Question:
Suzoo & greencolander must be very familar with these types, & the rest of us see them in the news now & then: people who accumulate endless animals, who live, breed & die in their home, under sometimes questionable standards of care.
THere are people who would say that people should be allowed to have all the pets they want, because it's a free country & it's better than the animals being @ large, euthanized or in shelters.
There are others whom this makes angry, because the care is not always up to snuff.
Personally, I admit I have tendencies this way: I want to "save" animals so I take in abused animals or those that are unwanted. I don't let them breed but sometimes my place isn't the cleanest & landlords get upset.
I used to have 5 cats, but my sisters disposed of them Now I have 2 guinea pigs, a chinchilla & a cat, & I am getting worried that I am turning into a "collector"
Are YOU a collector? Do you know a collector? What do you think of them? Are they saving lives or harming animals? How much is too much?


Answer:
Neuro, you have 4 animals , I do not see you as a collector. A collector to me is a person who continues to get animals but does not care about them and just has them to look good , like the animals are like a statue to them.. I have 6 animals, I am not a collector and yes when I get my own place I want and will get more animals , as long as you give them what they need and the attention they need everyday I don't see anything wrong with having a lot of animals. If you can not afford to get what the animal needs because you have so many then I think that's when you should decrease the size of animals you have.


Answer:
I also have 6 animals not including my fish and i do not see me as a collector either,,,,I know my limits and my cages and house is very clean.....I would not clasify you as a collector but have seen it and I hate when people do that,,,,


Answer:
I had a friend who had twelve cats, and a Husky in an apartment...she was a cat collector. I got my cat Maddie from her.
Oh, I should say, she loved her cats and said they kept her alive. She gave them average care I would say. They definitely would have died without her, and were better off with her than without her, and she was the better for them.


Answer:
Hi Neuro:
Unfortunately, I am all too familiar with collectors. A collector is someone who keeps accumulating pets, despite financial difficulties. They aren't able to look after these animals. For instance, a collector is not capable of keeping the house clean, picking up feces, preventing matings, etc. Usually their house is covered in urine and poo, half the females are pregnant, and most of the animals have never been seen by a vet.
In Ontario, it used to be that the animals would be seized, the owner fined, and charged to not own pets for the next two years. The Ontario Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) is taking steps to help the people who are collectors. They aren't evil people, just people who are too soft hearted and don't know when to say "I've got enough". The OSPCA is currently collecting information from all their officers across the province, to try to push through new legislation that will help the collector. These people need psychiatric help, they don't need fines and public humiliation.


Answer:
I have 9 animals in my house, but I do not consider myself as a pet collector. The dog is the family dog, and the lizard is my brothers. I have the 4 degus, a hamster, fish and seamonkeys. I rescued my first two degus when I had only a dog from the pound, and my other two later on from a friend of my mom's who could no longer have them (his fiance said it he had to choose her or the degus ) My hamster was meant for my brother and me, but it turned out my brother wanted nothing to do with him .
I would never see myself getting a pet if I did not first off have the space, or a suitable home for it. Or the time and money. Plus my parents are there to say no


Answer:
Hmmm...I think my parents and my boyfriend's parents think I'm a collector. We have 5 cats and 6 degus in a one bedroom apartment.....but everyone gets all the love and attention they want. It's been hard the past month, being on welfare, but if it comes down to it, the animals get the good food, and we get Kraft Dinner or something cheap like that. I want more animals because I love them and I love taking care of them. When we get jobs we might get another cat and I'll be able to get my chin. Some people think that a 1 bedroom is too small for so many cats, but they seem perfectly happy. There's lots of windows for them to look out, a couch and comfy chair to lounge on, and the air conditioned bedroom where they spend most of the summer. So, although other people might say I'm a collector, I don't think I am. I'm responsible enough to be waiting for a bigger place before I get a dog, and smart enough to realize that I can't bring the horse to Hamilton right now because I couldn't afford it.


Answer:
I see that kind of stuff on animal planets "animal cops" its horrible how some people can have so many pets that they are just living in horrible horrible conditions!!


Answer:
But what about the argument that pet collectors are saving animals that would otherwise be straying or euthanized?


Answer:
If you ask me, I think an animal is better off being euthanized versus living a horrible life where it is neglected and abused. I don't see how the quality of the animal's life is better living on the streets versus in a collector's home.
My description of a collector is the same exact description as what Collander stated.