This isn’t the typical article since the news is still breaking and “alleged” about a cat breeder and cat show judge who recently turned herself in as a cat hoarder to Thurston Animal Services in Olympia, Washington on August 18.
I won’t name names in this article since no arrests have been made and no news media links are out there to back up the information. The reason I’m writing this article is to engage a discussion on what happens when a cat hoarder decides she has too many cats. While many support her, others are bashing her and saying this is animal cruelty that has gone on for years.
The woman is accused of “cats living in filth in tiny, filth-encrusted cages in dark rooms and hallways, has DEAD CATS living in her hoarder household, with feces everywhere and general “stuff” piled sky-high. She has cats living in the AIR VENTS in her home – and she doesn’t even have litter boxes for these poor creatures.” (Note: A very dirty litter box can be seen in the video below.)
She made the local news in a live stream video (video is slow to load so please be patient)
https://www.facebook.com/badcatbreeders/videos/vb.1387011538207368/1828397780735406/?type=2&theater
The woman is said to have been tipped off after she was anonymously reported to authorities and by the time Animal Control came out the place had been cleaned. No arrest was made and no cats were removed because the police in Yelm was unable to obtain a search warrant before the breeder was tipped off.
Facebook Bad Cat Breeders posted on August 19 (name removed but the information is on their page)
“********* showed up on her own at Thurston Animal Services on August 18, 2017. She admitted she is a hoarder and that her home is a mess. She stated that she will re-home 17 of her 33 cats. (Bad Cat Breeders Editor’s note) ********* does not have over 3 dozen cats as the news station initially reported; however, that is merely semantics. 33 BREEDING cats is too many to call yourself a hobby breeder).
She knows her situation is all over the Internet and she is feeling world-wide shame. (Bad Cat Breeders Editor’s Note: rightfully so)
********* agreed to work with Animal Services and her premises will be inspected in the near future and periodically thereafter.
There is still concern that she will allow her cats to breed. But investigators say it’s not so much a matter of neglect as much as ****** has too many animals and can’t adequately care for them.”
A Facebook post here has photos and videos posted for those who wish to see them. I’m unsure who took these or if they’re authentic but I am studying the comments going back and forth. You can learn a lot by following the comments.
Some people are condemning the cat breeder/hoarder and some are defending her. Others are upset with social media posting the situation, which allowed the breeder time to clean up her cattery. Were there dead cats? Since she was tipped off we may never know.
From what I’m hearing, the cat breeder has yet to give up any of her cats. Word has it the situation is under control and help has arrived to help both the breeder and the cats. The cats are the top priority for everyone at this point.
Would the cat breeder have turned herself into authorities if she hadn’t been tipped off by someone who told her to expect a visit from Animal Control? Was she afraid she’d be denigrated on social media and that’s why she didn’t come forward in the past? Or is it all about the money and it would have been business as usual?
Here is an updating post presenting a different point of view and with new information. Please read it and add comments:
The inside story on the cat breeder and cat show judge accused of hoarding cats
It’s scary to read about this and think of all the cat hoarders who won’t ask for help due to the threat of social media backlashing. It’s just as scary to think how many people are fooled when they buy from what they think is a wonderful cattery.
If you absolutely must buy from a cat breeder and the breeder is out of your state, NEVER agree to meet them halfway at a rest area or convenience store. Take the time to visit the cattery and be sure your new cat or kitten was raised in a healthy environment.
I do have a screenshot where a marketing committee member of the cat show stated the board, as well as the breed committee, are aware of the situation and that local people are also helping behind the scenes.
Please feel free to comment on any part of this article, especially any information I may have missed or is inaccurate. I apologize for the secrecy, but since the person wasn’t identified by name on the KIRO7 newscast, I refuse to offer it in this article.
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Elisa
There were no dead cats. The allegations of cats living in air vents are also highly suspicious – but hey, who cares if it makes a nice viral FB post. Let’s be very clear about one fact – she was not tipped off about an animal services visit. We have FB communication that pre-dates that visit and shows that she was already working on clearing things before the visit. Basically those fake friends accepted her money, filmed on her property without permission and did nothing constructive. Considering the malicious exaggerations they should return her money. They preyed on a person who was vulnerable and overwhelmed and instead of giving constructive help (as they were paid to do) they acted in a way that will deter people from seeking help in similar situations.
Another comment from the person (I have known her on FB for a long while and have a number of mutual friends on FB)
“I have been trying for a little while now to find help with getting my house back in some semblance of order. It isn’t and hasn’t been for some time. With all of my stuff and then my mother’s stuff and my grandmothers stuff – it has just gotten way out of hand. So I begged a cat friend to come help me – I was put off for personal reasons and then after awhile he agreed to come help. I drove down to California and picked them up to come up for a week. They were here about 4 days – did not very much work but told me I was a hoarder and that conditions were awful. Well that was why they were hired. And they were also paid $1200 to do this work – which they accepted. And they said they would come back and help now that they knew what the conditions were. Instead – they took the photos that some of you may have seen – depicting the cattery and the house at its worst – despite the fact that I was actively working on it everyday they were here. Oh and I will add – this has all been done behind my back – the person posting the photos and the person who came here have both unfreinded me.
So this is what happens when you ask a freind for help when you realize that you need it in the fancy.”
