Hoarding Knows No Age

Here we go again!

Today, a 90 year old women was brought to the shelter, by her neighbor, to sign up for our spay and neuter program. She wreaked of cat urine. ......RED FLAG #1 !!!!!!! After she seemed somewhat confused, Denise asked her how many cats she was signing up. She replied, " 10 or 11 males and 7 or 8 females". Denise asked her where she kept theses cats and she said, "My condo". .......RED FLAG #2 !!!!!!! And further discussion led to a litter or two. So, with great concern, Rick asked if could follow them home and see the numbers for himself. The lady agreed.

It was a nice looking condo in Tarpon Springs, at least from the outside. The approach to the front door led to an all to familiar odor. The stench of a hoarder.

Once inside, the nightmare truly began. Cats were everywhere and so was their feces and urine. The place was a mess., not fit for man nor beast. A search of the premisis turned up around 26 cats, although counting was difficult with the kitties bouncing off the wall. The 90 year old refused to give up any cats and so know we move forward with the authorities. We have contacted Children's and Family's Service. We know we must remove the cats but what about their 90 year old owner? How do we deal with her? How do we keep her from being thrown out on the street because she doesn't own the condo, she rents? How do we give her some dignity when all is said and done?

This is a lot for a goose to ponder. Help!

Oh My Goose! Did you see the pictures of the Sphynx kittens? If not go back to The Suncoast website, suncoastanimalleague.org. Well, as difficult as the pictures are to look at, you should have seen them up close and personal. I had tears running down my beak. The poor little girls were just lying there on the tips of my feathers, looking up at me with thier eyes bulging from their little heads. They didn't ask for this kind of treatment and they surely didn't deserve it. It's up to us to do something about this!

Let me answer those questions at the end of the story....

· Would a visit to the vet have saved one kitten’s life and the other kitty’s eye sight?.... I'm no veterinarian and I know we can never say for sure but my guess is a simple visit to her vet would have saved Minnie's life and Lady G's eye sight. Proper nutrition and the right antibiotic prescribed a veterinarian is not too much to ask for. Venison...these are Sphynx kittens not Moutain lions.

· Why would a breeder, who supposedly does this because of their love of the breed, withhold medical care?..... Medical care costs $$$$ and that's her true love.

· Is it about the cats or is it about the dollar? ..... I may be a feather brain but she should stick with the venizon she talks about because it's all about "the bucks".

· Are they a breeder or are they a hoarder?..... To be a hoarder one must have a bit of a mental disease......HOARDER!

· Is this a feline version of a “puppy mill”?......YES! I think we get caught up in the puppy mills and we forget where many pure bred cats come from. Cattery's are really not much different from puppy mills. They are harder to detect because they are quieter and often kept inside but they are probably more prevelent in our area than puppy mills. Plus, let's face it, dogs are held to a higher standard than cats by most people.

· Has a crime been committed?.....I say "Let's find out!"

Rating: BAD EGG, SCRAMBLED EGG!

WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY?