# Old Women and hundreds of cats **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 15, 2005, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720 "2005-12-15T14:54:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/21 "2005-12-15T18:33:45Z")
> [@Dorjän](#): > > My neighbor directly across the street from me is a crazy old cat lady. Except that she’s not crazy, and she doesn’t keep more than 3 cats at her home. > > Her name is [Dorothy Max](http://www.piratevisual.net/sos/sosarticle.html) . Her sole mission in life is to care for and feed stray cats all over the Cleveland area through her organization **Save Our Strays** , and to find homes for them if possible. She’s a very nice lady and does good work. I’m just glad that she cares for the cats wherever they may be, rather than bringing them home! The cats she does keep have taken a liking to my backyard and often hang out there (it’s kind of nature-preservy). I didn’t see anything in the article about spaying and neutering. Ms. Max and her organization would be doing these animals a big favor if the feline population bomb is at least somewhat defused. Bear in mind that one female cat can have several litters of kittens per year. The female cat is able to start reproducing by about 6 months. If each litter has only 3 kittens, well, do the math. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/22 "2005-12-15T19:10:45Z")
> [@Smokinjbc](#): > > Hi, > > Working for a vet, we’ve had a few folks that were on the edge of “collecting”. But we also have a stellar client who has over 40 cats, she takes care of them to an extreme (they get EVERYTHING we recommend, vaccinated in a timely manner) plus she rescues and rehomes several cats a month. She works full time, and we’ve heard from other clients that know her that her house is immaculate (although a little like a military camp, it would have to be to take care of all those animals). > > I just wanted to point out that not everyone with a bunch of animals is pathological. 🙂 ( I have 8 dogs, 2 cats, and 8 sheep myself) I knew someone like that as well. We got four of our cats there (one was the little one who was born with defects and had to be put to sleep). She is extremely strict about having them spayed and neutered. In fact, she has a contract with several vets in the area-she’’ take in animals they rescued and find them homes, and in return, they spay and neuter animals she fosters for free. It really works out well. Only maybe 12 at most are her’s permanently. She lives on a big farm, (she breeds horses as well), and while her house is a bit disorganized, it’s not dirty or messy. She’s got three big dogs and a peacock for security, and all the animals are well taken care of. She segregates the ones that are sick or just adopted until they can be tested or vaccinated. I don’t think I could personally do this, but I have to give her credit. ---
**Author:** ![Crafter\_Man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crafter_man/32/458_2.png) [@Crafter\_Man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crafter_Man)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/23 "2005-12-15T19:23:19Z")
> [@Smokinjbc](#): > > we have a stellar client who has over 40 cats, she takes care of them to an extreme (they get EVERYTHING we recommend, vaccinated in a timely manner) I have to ask… roughly how much money does she spend on vet bills over the course of a year? ---
**Author:** ![light\_strand](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a6a055/32.png) [@light\_strand](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/light_strand)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/24 "2005-12-15T20:25:06Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > I didn’t see anything in the article about spaying and neutering. Ms. Max and her organization would be doing these animals a big favor if the feline population bomb is at least somewhat defused. Bear in mind that one female cat can have several litters of kittens per year. The female cat is able to start reproducing by about 6 months. If each litter has only 3 kittens, well, do the math. It mentions spaying and nutering on theSOS home page. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2005, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/25 "2005-12-15T20:26:48Z")
> [@light strand](#): > > It mentions spaying and nutering on theSOS home page. Oh, good. I obviously missed that. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/26 "2005-12-16T03:02:22Z")
Maybe they’re breeding Kneazles? ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/27 "2005-12-16T03:46:37Z")
> [@](#): > > While thin on data (aside from a cat hoarder list with stats), I believe this [Gaping Maw editorial](http://www.pooflinger.com/collector.html) does a good job of getting into the slippery slope mentality of the cat collector. That article says: > [@](#): > > In the 1680s, Londoners held annual anti-Catholic processions culminating with the roasting of a wicker effigy of the Pope stuffed with live cats. The Queen herself, Elizabeth I, regularly presided over these affairs. Bullshit. Elizabeth I was long dead by 1680. (Sorry, but when I see ignorance, I fight it.) ---
