People Known As Collectors/Hoarders
Susan Ramon (aka the Crazy Radio Chick) is the host of What’s Happening Brevard on Tropic Wave Radio and will occasionally write an article for No Borders Allowed and give her insights on various topics.
Back in the 80’s I was really involved in the horse world. Showing, teaching, training. I was also a huge animal lover, big and small, whatever needed care, didn’t matter to me. I eventually ended up with my own 60 acre Horse Ranch called Maple Hill Ranch in a small town in the state of Missouri.
I was also appointed to the large animal rescue force for Longmeadow, the large animal arm of The Humane Society. Whenever an investigation in abuse and/or neglect was happening, and it went to the courts to seize the animals, I was one of many that were called to be on the rescue team. I had a 4 horse trailer and was able to get the horses off the property in record time.
I didn’t want to be on the investigative team, lots of school work involved in that and you had to pass many test and be licensed. Pish Posh to that, I knew neglect and/or abuse when I saw it. I’ve been around a few blocks where animals were concerned.
Most of the rescues I went on turned out to be to COLLECTORS houses. These are the people that collect things, like animals. They have 10 horses, 15 cats, uncountable dogs and stuff, and lots of it. The goal to any rescue was to get in and out in a very short amount of time, collect all the animals that were on the warrant and go, and go fast.
For some reason, my ranch was where all the pregnant mares would end up. I was good at tending to any animal in need, nurse them back to physical health as well as to emotional health, lots of time and patience was involved, which I had, for animals, not for people.
The things I have seen and carry with me to this day haunt me. And will haunt me to my last breath. I have lots of rescue stories, some with happy endings and some with the memories of devastation.
Death was a daily occasion.
I received an E mail from a friend asking if I could help:
Not sure who can help, but thought you might know someone. One of my guild members has 11 cats and a messy house! He just had hip replacement surgery and one of his care givers turned him in. The cops and code enforcement came today. He has one week to clean it up and they are talking about taking his cats. In addition to the cat issue, there is much more. He has no working stove or microwave and books and papers piled to the ceiling! The place reeks of cat urine and so you can imagine the mess.
Do you know of any place that can help? Somewhere that would take the cats without killing them? I have called around and looked and I have found nothing. Of course, if they condemn the house, he will go in a home and the cats will have to go anyway. So even if a miracle occurred and he had a way to or the money to hire someone to clean it, he may still loose his precious babies. They are all he has. He has no money as he had one of those nasty ARM mortgages and had to declare bankruptcy. Everything he makes from 21 years of service to the country in the Air Force goes to the bankruptcy court.
This immediately jumped out at me, not because of the human situation but the cat situation. I feared the cats were sick, thin and probably in need of medical care. I contacted one of my sources at The Central Brevard Humane Society to see if there was any way they could step in before the county shelter did. If the County Shelter had stepped in first, the cats would face the dreaded needle and be euthanized.
I contacted the gentleman, and made an appointment with him to go to his house so I could see first hand what exactly was going on, I took my friend with me from CBHS. She arrived in her van with 11 crates, ready to rescue as many cats as we could talk this man out of.
I knocked on the door and yelled that it was me, he opened the door, we stepped in and WHAM….cat urine smacked you in the face, then the visual got you, books, papers, cardboard boxes filled, stuff everywhere, from floor to ceiling. There was a path from the front door to his bedroom door. The dust was incredible.
Cats started popping out of hiding places, from behind boxes, doors, they seemed to be everywhere. All black, all white, black and whites, Calicos, long hairs , short hairs…everywhere, and only two litter boxes, that were full.
We desperately tried to explain to this gentleman that the living conditions for these cats was not a healthy situation nor was it healthy for him. I personally didn’t care about this mans health, my concern was to get those cats OUT OF THERE.
There is no law in this county regarding how many cats you can have. There is for dogs, only 4 per household.
As we sat talking with this man in outside patio chairs in the pathway to his bedroom, we kept listening for a sneeze, a cough, or a wheeze from any of these beautiful felines. Nothing. Each cat was healthy, no running noses or eyes, and they all appeared to be very happy where they were. And this gentleman was very happy with his cats as well as his living conditions.
We checked the food supply for the cats, ample food and clean water.
As we looked around this mans house and all he has collected over the years, he had some wonderful treasures, lots of books, photographs, newspaper clippings, and tons of personal items.
We tried to enter the kitchen, you couldn’t, to much stuff, including a lawn mower right in the middle of the floor.
We pleaded with the man to let us take 2, 3, 4 of his cats, nope, he refused to give them up.
We stayed an entire hour talking and talking, pleading, and petting and looking over each of these cats.
All were healthy, in wonderful weight, shiny coats, and happy. The man is doing a good job attending to all his feline friends.
My friend and I left, empty handed, sadly. But also happy that everyone one of those cats were happy and healthy and has everything they could possibly need or want.
Once we stepped outside and were able to take a deep breath of fresh air, we rushed to our homes to take showers, wash our hair and to look at our own surroundings.
But now is the time I ask everyone to step back. Look at your surroundings. Do you have stuff piling up here and there? A box in a corner, that you have forgotten was there and really can’t remember whats in it? I have.
I have realized I have to much STUFF, stuff I don’t really need, collecting dust. A couple boxes with more stuff in them, what’s in them? I can’t remember.
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By laura 63 yrs old, October 28, 2008 @ 10:37 pm
Today in a meeting between the society where I live and my mental health worker,she called me a hoarder..Shocked !! yes I was..and also facing an eviction noticewhich gives me 30 days to find another place to live.I have one small pommerainian.I am a retired dog groomer,who several years ago lost 4 cats and a pr of American eskimo dogs..of which were moved out of my home by a goody 2 shoes social worker that thought that another worker would love to have them.I have never abused my animals,all have been fixed well looked after.After raiseing my 3 children and my grand daughter, I have developed bi-polarizm. I have periodic breakdowns, but have never been acused of any child or animal abuse.
The last apt I moved out of had cockroaches..these critters were definetly not pets.now after a yr in thisplace they have returned and my new landlords have given me an eviction notice.my place is a much smaller apt than I have ever had.thus a little crowded and no storage .there are no piles of newspapers up to the ceiling, never has been…my house is just lived in and not dirty.why is it that other people always feel that they are right to interfere and we are wrong.Is there anyone out there that understands what I’m going through..I just feel terrible,unable to cope with this much longer..My children have all grown and have there own families and lives.I raised these children by myself,now they want very little to do with me.My worker said today that she already has 2 homeless women and I will make another..How does one get out and find another place when there just isn’t any to get.I see I’m rattling on ,but its fact..where will i be at the end of the month??