Michael – I emailed you about this story and there is a lot more to it. Firstly, she isn’t a cat hoarder. There are a lot on untrue allegations. There is no “animal control” in her country and is IS working with animal services. She was the one who sought and that “help” has, for their own nasty reasons, taken her money, done almost nothing they were contracted to do, and then circulate videos. There’s no evidence of dead cats in the home.
The videos were made by the breeder’s “friend” who was paid to help her clear the house of clutter. The “friend” took the money, did a couple of small tasks, took photos and videos of the most damning things without the breeder’s permission or knowledge and has sent them viral on FB with allegations of squalor.
The clutter accumulated when her mother & grandmother died and their possessions had to be moved out of their homes into hers. Unsurprisingly, bereavement causes depression and depression causes an inability to cope. Sorting the possessions out for rubbish, donate or keep was been taking time and the breeder reached out for help from these supposed “friends”. Quite a bit of the relatives’ unsorted possessions ended up in the cattery room (it is a caged cattery, something attracting negative comments, but quite a different matter altogether) and the images were taken before all the cages were cleaned that day. Having worked in a cat shelter, I know how much havoc cats can cause overnight. She has already rehomed several cats.
Unfortunately the back-stabbing and viral videos will be counter-productive in preventing others asking for help if they get overwhelmed through family circumstances or mental or physical illness.
In my email I pointed out that if you do get forwarded the viral video, it’s not a simple “dirty hoarder” situation and I suggested focussing on how counter-productive exaggerated allegations (particularly those alleging things that are not present such as her cats dying in air vents) are because they deter people from seeking help, they are edited to give the worst possible impression and they give no context (bereavements) leading people to assume the situation has been building up through continued neglect rather than because a person ends up with 2 other peoples’ household-worths of possessions in her home to be disposed of.
In this case the cats are being prioritised, but the owner has rather lost faith and trust in people offering to help. This isn’t a breaking news story or expose, it is the action of a couple of supposed “friends” who decided on their few moments of fame rather than do what they were asked – and paid – to do – help haul stuff away. Some registries have support groups to help people who get overwhelmed.
Here is a comment from her:
“While the others were posting their hate on FB and on the TV – I was sitting down with Animal Services and setting up my voluntary inspection. No one came out from Animal Control – and to give some information – there are no authorities in Yelm that have any juritdiction where I am…. Somebody needs to do better research… There are no animal control authorities in Yelm at all actually….. It comes from another source. I had no tip off that anyone was coming out – I called them myself 2 days ago…… I made the arrangements for the dumpster to come in on Tuesday. No tip off. Just doing what I had already started doing before asking for help. And yes, we did do the work in the cattery in one day – that should have been done before but instead that person was seeking to destroy rather that heal.
And as for refusing to relinquish cats – no – I never did that either. But I will not give away my lines to breeders that want to have them for free either. The breeders that I have gotten my cats from don’t want them going for nothing either…..”
A cat hoarder is unwilling to give up cats. This lady has already rehomed 5 of her cats – vountarily and willingly.
Cat hoarders are just as likely to come from the world of cat breeding as any other part of the cat world. In fact it is more likely in my opinion because when a person is surrounded by cats in any context it is easier to end up being neglectful because there are too many cats and then the neglect gets worse and worse until it becomes cat cruelty.
There is an ongoing debate about whether one should punish cat hoarders because it is seen as a mental health issue and therefore treatment is arguably better than punishment. I think they should be punished and treated. I don’t think it is always a mental health issue. Sometimes it is just pure neglect and bad behaviour.
I did email you earlier about this – it’s not the typical hoarder situation and a lot of what is being reported is simply untrue.
Can we do a follow up page?
This angers me so bad and ye know me Elisa,ye know I hate breeders be them cats or dogs,this woman should have had every cat removed and her home condemned and never allowed to own a pet ever again.
Sad the place was cleaned before there was a chance to document the true conditions ( if the story is accurate )
If she had too many cats to care for then they were being neglected you can’t dance around the truth.
I believe it’s the truth. I hope she reduces the number of cats and cuts back on the breeding or she’ll be in over her head again in no time.
There are just too many cats waiting in shelters, including purebreds. It will be interesting to see whether she’s kicked off as a cat judge.
What is going wound is not the truth. She wasn’t tipped off by anyone. She is working hard on clearing up (the hoard is a result of a double bereavement and the possessions ending up with her). She herself is working with animal services and she has rehomed several cats voluntarily, but they are breed cats (genetically valuable to the breed) and she wants to see them go to appropriate homes.
As for the allegations of dead cats – that was sheer nastiness from a person wanting publicity on the back of someone else’s misfortune. I have a number of friends in common with this lady. She asked for help. The people whom she paid to help her took her money and did this instead – not providing any context and leaving people to assume it has always looked like that.
I’m sad Michael chose to post this without referring to an email I sent him earlier to give the context.
No it’s not accurate. The person who has been publicising it accepted $600 from the breeder to help with clearing up, did naff all and then circulated a video along with exaggerated claims. The breeder herself asked for help. She didn’t turn herself in as the result of the viral images. There is a lot of malice involved here and I am sad it has been perpetuated on here as well.
I am sorry for this Sarah. We can do another page. You can write it if you wish.