Have you heard about over- accumulation pet disease? You probably haven’t.

This is a problem especially happening in big cities that even veterinarians cannot put into words or speak about it in order to avoid getting extremely reaction from animal-lovers. An animal hoarder is someone who has a large number of animals at home, in which animals usually tend to be sick and dirty that you can even find dead animals around the hoarder’s house.

There is a thin line between becoming an animal lover and an animal torturer.

But there are also sensitive animal-lovers who could take care of 20-30 animals at once, while also providing better life conditions for them, right? Although these people may think this as something they are doing this for the animals’ sake and goodness, it is not the case. So many animals living together in small houses can affect their health, both physically and psychologically. Especially cats and dogs are very active animals and cannot satisfy their activeness in a crowded environment; additionally many health problems, including cardiovascular disease and behavioral problems, can occur.

Collecting a large number of animals at home is not a sign of responsibility.

Individuals with such a psychic disorder may think as they are providing the perfect care for their pets although their animals may be in an unhealthy environment, dirty and about to die. Whenever they see a sick or wounded animal, they immediately want to grab them and take home because in their opinion only they can take the best care of them. The contact and the communication between this person and the pets later influence the person’s communication with the external world and one day these people recede away from the reality; consequently, these people close themselves to the external world.

It has been considered as a psychiatric disorder.

There has been very little research done on animal hoarding, however, we should be aware that it has been identified as a psychological discomfort.

The general category of hoarding was included to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders in 2013, and animal hoarding also takes part in it. This means that animal hoarding is now considered a psychiatric disorder. If you ask a veterinarian, too, they will see this as a torture to animals and a psychological discomfort for the individual.

In these times where people are getting away from nature and from each other, they seek to find the solution in taking care of animals. If you look at a person who has a large number of animals at their house, you will see that this person is probably isolated, does not like other people, is abandoned, feel alone and has got attachment problems.

Dr. Randall Lockwood, a member of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) and the senior vice president of their Forensic Sciences and Anti-Projects also agrees with this:

“In the past it has been seen as an addictive behavior, and as a manifestation of OCD. We’re also now seeing it as an attachment disorder where people have an impaired ability to form relationships with other people and animals fill that void.”

We do not say ‘do not love animals’ or ‘do not look after them’. We are just saying that there is no connection between love of animals and taking care of more than 20 animals at home.

If you really love animals and think about their goodness,  we are suggesting you take care and look after a number of animals only as much as you can, or, at least to put a plate of water and food in front of your door for street animals.

Copyright: Dream Humanity