How Many Pets is Too Many???

[Twisterdog]

I am EVER so relieved to hear the cutoffs is fifteen. Makes me feel better about my nine dogs!

[moosmom]

Lisa,

This is a great way to show people that even though they have many pets, does not necessarily mean they are classified as hoarders.

I have 5 cats right now, all rescues. I will soon have 7, as my dear friend Clare, died at the age of 96 after a bad fall. Clare lived in East Dorset, VT and had two kitties, KitKat and Freckles. Kitkat was my very first cat, Mollie Rose's mama and Freckles was her sister. KitKat is 17 and Freckles is 16. Clare's daughter Bonnie called me with the news and said that her Mom asked that I adopt the cats, as I am the only one she trusts.

My cats are:

Maya Linn, 11 years old - Seal Lynx Point Torbie with white. She was found in a dumpster at the air port in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Shortie, 11 years old (show name Little Mews Faberge) is the most beautiful calico in the world. I met her at a cat show as I was carrying her back from the judging ring with another cat. Both cats hated each other and I would up getting bit by Shortie. It was love at first sight.

Murphy - a 15 year old tiger tabby I rescued from the Connecticut Humane Society just before she was to be euthanized. She's a cranky old lady at times, but I love her.

Bad A$$ Buddy - a 3 year old orange and white hell on wheels. A woman who was going into a battered women's shelter couldn't take her cat. I offered to foster him until she found a place of her own. She never came back for him.

Lucie Noel Lu - a 6 month old tortie found wandering the campus of the University of Pennsylvania. Keeps Buddy on his toes and has someone to play with.

I lost Mollie Rose a tortoiseshell in September to Kidney Disease. She was my very first cat, my "heart" cat. When she died, I was devastated.

Then there was my absolutel soulmate, MooShoo. He was a Sphynx, one of 5 rescues from a terrible breeder.He was blind in one eye and had limited vision in the other. I loved my Shooman like no other. One night I woke up and heard yowling. MooShoo was on the floor. It was the worst night of my life. 1 a.m. I rushed him to the vet. Unfortunately, by the time I got him there, he was gone. He had a blood clot that went to his legs. He was 10 years old. My heart was shattered and I'm still, to this day, devastated.

MooShoo slept under the covers with his head on HIS pillow, as I would wrap my arms around him and go to sleep with my face burrowed in his skin drifting off to the lull of his purr. Shortie would come yowling, looking for him. Once she knew where he was, she curled up next to him and went to sleep. They had a very unique bond. MooShoo and I would go for walks in the park in back of my apartment building in his little cat buggy. People, especially the children, would stop us and ask me all sorts of questions about him. The kids were fascinated by him. He loved the attention. He was a real people cat.

I've had many cats in my life come and go, having been in animal rescue for over 13 years.

If there are any more questions you'd like answered, please let me know.

[Catherinedana]

I am EVER so relieved to hear the cutoffs is fifteen. Makes me feel better about my nine dogs!

or eleven birds! I actually emailed Lisa and told her about my flock. It was a good opportunity to take a look at how I actually ended up with 11 birds in my house and how my heart got stolen by birds in the first place.

[Cataholic]

15 is the cut-off? Pretty much gives me license....

[Purr-tender]

Hi Lisa,
Just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to address the issue of multiple animal households. Currently I have 24 cats and 2 dogs. No, I do not consider myself a hoarder, although I am sure some do. I do know that their are definitely people who are true hoarders. I live in a county that does not have a shelter for abandoned cats. Most of the cats that I have rescued would not be alive today if I would not have said "well, just one more." I don't have the time to list all their names and how I came to take them in. They are ALL loved very much and have become my "kids". I spend a small fortune on vetting (all are spayed/neutered and current on shots) and food. I would love to go back to just 1 dog and 2 cats but I don't see that happening for a very long time. I have finally said absolutely no more and plan on sticking to that. It is a shame that so many people consider these precious animals as disposable and people like myself take them in and become labled as either "the crazy cat lady" or "hoarders" because we can't stand to see an animal in need. I'd love to hear what you and the Animal Planet have in the works to show "our" side of the story.

Mary

[carole]

As you can see Lisa i come from down under New Zealand, we have hoarders here too, personally to me a hoarder is not about how many pets you have, but whether you take care of them properly, it does not matter how many you have as long as they are taken care of.,i see hoarders as people who have way too many pets, but cannot take care of them as they should be.

I did have four kitties recently loosing one,I only ended up with this many as i rescued two from a bad owner ,who was letting them breed continuously in our neighbourhood,not feeding them or taking care of them when needing vet treatment etc.

Good luck with your TV programme, should be really interesting.

[Purr-tender]

Carole, you put it perfectly on the difference between a hoarder and just a family with multiple pets. Thank you!

[carole]

You are most welcome, that is how i see it and i think that is how it is.

