Would the Smell or the Noise

[The Other One]

be the first clue that 187 cats were living next door to you? And wouldn't you call the cops after the first 15?

FAIRFAX, Va. — Animal control officers have removed 187 cats from a house in Mount Vernon and 59 cats and one dog from a home in Falls Church, authorities said Monday.

In the Mount Vernon case, police went to a home on Ludgate Drive, Friday, to find Ruth Knueven, 82, living inside with 187 cats. Officers said the dead bodies of 86 more were left in trash bins outside.

Most of the surviving cats were sent to an animal shelter, but animal control officers said they have to go back and get some cats that are still living in the walls and chimney.

http://www.rockymounttelegram.com/featr/content/shared-gen/ap/Feature_Stories/Cat_Infestations.html

 

[Dave]

the story i read stated all the cats had to be put down.

"All of these cats had respiratory disease and there were feces and urine all around the house," said Officer Richard Henry, a Fairfax County police spokesman. He said all the cats found alive in both homes had to be euthanized.

link

 

[chcr]

Well now, the dead ones probably weren't all that noisy. OTOH, they probably only smelled marginally worse than all the poop and pee. Hmm... a real poser.

 

[The Other One]

I wonder what would make a person want to collect so many animals?

I mean I like dogs and have 3, but that's enough (well, maybe just one more--this time a small one...)

Did she just start out with 2 and ended up with 273 many litters later, or did she pick them up off the street and bring them home with her? It just boggles the mind.

 

[chcr]

I wonder what would make a person want to collect so many animals?

I mean I like dogs and have 3, but that's enough (well, maybe just one more--this time a small one...)

Did she just start out with 2 and ended up with 273 many litters later, or did she pick them up off the street and bring them home with her? It just boggles the mind.

We have two dogs and two cats and I frequently think we don't need that many.

 

[Uki Chick]

Some people are just sick and lose control. At that age, she definitely lost control and didn't know how to take it back. I've seen too many stories like that and it's really sad. At the same time, I don't know how anyone could live in that stink. I have three cats and if i don't clean the litter after a couple of days I can't take the smell.

 

[MrBishop]

There are limits...

There's one lady in Montreal who has a lot of cats, but not because she's gone and lost it. She's called "The Cat Lady of NDG" and takes in cats that were given up by people who were moving. Instead of bringing cats to shelters for Euthanasia, she'll take them in...and try to find homes for them. Two of my cats came from her. She's got between 40-60 cats in her house at a time.

Not something I'd consider, but at least she's doing it for a good reason.

 

[Uki Chick]

There are limits...

There's one lady in Montreal who has a lot of cats, but not because she's gone and lost it. She's called "The Cat Lady of NDG" and takes in cats that were given up by people who were moving. Instead of bringing cats to shelters for Euthanasia, she'll take them in...and try to find homes for them. Two of my cats came from her. She's got between 40-60 cats in her house at a time.

Not something I'd consider, but at least she's doing it for a good reason.

Yes, she's doing it for a good reason, and i'm sure she keeps up with the maintenance of litter box cleaning and all. What I've seen most often in cases like this is the person becomes overwhelmed and can't take care of the animals anymore.

 

[MrBishop]

Yes, she's doing it for a good reason, and i'm sure she keeps up with the maintenance of litter box cleaning and all. What I've seen most often in cases like this is the person becomes overwhelmed and can't take care of the animals anymore.

I think that its a reflection of how today's society is breaking down. Where were this woman's family or friends? Its obvious that she hasn't had a visit in a long damn time in order to accumulate that many cats.

 

[Winky]

Yep it is seriously the fault of society!

Good Gawd Dood!

Don’t make me get a passport,
drive up there and kick yer ass!

 

[Professur]

Yep it is seriously the fault of society!

Good Gawd Dood!

Don’t make me get a passport
and come up there and kick yer ass!

You don't need one. Just a license. I'll get a room ready for ya.

 

[Winky]

Hell yeah,
let's make it the OTC Northern BBQ
and Bish-fry!

 

[MrBishop]

Yep it is seriously the fault of society!

Good Gawd Dood!

Don’t make me get a passport
and come up there and kick yer ass!

I didn't say that it was 'society's fault' that she had 200+ cats...I'm saying that it's a good indicator.

Not that long ago, homes used to be multigenerational. Families lived close to each other, parents took care of their kids and eventually the reverse was true.

Now people are so busy that it's easy to just 'toss mom in a retirement facility and forget about her or never call or write' than it is to actually care for the person who cared for you.

I know far too many seniors who never see their kids or grandchildren at all, who don't go out of their centers except feet first.

THAT is what I was talking about, Winks.
You can put your passport away.

 

[Winky]

Wheel Hmmm OK

I guess it was HER fault then.
For not having a family that cared enough about her
so that when she went COMPLETLY fookin' insane
they could have taken appropiate measure to
throw her into a Looney bin!!!

 

[Uki Chick]

Wheel Hmmm OK

I guess it was HER fault then.
For not having a family that cared enough about her
so that when she went COMPLETLY fookin' insane
they could have taken appropiate measure to
throw her into a Looney bin!!!

It's not her fault Wink. I don't think anyone expects their families and friends to just abandon them. We all hope that the children we brought up will be there for us when the time comes for us to need them.

 

[Professur]

It's not her fault Wink. I don't think anyone expects their families and friends to just abandon them. We all hope that the children we brought up will be there for us when the time comes for us to need them.

Oh Gawd, I hope not. The last thing I want is for my kids to have a shot at me when I'm old and helpless.

 

[MrBishop]

Wheel Hmmm OK

I guess it was HER fault then.
For not having a family that cared enough about her
so that when she went COMPLETLY fookin' insane
they could have taken appropiate measure to
throw her into a Looney bin!!!

Her fault...OK, if you insist. D'ya think she would've gotten to this point if her family were visiting on occasion? If she had friends over?

Had a funeral at the church where I work a few weeks ago. They said that she'd been dead for almost a week before she was found accidentally. Lived alone, her kids lived in BC... the FedEx guy saw her through the front door, lying on the floor...called the cops. Very small funeral...barely 12 people there.

 

[Winky]

one of the reasons I've stayed married

at least there might be a coupla
people in the werld that give a hoot
whether I've had my depends changed today...

 

[MrBishop]

Also the main reason why I live close to my folx. We visit them and my inlaws almost weekly. Its very important to me that my son know his grandparents and vice versa. Family is very important to me.


Unfortunatly, not everyone feels the same way and retirement homes are filled to capacity with very lonely people.

 

[Winky]

The pah of one of my Kid's school buddies
ownz a retirement home in Tucson.

Thar's good bucks in that racket.
He nets 30K a month offa that biz heh heh

Certainly a growth market, what with the
demographic bulge of the boomers and all.


Yeah the decline of western civilization
can be traced to the destruction of the
noo-clee-are family or should I say
the extended fambly?

“Grampah what did you do when yer
wife divorced you, took yer kids and robbed half yer
paycheck for upteen years”

“Gee Grandson I dunno, me and the missus
were married for 50+ years”