Too Much of a Good Thing

By Linda Spurlin

Webster's dictionary explains the word 'hoard' as 'a supply or fund stored up and often hidden away'. Therefore a 'hoarder' is one who stores up, or hides, a supply of something. So what would we, in this age of plenty, hoard? Some women hoard shoes and no one knows how many shoes hide in closets, under beds, out of sight of those who would snicker at the amount deemed necessary to match every dress, purse or party. Some people hoard weapons, or old newspapers. But the saddest example of hoarding I see here on a local level is the hoarding of cats.

If you don't know a cat hoarder, you might laugh at the thought. How, you might ask, can someone store up cats? Oh, but they do. The average cat hoarder is a usually a good person at heart. They believe they are doing the cats a great favor, usually saving them from certain death. The hoarder takes them in, telling themselves they will just keep it until they can find it a good home. But they keep it because, deep in their hearts, they are sure no one could provide as good a home as they can. They keep their kittens, and the kitty's cousins too. As their numbers grow, the litter boxes are overgrown. The home reeks with the ammonia smell of cat urine.

The problem is more then just a filthy house. Cat feces is not healthy to cats or humans when it's on the walls, kitchen counters, and embedded in the carpet. Often the person who isn't cleaning their house isn't cleaning themselves either, so this becomes a health issue to the humans as well as the cats.

As friends and neighbors complain about the numbers and the smell, the hoarder goes into defense mode, visualizing the kitties cast out into the cruel world with no one to feed them. They often become more solitary as their efforts to protect their lifestyle becomes more offensive to others. They believe they are doing the right thing, and no amount of ridicule is going to change their minds about saving these little furry beings from the clutches of those who 'don't understand'.

Alcoholism, gambling to excess, or cat hoarding; all are symptoms of an invisible illness that prevents one from knowing when to stop. Berating your neighbor's overabundance of cats isn't the answer. A solution that doesn't involve the words 'dump' 'drown', or 'shoot' will work better then angry threats.

Cat hoarders are everywhere. But a solution does exist to help prevent future cat hoarders from ever starting. It's a simple process called 'spay' or 'neuter'. If cats don't have unwanted kittens, then no one needs to rescue them. If you need help with the cost of spay or neutering your cat, call (509) 935-6369 (MEOW) for a $20.00 coupon towards a neuter, or $30.00 towards a spay (funds permitting) good at any area veterinarian's office. Please, spay or neuter your pets.