even be "his" in his mind. Maybe they're just stragglers who he fed and more came along and not being fixed, multiplied.

    Just call your local animal control and they'll send someone out. Several of the cats will die if they're in that bad of shape, but it's better that than suffering. The rest will hopefully be put into different fostering rescue organizations. Also, the man may need help as well and this could be that help.
    Animal control in my area doubles as a highkill shelter, so I'm torn between calling them to have the cats taken away (where they will probably be killed) and not doing anything (at least he's got a little food out for them).

    Maybe its better than suffering...
    Toronto-based, very rough draft, constantly asking for input!

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    Featured Member Laurisa's Avatar
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    Default Re: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    Those cats are most likely suffering anyway. Animal hoarders have been known to have dead kittens and cats that they don't find in garages and basements--that is a health hazard in and of itself. Not to mention Feline Leukemia is transmitted very easily, and without proper vaccines all of those cats could die. There are also issues, like fleas, ticks, and internal parasites--all of which can kill small kittens because their bodies cannot compensate for the parasites and intake enough fluids and solids to survive. This can also cause physical deterioration in adult cats and will lead to low weight and inadequate muscle stores.

    Another problem with a massive amount of cats is breeding, rapidly. I doubt these cats are spayed and neutered which means young females will be getting pregnant, they are at a higher risk for delivery problems and will die if a kitten gets stuck in the birth canal without proper medical intervention. I doubt your neighbor knows which cats are expecting and which ones aren't--he probably doesn't know all of their genders either. Yet ANOTHER issue is inbreeding, which can cause genetic mutations and physical and internal abnormalities.

    So, I think you should call Animal Control. They are the only ones who have the power to remove the cats from him, legally. In the mean time, you can contact local rescue organizations and see if any of them can adopt any of the cats and kittens. They may be able to get in contact with animal control and rescue some of the cats and kittens once they are cleared. If the cats have medical problems or behavioral problems then there isn't much chance they will be put up for adoption.

    Either way, these cats need to get out of his house.
    If you are willing to do for one year what other's won't, you can spend a lifetime doing what other's cant.


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    Default Re: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    I agree with the other ladies, however want to add one thing. Check on petfinder for smaller animal rescue organizations. They usually have extensives animal rescue networks, to help get the animals rescued and the healthy ones adopted out. Or you can contact the show hoard3ers, I'm sure theyd love to do that house.

    It sucks when people have so many animals and don't take care of them, but it only takes two cats and within a year you can have a massive colony if they are not fixed.
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    Veteran Member setian's Avatar
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    Default Re: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    You HAVE to call. They ARE in pain. Gunk around the eye is well developed HIGHLY contagious respiratory infection. If a few have it, they all do but it isnt showing yet.

    It's painful but release them from living like that.

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    Default Re: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    eww.

    I concur, call animal control.

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    Senior Member Rileiy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    I would like to know how this one turned out. please give us an update!

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    Default Re: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    Quote Originally Posted by Rileiy View Post
    I would like to know how this one turned out. please give us an update!
    I would like to know how it turned out too! I called the city I live in on Thursday, I figured its health AND animal issues. They said thank you and that they'd deal with it.

    I'll walk by next week and see if all the cats are there still.

    This has been one of the freakier things I've experienced and was a tough decision for me. I appreciate everyone's support and advice. I guess I'm too much of a wimp to do the right thing without a little encouragement. SW rocks <3
    Toronto-based, very rough draft, constantly asking for input!

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    Default Re: Neighbour is a (pet?) hoarder, would appreciate your opinion

    You did the right thing. It can be hard, but it's for the best.
    "You can close your eyes to reality but not to memories -Stainslaw J. Lec

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