What do I do when someone has over 100 cats around an elderly person?

Dear Balesgirl,

It is concerning. I would call the local animal shelter or animal welfare office to report this person. You could also call the local Aging department about the care of this senior and your concerns.

I agree, animal hoarding is unfair to the animals as well as a health hazard to the hoarder. The local SPCA will have dealt with it before.

Having that many cats--or any animal--is very unhealthy for the people who live there. People who hoard cats can't keep track of them all. New litters are born frequently and kittens die and their little bodies aren't discovered so they just rot there in the house. This should be reported.

I find this one a little difficult.
You say the elder person seems to be clean, healthy and well fed.
You also say that the cats are in a different building.

Are the cats well cared for? The kindly person that looks after them is clean, healthy and fed?
I can see that the cats have most probably bred, and bred, and bred.

I would ask the SPCA or local animal people it they would be kind enough to check on the Cats/owner. I would think that they could do with some sort of assistance.
Has there been any type of worry from the elderly person?

Tread carefully. Obviously the health and well being of ALL is primary. Including the cat person who also seems to be a caring person.

Good luck to all

Bales, i recall you live in the country? Are these cats pets? Or maybe working or feral cats? I live just outside a small town. These are many cats feral and working here. Picking up these cats would require a.small army, it is simply not affordable. I do not know the answer, the cats are helping to keep the rodent population down though, I imagine.

I'd certainly make sure that the matter was reported so it can be investigated. If all is well, that's fine, but, rarely can a private home properly care for large numbers of animals like that. If they are continuing to breed, that's unhealthy. Vet bills would be enormous. Plus, cats needs more than food and water. Local animal control or ASPCA may have resources to pay for spaying and neutering. They can do that even for feral cats. (They humanely capture, neuter, then release them.) Also, cats in large groups can carry diseases that can affect people. It would be the kind thing to do, to make sure things are checked out, imo.

Cats do earn their keep on a farm or rural property but I can't recall ever having more than a dozen at one time patrolling our farm, 100 is definitely a hoard. I had a relative that ran into the same problem only it was with dogs, they were all fed and watered to the best of his ability but the numbers exploded exponentially as litters were born... it wasn't pretty.

Do you have a good relationship with the cat lady? Is it possible for you to work with her to get the cat population under control without involving animal control?

ive called out to animal control n they say that its not city water on property so they cant do anything i did contact basicly adult protective services cus idk what they do but it was just a concern

Please let us know how this comes out, Balesgirl.

Each municipality should have their own animal control officers, are you sure contacted the right agency?

edit: This doesn't sound as though it has any negative implications on the elderly person being cared for so if that is the main concern I'd be tempted to just let it alone.

Call the SPCA and report this. Any animal hoarding always ends badly both for the hoarder and the animals.

Just to be clear, are the cats in the house, in the guesthouse, in another building or outside? Is it s shelter/rescue or a cat hoarding situation?

Caring for 100 cats is expensive and the litter created would be incredible. With that many cats, I doubt they have been properly vetted. They could carry disease. I think it best for the cats sake to report the situation to the local animal welfare agency. Hopefully they have a 'no kill' policy.

Cats are a tripping hazard, even for able bodied nimble folks. For a senior who could be a fall risk, it could be dangerous.

I would be concerned too as to where the resources to care for that number of cats are coming from? I feed my own 5 pets and 2 feral cats and it costs me over $60.00 per month. To feed 100 would cost me close to $900 per month, that is more than my total food bill and utilities.

I AM TRYING TO GET HER TO RID PART OF THE CATS SHE SEEEMS VERY SWEET AND A ANIMAL LOVER VERY MUCH BUT SHE TAKES IT SEEMS VERY GOOOD CARE OF HER MOTHER N REALLY DOESNT SEEM TO KNOW WHAT TO DO TO RID SUM OF THEM TO A GOOD HOME

I talked W the lady W the cats n she seems to be very attached to them cus I actually had Sumone I knew who took in animals and made sure that they go to a good home but she seems very attached n I dont want anyone sick.

Balesgirl, contact the animal welfare people in your area and ask them if they run a neutering program. It won't harm any of the existing cats; and I expect the main problem is how fast they're all having kittens. The owner sounds a bit clueless, but nobody seems to be suffering so other than that you can just leave it be, can't you?

Please now mind your own business. You got your answer.