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Hoarding

Animal Hoarding: A Hidden Subtype of Hoarding Disorder?

The prevalence, characteristics and science of animal hoarding.

Key points

  • While hoarding disorder is generally seen as a single condition, animal hoarding is a variation.
  • Animal hoarding involves accumulating large numbers of animals while failing to provide adequate care.
  • Animal hoarding involves characteristics such as chaotic homes, abnormal behavior, and mental blind spots.
A woman overwhelmed in the clutter of her home with multiple animals
A woman overwhelmed in the clutter of her home with multiple animals
Source: Dall-E3/OpenAI

When watching the news or reading it, animal hoarding seems to be fairly common. Still, estimates by the ASPCA suggest that only 250,000 animals out of millions are subjected to it in the US yearly. This means it is less common than general hoarding, which affects 3-5% of our population. Nevertheless, animal hoarding may catch our attention because of its thoughtlessness and cruelty.

The Characteristics of Animal Hoarders

  • Overwhelming Numbers – They accumulate an excessive number of animals, far beyond their ability to care for them.
  • Basic Needs Unmet – Food, shelter, medical care, and cleanliness fall by the wayside, leaving animals in dire conditions.
  • Chaotic Living Spaces – Homes are overrun with clutter, filth, and strong odors, making them hazardous for both humans and animals.
  • Suffering Animals – Many animals are weak, malnourished, injured, or suffering from untreated illnesses.
  • Abnormal BehaviorFear, aggression, and anxiety are common among the animals, who may be deprived of proper socialization and care.
  • Mental Blind Spots – Hoarders often lack awareness of their situation, live in denial, or isolate themselves from concerned friends and family.
  • Neglecting Themselves – Personal hygiene and self-care deteriorate, with hoarders appearing unwell and living in poor conditions.
  • Compulsive Acquisition – The urge to rescue or collect animals becomes uncontrollable, resembling an addiction.
  • Roots in Trauma – Many hoarders have unresolved childhood trauma that makes forming human connections difficult, leading them to seek comfort in animals.
  • Emotional StrainLoneliness, social stress, and personal hardships often fuel the cycle of animal hoarding.

The Science Behind Hoarding Animals

While hoarding disorder (HD) is generally seen as a single condition without distinct subtypes, animal hoarding appears to be a unique variation. The DSM-5 describes animal hoarding as accumulating large numbers of animals while failing to provide adequate care, often leading to severe overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. Although the DSM-5 does not specify what types of possessions qualify for an HD diagnosis, animals are considered property, meaning animal hoarding meets key HD criteria—such as difficulty letting go of possessions (even deceased animals) and significant impairment in daily functioning. However, important differences suggest animal hoarding might need to be classified separately.


Unlike object hoarding, animal hoarding frequently involves extreme squalor, including urine-soaked floors and deceased animals. Additionally, while object hoarders accumulate a variety of items, animal hoarders often focus on a single species. Insight is also generally poorer in animal hoarding—many individuals fail to recognize their inability to care for the animals properly. Acquisition can be both passive (neglecting to spay or neuter, leading to uncontrolled reproduction) and active (intentionally rescuing or adopting animals at an unsustainable rate). Understanding why people hoard animals is complex. Some researchers suggest it stems from early attachment issues, where individuals form deep emotional bonds with animals to compensate for dysfunctional relationships in childhood. Others propose that a lack of mentalization—the ability to recognize the suffering of the animals—may contribute to the behavior. Misplaced empathy and anthropomorphism may also play a role.

References

van Roessel, Peter J., Paula Andrea Muñoz Rodríguez, Randy O. Frost and Carolyn I. Rodríguez (2023) “Hoarding disorder: Questions and controversies.” Journal of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.

Reinisch, A. I. (2008). Understanding the human aspects of animal hoarding. The Canadian Veterinary Journal, 49(12), 1211.

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