After a cat hoarder has been charged under any relevant criminal laws and been ordered to vacate the property under a court injunction, the hoarder should be ordered to pay for the clean up of their homes and for any disruption to neighbours.
Often a cat hoarder will not have the means to pay for the clean up of their home or to compensate neighbours for their loss of amenity which could be in various forms such as a nuisance caused by unpleasant odours.
However, taxpayers should not have to pay for any clean up. As a result, the obvious solution is for the local authority, meaning either the city council or even the state, to place a legal charge (like a mortgage) against the cat hoarder’s property so that when it is sold a part of the proceeds, which equals the amount spent in the clean up, goes to the Treasury or if you like back to the taxpayer.
There will be occasions when the person charged does not own the property and has no savings and therefore the cost of clean up will have to fall upon the taxpayer but criminal courts should have a power, and probably do have that power, to make an order which alleviates the taxpayer from these costs.
Neighbours have the right to sue in the civil courts for compensation but due to the complexity and expense it would be fairer if criminal courts had powers to make reasonable orders for the perpetrator to compensate them.
If cat hoarders know they will have to pay for any clean up by the local authorities it may make them reconsider and see sense.
I agree paying for the clean up would not help to prevent it if cat hoarding is a mental illness but….there are various types of cat hoarders some of whom are scammers and fraudsters (not mentally ill) and in any case some borderline mental illnesses might be controllable by money punishment. Also the main reason why they should pay for the clean up is because it is fair and the burden should not fall on the taxpayer.
If you really regard cat hoarding as a mental illness – as you CLAIM to – how would helping pay for the clean up prevent it? That isn’t logical. It sounds more like you think that cat hoarding is CHOICE- not an illness. And if you don’t think it is an illness, why pretend you do?
Yea I agree Cat Hoarders should be made to pay and Even help towards to Clean up. Just like with House Hoarding.
YES-I Agree with you Michael. Cat hoarding should be stopped.
From your comment I take it that you agree with what I have stated. I think it will help to stop cat hoarding too.
We are not saving an animal if they are not assured security and safety and protection and love and proper medical care and a clean healthy environment to live in.
We are not saving a domesticated animal if we let it roam free, without our stewardship and support. Cats can hunt-true but often die on their own from lack of proper nutrition,fresh water, shelter, medical help to avoid parasites, dog attacks, unwanted litters, inbreeding, being run over, freezing, heatstroke. The list goes on.
And hoarding a cat or any animal does not mean we cage it and walk away from responsibility.
We have made them into pets and conditioned them in this way.