This is a follow-up article to the one written by Elisa about the cat breeder/cat show judge who allegedly hoarded cats. You can click on the link below to read the story.
Anonymous tipster posts pictures online and accuses cat breeder and cat show judge of animal cruelty
This follow-up post adds some context to the story and explains what went on from a different angle. It is also in defence to a certain extent of the behavior of the person in question. The source of the information that I write here is very reliable and I have to trust it. It paints an entirely different picture.
There’s a lot more to the story than is portrayed in the videos. The videos were made by friends of the breeder (Oriental breeder in the USA) who were paid to help de-clutter the house. The cat breeder paid them $600. They did a couple of small tasks and then took photos and videos without the breeder’s permission or knowledge. They went viral on Facebook. There were allegations of squalor et cetera. The first point to make, therefore, is that the breeder was ripped off financially and then back stabbed by these so called friends who took the money. It is argued that they need shaming and that the breeder needs some sympathy.
Also, the clutter in the house had accumulated when two relatives died and their possessions had to be moved out of their homes. These items were being sorted through to decide whether it was rubbish or should be kept or donated. The breeder reached out to her friends, as mentioned, for help.
Apparently, some of these items ended up in her cattery. Further, this is a ‘caged cattery’ meaning the breeding cats are kept in cages which itself has attracted criticism. I would agree by the way that the breeder should be criticised for this but it is a different matter to the one being discussed. Although, personally, I am against all cat breeding. It seems that the possessions got in the way of cleaning the cages that day.
My source rightly says that if a person such as this breeder is unfairly or over criticised and undermined by backstabbing through viral videos it is counter-productive in preventing others when asking for help if they become overwhelmed through family circumstances or because of mental and physical illness.
My source feels strongly that this is not a simple “dirty hoarded” story and should not be presented as such. The key point is that the woman asked for help. The people she paid for help abused her trust. They took her money and ran. She has been involved voluntarily with animal services. And I’m also told that she was not tipped off about a visit.
My source I think correctly tells me that when other breeders get overwhelmed, this sort of publicity will deter them from asking for help.
I hope this post helps to put the matter into context and from a different perspective. I welcome comments which may further add to the story.
Thanks for sharing Darlene. I’m just presenting all the arguments to be fair.
ANIMAL CRUELTY and INHUMANE conditions should not be tolerated or protect the criminal. Take action to correct
I’m not impressed in any way with the cages those cats are in.
I’m also familiar with the cult of protectiveness that exists between various cliques and the need to protect the other person from the perceived enemy. The groupies that surround my BAD VET protected her and were well aware she was and most likely is a sot. By protecting her who knows how many more innocent animals suffered because of the them. The person housing the cats here probably has something wrong to keep them in those conditions. Everyone around her is the real problem. I don’t care about the personal crap between the people just the way those cats are living.
A full shot of the cattery would have undermined the claims of dead cats and cats living in air vents. Then there would be no vendetta-fodder.
And the claims get wilder – that the situation has been going on for 40 years but the person who knew about it was too scared of retaliation to report it. I am starting to think that the Bad Breeders page is actually there as bullying page rather than there to do any good. Personally, I’d like to see several individuals instrumental in spreading falsehood get sued (and/or have to make very public apologies). Once the cattery room is fully cleared out the cats will get to spend more time roaming safely.
Many shelters and rescues now have their cats spend part of the time in open rooms. It lets potential adopters interact and get to know a cat. Cages in shelters are stainless and can be sanitized. the cages in the pictures are wood framed and filthy. The filth is stuck on the hardware cloth. Wood retains moisture therefore bacteria.
Tossing out all the human clutter both physical and verbal in this case the cats are living in deplorable conditions.
Never pay anyone in cash. If the owner of the cats hasn’t she should stop payment or contest payment with the bank or haul the scammers into court and sue them for the funds. If you pay cash never pay until the job is completed and you are satisfied with the result.
I raised my babies in a cage in our living room. They were only in it at night and when unsupervised. It was metal and the pickiest human would have found it suitable for living. If those are indeed true representations of the living conditions for those cats it’s appalling and gross.
Whatever possible blood feud going on between adults doesn’t interest me.
I had a horse brought in once that was nothing but bone. It lived by the couples front door. The husband tried to tell me his wife was in charge of feeding. I asked him if his arms were broken and he couldn’t feed the horse himself. I turned my relatives in for animal abuse. We can’t get along but that wasn’t the reason. They were abusing animals.
I cut my teeth on horse shows and the demented culture back in the barns. Very few allegations go anywhere unless there is some provable truth. In this case it would seem the pictures speak for themselves.
It would have been nice if there was a full shot of the cattery and the cages instead of the close-ups.
Just because they cages are legal doesn’t make it right.