Sometimes, loving a pet could mean letting it go. A young man in Spain was evicted from his apartment after authorities discovered he was living with more than a hundred cats. Now, rescuers are looking to find multiple homes for all the cats that need to be rescued.
An Issue of Hoarding
Based on the report, the problem started out when the young man rescued a pair of cats he has picked up from the streets. The pair since has reproduced. The young kittens grew up and reproduced as well. Soon, the issue became so much out of hand he was living with more than one hundred cats in a small apartment.
In the reports about the rescued cats, there is very little information discussed the owner other than the fact that he, along with his hundreds of cats, were evicted from their home. However, this is a very clear case of animal hoarding. In a lot of research, this is a mental disorder on its own.
When there is a sense of compulsion to take care of more animals than one could handle and it leads to disarray and neglect, it may already be considered animal hoarding. Usually, this is evident in people taking in numerous strays and doing it compulsively. Interestingly, in this case, the hoarder is a young man when there is research that is more common in aged women.
Taking care of pets needs the utmost attention from keeping them sterilized to vaccinating them. There is no specific number to pertain to having “too many pets”. One can have a hundred animals on a farm and safe-keep each one. However, when there is obvious neglect, it could be unsafe for both the owner and the pet.
Pet Lover Overboard
Having a few pets around is fine. However, there is also always a level of crazy where one can say there are too many animals in one place. Giving up new puppies or kittens for adoption could give them better opportunities to be loved and cared for than keeping them at home.
It is okay to ask for help when you start to feel overwhelmed by having too many pets. It is better to let other families adopt those that you could not take care of instead of keeping them home unsure that each one is well taken care of.
Always set a limit on how many pets you could take care of at one time. This way, when newborn pets come around adoptive furparents or rescue centers could be informed. The young will also be better taken care of.
Keep in mind that spaying or neutering pets are the most responsible thing a furparent can do for their loved furry animals. Spaying female cats is beneficial not only for the furparent but the pet as well. This way, unwanted reproduction is avoided at all costs. The pet would also be saved from potential illnesses related to excessive, or even lack of, reproduction.
What to do when taking care of strays
Take them to a vet
Never handle a stray animal without protection as you can never know if it is rabid. Take it to a shelter or straight to the vet to have its condition checked. Is it infested with fleas? Is it possible to have it vaccinated? Does it have any other illnesses? It is always good to know in case the stray is suffering from something fatal.
Bathe and Groom
Of course, once the pet has settled down and the vet gave an all-clear, giving it a groom and a bath is helpful. This could help if the pet has other injuries under its fur. Also, it could help the veterinarian treat any skin infections easier. The fur could grow back anyway.
Register with a rescue shelter
Do not make impulsive decisions of taking care of stray pets. It must always be well considered as pets are a huge responsibility. This is why it is okay to register them with a shelter for possible fostering or adoption. Then, it may be good to also ask if you could foster while the shelter is looking for adoptive furparents. This way, you could properly decide if you want to keep it or give it up for adoption.
How to Rescue a Hundred Cats
The group that took care of the hundreds of cats, Spama Safor is an animal shelter in Spain. Initially, they were only able to take less than 50 cats because they were not expecting that there were more. It took them a few days to vacate the house of the cats. Each one was checked by doctors, dewormed, and given a good helping of nutritious food and vitamins. Spama Safor did promise that the cats would be vaccinated and sterilised before they will be up for adoption. All the shelter volunteers are working around the clock to make sure that all the cats are in great condition.
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