|
No. Grafton, Mass -- While there are many humorous images of so-called "cat ladies" living in obscurity with a home full of pets, a Tufts animal expert says the reality is often much more grim. "Superlatives are meaningless in these cases, because as soon as you see something that you think is the most amazing case you've ever seen, you'll find something even more extraordinary," Tufts' Gary Patronek, an expert in animal hoarding and director of Tufts' Center For Animals And Public Policy, told the Washington Post. In hoarding cases, as many as 500 animals have been found in a single home. Patronek says the animals are often a magnet for intense feelings of companionship. The Post reported: "Patronek said some hoarders report that their intense attachment to animals, which many regard as surrogate children, had its roots in their own disordered childhoods." Patronek told the newspaper, "Animals were the anchor for people who were growing up with absent, chaotic or unstable parenting. After all, you don't have a childhood relationship with a pile of newspapers." Despite their best intentions -- Patronek said many hoarders don't realize they are harming their animals -- many of the captive pets don't survive. Unfortunately, the Tufts expert says authorities are often focused on rescuing the animals at the expense of helping the hoarders. "The tragedy of these cases is that the primary focus is on rescuing the animals. It's the people who are forgotten," he said. Last week, Patronek became the first recipient of the Agnes Varis University Chair In Science And Society -- a $2 million professorship, dedicated to using scientific research to tackle major societal issues. The chair, created by Agvar Chemicals President Agnes Varis, is the first-ever university-wide endowed professorship. Every five years, the chair will rotate to another Tufts faculty member to study science and society. Posted 12-12-00
|
Rethinking
The 'Cat Lady' 