COLUMBUS (WCMH) — Earlier this week, we told you about a cat hoarding situation where 160 felines were removed from a Gahanna home.
Columbus Humane said it’s one of the worst cases of animal hoarding it has ever seen.
But, what is hoarding and how can you help both the animals and the individual?
Veteranarian Dr. Michelle Gonzalez said hoarding is a mental illness.
“People don’t hoard animals necessarily just because they want to do it. It’s kind of like a compulsive disease,” she said. “People get emotionally attached to these animals. They’re not neglecting them and abusing them because they are trying to cause them harm or be mean, on the contrary they’re hoarding them because they love them so much.”
She said these kinds of cases are dangerous for the animals and the people involved.
“Especially with cats you have really high levels of ammonia. The feces all over the place. It’s not a safe environment for an individual and it can make people very sick,” said Dr. Gonzalez. “We’re seeing cats from hoarding situations that are extremely skinny. They’re malnourished, covered in fleas, covered in feces.”
She said it’s important to get hoarders help from a mental healthcare professional, otherwise they could go right back to collecting animals all over again. It’s also important to report suspected cases of hoarding to humane officers.
“There are so many of these cases that do not go examined or investigated because people are afraid to say something and get somebody in trouble or they’re afraid to be wrong,” she said. “It’s better to just play it safe.”
Dr. Gonzalez said other people can also contribute to the problem. If you have an unwanted pet, bring it to a shelter. Don’t pass it off to someone who can’t take care of it, but won’t say no.