**Author:** ![dogbutler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dogbutler/32/428_2.png) [@dogbutler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dogbutler)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 4:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/28 "2005-12-16T04:03:12Z")
> [@ITR champion](#): > > That article says: > > Bullshit. Elizabeth I was long dead by 1680. Zombie Queen! :eek: ---
**Author:** ![blackhobyah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blackhobyah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackhobyah)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/29 "2005-12-16T04:23:33Z")
[The Hoarding of Animals Research Consortium](http://www.tufts.edu/vet/cfa/hoarding/index.html) at TUFTS University has a good collection of articles about animal hoarding. I’m not convinced that hoarding is a kind of progression from animal lover who takes in a few too many animals, to someone living knee deep in dog shit and sick, dying and dead cats. It seems more likely to me that the hoarders have no real empathy for the animals themselves, but use the animals as a way of making themselves feel good (look at all these animals I’m saving), powerful (I have power over all these animals), and superior (no-one else will take care of them). It occurs to me that there might be some (majorly icky) parallels between the behaviour of hoarders and the kind of behaviour with body parts that make people like Jeffrey Dahmer so deeply disturbing. The animal is not a living creature in, and of itself, but an object which the hoarder uses to support their own delusion. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 9:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/30 "2005-12-16T09:21:33Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > Hey don’t worry. That’s what a burlap sack and a deep lake are for. We found having a pharmacist as friend and neighbour more humane. Sadly had to call on his services more than once ☹ ---
**Author:** ![APB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/8e8cbc/32.png) [@APB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/APB)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/31 "2005-12-16T11:10:13Z")
[hijack] > [@](#): > > _In the 1680s, Londoners held annual anti-Catholic processions culminating with the roasting of a wicker effigy of the Pope stuffed with live cats. The Queen herself, Elizabeth I, regularly presided over these affairs._ > [@ITR champion](#): > > Bullshit. Elizabeth I was long dead by 1680. But the rather more interesting point is why the article made that mistake. They didn’t invent that bit from nowhere. The pope-burning processions they are refering to (an engraving of one is illustrated [here](http://www.gunpowderplot.parliament.uk/adults_plot_ac.htm)) took place on 17 November, the anniversary of Elizabeth I’s accession, and, in a sense, she did preside over them, as, in a very deliberate piece of political theatre, the burnings took place in front of her statue on Temple Bar. Moreover, the article is just a variation on the most common Internet version of the story, which is that it took place during the celebrations for Elizabeth I’s coronation. Assuming that what contemporaries in the late seventeenth century called ‘Queen Elizabeth’s Accession Day’ was her actual accession day, rather than its anniversary, is a simple enough mistake and confusing an accession with a coronation is an equally simple - and very common - mistake. In other words, it’s a rather good example of how what is actually genuine information can quickly become garbled. [/hijack] ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/32 "2005-12-16T13:54:29Z")
One reason that cats are the pet of choice in such a situation is cats: 1 - are able to take care of themselves pretty well and not as dependant on humans for their daily needs as other pets. 2 - Know when they have a good thing and will stick around to get petted and fed. This makes it the ideal choice for people (old ladys) who are pet collectors, well beyond their ability to care for them (as cats will care for themselves). Also if not ‘fixed’ one female cat that is allowed outdoors can become 100’s in a short time. ---
**Author:** ![LVBoPeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/858c86/32.png) [@LVBoPeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LVBoPeep)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2005, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720/33 "2005-12-16T14:42:20Z")
> [@Crafter\_Man](#): > > I have to ask… roughly how much money does she spend on vet bills over the course of a year? \>\> Over $20,000 , and we give her a big discount and don’t charge exam/office calls to her. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-women-and-hundreds-of-cats/335720.md?page=1)