What causes someone to begin hoarding animals?
Often, animal hoarders have issues with human attachment; the majority of hoarders are single, divorced, or living in a single-housed home. Animal hoarders also exhibit signs of mental illness, which can make it difficult for them to find and make meaningful relationships with other humans; therefore, they turn to the affection and love of animals. High levels of mental illness and previous emotional trauma can trigger compulsory hoarding behaviour.
For the hoarder, caring for the animal gives them a sense of self, boosts their self-esteem, and gives them a sense of control. While others see an out-of-control situation, this is why hoarders seem delusional in thinking that their situation is under control.
There are 3 types of hoarders
- Overwhelmed caregivers
caused by … an unanticipated incident that makes a caregiver who originally had the capacity to provide proper care to become overwhelmed.
2. Rescue hoarders
caused by … a desire for the person to help animals and care for them but then the number of animals rise and their ability to care for them properly slowly decreases.
3. Exploiter hoarders
caused by … an active and selfish need to collect animals with no empathy for the animals’ suffering; these hoarders exhibit power and control complexes and believe that they are providing the best of care to the animals.
The video below does a great job at illustrating the difference of views between an animal hoarder and those close to them.
In this video, we meet David who has over 150 guinea pigs, ferrets, roaches, birds and rats. Notice how David talks about his animals versus how his step-daughter Ellen talks about David and his animals.