While the other hoarding shows are on hiatus

[gvstn]

I think I may further lower myself by watching this tonight. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1684397/

Where is that thread about television: a good or bad invention?

[carlyhippy]

1. what is this show about? Stories of cat ladies and other types

I hope that all their animals are still alive, otherwise that show would be kinda gross to watch.

I have 3 cats and a dog, wonder if people think I am turning into a cat lady....I hope so, what is wrong with rescuing animals and giving them a good home...

[gvstn]

2. Basically cat ladies who have let things get out of control...

Delves into the hearts and minds of individuals afflicted with this disorder and provides a voice for the family and friends who are determined to prevent their loved ones from spinning further out of control. In each of the six episodes, cameras will enter the homes of men and women, from their early 20s through the retirement years, discovering what it's like for animals and people to live in toxic conditions that result from an unbelievably large menagerie of animals. And, Animal Planet gets to the heart of the matter, exploring the reasons why these individuals turned to hoarding and how their problems spun rapidly out of control

[texanwitch]

3. At one time I was feeding about 20 stray cats, and catching them for a trip to the vet.

They were very feral, only a few of the kittens could be touched.

That is as close to a crazy cat lady that I will get.

[gvstn]

4. If I started feeding strays

I would have a house full of cats or dogs in no time. Even ones that weren't affectionate would be adoptees.
I haven't been in a pet store puppy section in years because I know I would be so tempted even though I don't have the schedule to take care of a dog properly.

[texanwitch]

5. The cats lived in a small section of woods, I was trying to save the birds also.

The cat population went down after awhile.

Feral kitties don't live long.

I did find homes for the kittens I could catch.

I had to bottle fed one litter, the mother was killed by a car.

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[texanwitch]

7. I have seen some of those shows.

Poor kitties.

[gvstn]

8. I'm hoping there are no dead ones!

I'm truly curious how it starts. How does one stop cleaning the litter box or cleaning up after a dog? I can understand financial reasons but I can't understand living in filth.

I've known two people that got like this. Not from too numerous animals but just stopped cleaning up and let feces lay around the house. It is heartbreaking that they let themselves get so low/depressed.

I don't see much on teevee tonight and am going to watch one episode. I don't really watch the hoarder shows because it is too depressing. Nobody gets cured. Those shows are just sad and rather exploitative in my opinion.

[gvstn]

9. Pretty much the hoarding show formula

At least they helped the people clean up the houses so they didn't have to face such an overwhelming prospect alone.

I wish those I saw luck but this show won't be regular viewing for me.

[carlyhippy]

10. ack! Did you see all the cat poo in the couch??! OMG

I clean my litter boxes constantly, I cannot even begin to imagine being in that situation. 30 cats is alot of scooping, I know I would never be able to keep up with that.

[KurtNYC]

11. though they hold out the promise of getting to the reasons behind

hoarding, they don't deliver IMHO. watching a couple of episodes made me aware that many of the homeless are hoarders. Sadly I think that they identify with things that are thrown away. And then the garbage becomes an extension of themselves. The mindset seems to be that to throw away their stuff is to say that they are worthless.

[texanwitch]

12. I know people like that.

This guy was real hoarder, hardcore.

His place was cleaned out and he filled it up again.

His life.

[murielm99]

13. We have a lady like that in my community, too.

I have been involved in two cleanups of her house. They were about twenty years apart. The first time, the teachers in my school cleaned. Her mother had been a teacher, and a teacher who felt sorry for the hoarding woman was able to gain her trust. The second time, my church cleaned. The hoarder is a member of my church. We were afraid that she was going to be taken advantage of by someone who was trying to buy her property for less than it was worth. We thought that cleaning up would help with the property's value.

She filled the house up again, both times. This lady is in her eighties now. I can't imagine what is going to happen. I doubt that there is any family to take care of her. It is so sad.

[texanwitch]

14. Some people are really attached to their stuff.

At her age she might get hurt trying to get around her house with all that stuff.

[murielm99]

18. There were health issues.

She had a store in town that had to be cleaned out, too. In both cases, the health department was summoned. Things were disgusting. Her toilets did not work at home. She threw waste into the backyard. There were rats in her store.

Yes, her physical safety has been at risk. But I think others were at risk, too. I still feel sad for her. She is not right mentally.

[meow2u3]

16. I caught the last part of the first episode

The cat story featured a man whose wife left him because of his cat hoarding. And, unfortunately, some of the cats found were dead ;( . What really saddens me is that these people don't even realize they're not only killing the animals they're hoarding, they're also putting their own lives at risk, all due to good intentions gone severely wrong.

Not all cat ladies are ladies--this guy was a crazy cat man.

[mitchum]

15. We have four cats and Mrs mitchum insists that I can't die...

she doesn't want to be the cat lady

[hamsterjill]

17. The "Cat Lady" Stigma

I think most DU'ers are pretty savvy, so I'm sure I'm preaching to the choir, here. However, the "crazy cat lady" stigma is a real roadblock to some of us who are legitimate rescuers. I try to do what I can to get rid of that stereotype.

Certainly, there are people who let things get out of control and need help. The animals in these situations are typically suffering badly, in need of vet care, etc.

However, I beg of you, please do not confuse these types of situations with legitimate rescuers who spend countless hours trying to save cats, find homes for the adoptable ones, have all of the cats they encounter spayed or neutered without exception, have a boatload of vet receipts which prove they are responsible for their charges, have a clean and ample environment for all of the cats, and yet many times, get lumped into the "crazy cat lady" stereotype.

It is not always about the numbers, but it always IS about the conditions that the animals live in.