[Vette]

As long as all the animals are happy an being taken cared of i dont count it as hording. hording animals to me is when someone can no longer take care of the animals they have but yet dont seek out help to take care of them,, an stil keep getting more animals. thats hording in my book.

when i was growing up we had 12dogs at our place. not all of them were ours,, some were friends dogs we were looking after while they were in college. that was fun an a bit of a challenge at the sametime. kudos to those who take care that many animals an more. it really is rewarding to do so if you can

[IRescue452]

You have too many pets if you can't feed them quality food, give them vet care, and keep them in a sanitary environment. Also, if you are putting them in jepardy by having more than the law allows, you have too many pets.

I think most of my family used to think I was a rat/mouse hoarder. Anytime I'd get a call about a rodent being abandoned, home it came. However, they were quarentined, kept in cages of the proper size or larger for their numbers, cleaned daily, and I constantly researched better foods. Now I don't have any rodents though. I think if I were a hoarder I would still be taking them in.

[GILL]

At this time we have 19 in house. We lost lily yesterday. 5 are fosters of htse 1 is feral that we are trying to socilize. The CREW goes from a tri-pod (Demetri), Deaf (Precious), blind (Dobe), big (Maincoon 26 lb) to small at 4.1 lb
During a transport we have had up 35 in house for a week.
I would not consider that we are horders at all.

[catmandu]

At the heyday of the Found Cat Hotel there were 13 Cats,
Then old age claimed Bo Bo , Moose the MagnfiCat , Precious and Sam, Pouncer and Mr Scrappy.
And the Cats I got from a breeder had flaws and Rocca, John Hancock and BJ all passed on around 10.
That makes me worried about Miquelito and Pouncierge who are hitting 5 I believe , she has never set the papers she claims she has.
Hmmm?
I love my 8 Found Cats and travel all over the City to get the best deals on Cat Food!!
I am on limited funds but My Ctas eat as well as I can afford.

[phesina]

As you can see Lisa i come from down under New Zealand, we have hoarders here too, personally to me a hoarder is not about how many pets you have, but whether you take care of them properly, it does not matter how many you have as long as they are taken care of.,i see hoarders as people who have way too many pets, but cannot take care of them as they should be.

I did have four kitties recently loosing one,I only ended up with this many as i rescued two from a bad owner ,who was letting them breed continuously in our neighbourhood,not feeding them or taking care of them when needing vet treatment etc.

Good luck with your TV programme, should be really interesting.

Carole, I also think you are absolutely right on the difference between a hoarder and a family with multiple pets. Thank you for expressing it so well.

And it is deeply moving and heartwarming to me to see how many wonderful families-with-multiple-pets we have right here on Pet Talk!

[Animalhouse26]

I have 3 dogs and 1 cat Of my own. My Room mate has 3 dogs 2 cats. So we have a total of 9 here. Lol We are in a 2bedroom Apt.
I have always had a Cat since I was a child..so not having one was not a option. It took me pver 3 weeks of daily Shelter visits all over the area to find the purrfect one.
The 3 dogs I have now.. are all Rescues. My Oldest is a 10yr old Pitbull. He came from a ad in the paper..and my curiosity in the breed. I went to "Just look" And came home with him 9 yrs ago! He is my Heart and soul!
My next 2 are both 5 yrs old. But Falise I have had since she was 5 mo old. She was handed to me on the street in a bad area of town. Long story.. that if ure interested in.. I can tell ya. Lol She is a Freak,and we call her a "Pill head". The first year we had her.. she was hospitalized 3 times due to finding prescription meds in the house..and eating them.. :-/ But she has some serious Separation anxiety from me. And is Super protective of me.
And my most recent is Jade. She is a Blue/white Pit. And a female version of my 10yr old, Tyson. We adore her. She is also a big deal for me! I couldn't live without her. She was a "Foster" through a rescue grp. I have had her over a yr now. She has on going medical problems due to neglect. And she would be very difficult to adopt out and trust she would be cared for. So we kept her. Not that we mind!

My Roomie has 3 Chi's and her 2 cats.

And All the dogs get along beautifully! And Cats! lol

[lvpets2002]

I am so with you on the numbers.. Thank you Carole for your positive input as well.. I as well as Gill's household have = Deaf, Blind, Tripods, One Eyed, Deformed Limb & CH (brain disorder) & Cattitude Babies in my Loving Household.. My door is always open to Special Needs Babies.. I call them God's Gifted Wittle Angels.. I so Love them All..

Hi Lisa,
Just wanted to thank you for the opportunity to address the issue of multiple animal households. Currently I have 24 cats and 2 dogs. No, I do not consider myself a hoarder, although I am sure some do. I do know that their are definitely people who are true hoarders. I live in a county that does not have a shelter for abandoned cats. Most of the cats that I have rescued would not be alive today if I would not have said "well, just one more." I don't have the time to list all their names and how I came to take them in. They are ALL loved very much and have become my "kids". I spend a small fortune on vetting (all are spayed/neutered and current on shots) and food. I would love to go back to just 1 dog and 2 cats but I don't see that happening for a very long time. I have finally said absolutely no more and plan on sticking to that. It is a shame that so many people consider these precious animals as disposable and people like myself take them in and become labled as either "the crazy cat lady" or "hoarders" because we can't stand to see an animal in need. I'd love to hear what you and the Animal Planet have in the works to show "our" side of the story.

Mary