Act of hoarding remains a mystery

Symptoms are:

• Accumulates a large number of animals;
• Fails to provide minimal nutrition, sanitation, & vet care;
• Fails to act on the deteriorating condition of the animals (including disease, starvation, & death), or the environment (severe overcrowding, unsanitary conditions)
• Fails to act on or recognize the negative impact of the collection on their own health & well-being.
• The hoarding creates significant distress or impairment.

Usually known as "collecting", that definition is not accurate for what happens in these situations. "Collecting" is defined in the dictionary as, "One who collects objects of interest." The dictionary definition of "horading" is " An accumulation preserved for future use, esp. when in quantities larger than ordinarily expected and in hidden stocks; To amass and preserve in secret".

While the profile of a hoarder is single, older woman, living alone & socio-economically disadvantaged, it's important to recognize that this behavior knows no bounds.

It has been observed in men & women, young & old, married or never married, widowed; even in people with professional or white collar jobs. There have even been hoarders among human health professionals, veterinarians, & vet techs who live a double life, deceiving friends and co-workers about the true conditions at home. These people may pose as caring rescuers &/or respected for their experience, gained from caring for so many animals throughout the years.

Hoarding behavior is usually characterized by a lack of recognition of the effects of hoarding on the health & welfare of the animals as well as people. In cases where social isolation accompanied the behavior, the isolation appeared to be a result of the hoarding, rather than a cause of it.

Like other forms of animal neglect, hoarding may be a warning sign for neglect of other family members (dependent elderly or disabled adults, and minor children) as well as self-neglect. In many of these situations, hoarders' homes were condemned as unfit for human habitation.

Research indicates that often, hoarders adopt a parental role with respect to their animals, therefore, they keep the animals even when other, adequate homes are available. Many collectors say that their animals give them "unquestioning and uncritical love." They often view themselves as rescuers of suffering or unloved animals, although there have been very few cases of actual rescue organizations hoarding animals, especially for monetary purposes (channeling donations to personal use while neglecting the animals within the rescue), but there have been documented cases of animal rescuers hoarding animals.

Hoarders often hoard objects, too, causing their homes to be cluttered & disorganized. Other characteristics include the belief that the hoarder has special abilities to communicate or empathize with animals, that animal control officials fail to recognize the care they give their animals & that saving animals was their life's mission. Typically, animals play a significant role in their childhood, which is often characterized by chaotic, inconsistent &/or unstable parenting.

Most hoarders insist that their animals are healthy & well-cared for. This shows how out of touch with reality the hoarder is. Interestingly, apart from the hoarding behavior, many of these people appear reasonably normal.

Studies on people who hoard animals is in it's infancy. Thus far, repeating the behavior once "caught" appears common. The link between the refusal of the hoarder to acknowledge the problems their hoarding incurs, even when confronted with corpses, etc., has prompted the question, "Is hoarding a precursor to dementia?" Links to Obsessive Compulsive Disorder are also being looked into.

Hoarders seem to cope with their behavior by avoiding it, which tends to explain why even dead bodies are allowed to lay where they drop or are piled in a single pile to rot. This may help them avoid feelings of loss, guilt, upset, or responsibility for the deaths.

There is talk of being able to deal with hoarders by medicating them, however, those with strong feelings against euthanasia &/or a strong feeling that saving animals is their life's work may not swayed by medication.

Hoarders often move around a lot because once they've been caught in one county, neighbors usually report them when they begin to see signs of repeat behavior. They also often do not practice good hygiene & the hoarder may be depressed due to feeling overwhelmed by his or her "life's mission" of caring for the animals.