Synonym: crazy cat lady
Features of animal hoarding:
(1) The person accumulates a very large number of animals.
(2) The person has an intense attachment with the animals even after they die.
(3) The person often fails to provide adequate care for the animals (neglect).
(4) The person may believe that s/he is doing a good job in caring for the animals when this is not the case (delusion).
(5) The person resists the removal of an animal even when it is in the animal’s best interest.
(6) The home is unsanitary and squalid with animal waste and rotting food.
(7) The level of clutter in the home interferes with normal activities of daily living.
(8) The person shows impairment in social and/or occupational functioning.
The person may:
(1) actively acquire animals, often believing that the animals are being rescued
(2) fail to spay or neuter the animals, causing the number of animals to increase over time as the animals reproduce.
