Now, first off, this topic is not about animal hoarders - they're a separate issue that's outside the scope of this question.
Now, if you haven't already seen the video and photos of the Russian cat lady's apartment where she keeps 130 cats, do take a look:
http://englishrussia.com/?p=1199Obviously 130 cats in an apartment is not an ideal living situation, but, the cats appear to be healthy and fed, they're not fighting or in distress and the place is clean. Apparently she's tiled her floors and walls for easy cleaning and so that there's no smell to bother her neighbours, feeds them daily and all the males and neutered, so she's obviously making a real effort to care for the cats and isn't just hoarding them and neglecting them.
(And I don't know for sure, but from a lot of the comments on the article, it sounds like there may not be any shelters or Humane Societies in Russia - not sure on that one.)
---
So assuming that all cats in these hypothetical situations receive adequate food, are kept clean, are fixed/not left to breed and receive necessary veterinary care...
So at what point do you hit "too many cats"? Is there a magical number for a household? For a certain size of living space?
Do the alternatives make a difference? Is 130 cats too many if many of them could be taken to a Humane Society or shelter? Is it a reasonable number if the only other option for these cats is living on the street as strays?
Is 130 cats okay if you're actively trying to find homes to place them in and not okay if you don't make any effort to find new homes?
Change "130" to any other large number - does your opinion change at any point?
Do you think this kind of living situation, with cats in every available space, but with a whole apartment to roam in, is better or worse than a cat living in its own small cage in a shelter?
Reply
