I have been watching shows on Animal Planet about animal hoarding and it really made me think. I have 9 bettas but I don't think I have a hoarding problem. lol People who have an animal hoarding problem are very lonely people who are looking for unconditional love, which I think we all want. I just thought this would be an interesting topic of conversation.
I don't think your hoarding either, I have 6 bettas. We take good care of our bettas even though some people have over 20+. Those people on animal planet want unconditional love but they can't no longer keep them healthy.They can't have vet check them because they have alot. Lucky us betta lovers that our fishies are easy to take for and inexpensive. Sometimes its sad that they had to take them aways from the owners but it's for their own good. Most people have big hearts with empty spaces for animals to fill in. Wre just onw of the lucky ones.:)
One lady had over 100 cats and most of them were sick. I think they ended up removing most of them.The thing is to not have more animals than you can take care of properly.
I've been watching the Animal Hoarding series and the Fatal Attractions series also. The situations they highlight are tragic for the people and the animals.
Animals are fascinating, beautiful and worthy of respect. Domesticated animals deserve proper care in our service. Wild animals deserve to be free.
No animal on this earth was born to 'love' us, or is obligated to do so. Anyone who believes otherwise doesn't understand animals or is mentally ill.
That's not to say we don't percieve our animals 'loving' us. What people are really seeing is mutual respect, tolerance, and providing for each others' needs.
At some point, too many animals is too many animals. The owner (however well educated about animals) cannot meet the animals' basic needs; at that point, 'love' switches to obession, care turns to abuse, and mutual respect turns into mutual suffering.
But yes. As long as you can take great care of them, it's not hoarding. If I have 100 dfish, I live happy, and so do the fish, then it isn't hoarding. (But it's still pretty close.)
And 1fish2fish, If you don't mind, I'm gonna use an article from your blog:
Quote:
When Does It Become Hoarding?
Anyone who fancies bettas knows that feeling. The feeling you get when you see a fish you like and you “have to have him”… this feeling can quickly become an addiction. Like any addiction, this can lead you down a bad road. While there is no set number of bettas that a person should have there are some things that should be taken into consideration when you think about adding another to your already growing population of Bettas.
1. Do you have the time to care for another? If you are already stressed out by the water changes or put off water changes because your too busy then put the cup down, step away from aquabid.com, and focus on the fish you already have.
2. Do you have the space to care for another? If you are considering dividing your already divided tanks or getting a tank that is too small just so you can have another Betta, reconsider. Don’t jeopardize the quality of life for the new fish or the fish you already have just to make room for the new guy.
3. What quality of life can you provide for your fish? If you can’t keep your bettas in at least 2 gallons of water and provide him with plants and toys to keep him interested then you should not be getting a fish. Any animal stuck in a tiny container is going to get bored, Bettas are no different.
Breeders may be the exception to the rule. They often keep fish in smaller tanks with little to no plants or hides. If you are just keeping bettas as pets your goal should not be to cram as many fish into your house as possible. Your goal should be to provide the highest quality care you can possibly give to the fish you have. Even breeders should have a goal of keeping their breeding stock in the best possible conditions.
It happens more than you would think. A person gets bit by the “betta bug” and goes from one or two fish to twenty plus, then they get overwhelmed and end up getting rid of their fish or accidentally killing them because they didn’t do necessary water changes, etc. If your struggling to take care of your fish or you don’t enjoy cleaning tanks don’t add a new fish. A hobby is something to be enjoyed.. it should never become a job.
"If I have 100 dfish, I live happy, and so do the fish, then it isn't hoarding. (But it's still pretty close.)"
You know it's hoarding when the floor collapses from the weight of the water-and-betta filled aquariums.... and Animal Planet shows up to film the mess...
generly people with a hording problem has something mentaly wrong with them. Maybe empty nest sydrome, OCD, or I dunno something else crazy lol I watch the show horders and thats what the specialist said. this one woman was hording lotta cats as well as belongings and the police had to search her house and found many dead including newborns. she stated that she loved them and people either threw them off in the streets or left them at her doorstep. When the pound came to collect them all she was worried about was their feeding time. I think in this case it was somewhat of a lonely issue even though her husband was right by her side.
When you can't care for them properly, then there's a problem. It might just be neglect, but when the number of animals is why they aren't cared for, that is hoarding. Also, I feel like the ability to say "no" to another animal is key. If you have 100 fish, but can still say no and give proper care, that is not hoarding. The number for "hoarding" is different among different people. I watched that show as well and where there are people with 200 cats, I also saw a man with 2 horses, 7 dogs, 10 cats (not exact, but I think that's about right). It was his ability to care for them and not say no that made him a hoarder.
When you can't care for them properly, then there's a problem. It might just be neglect, but when the number of animals is why they aren't cared for, that is hoarding. Also, I feel like the ability to say "no" to another animal is key. If you have 100 fish, but can still say no and give proper care, that is not hoarding. The number for "hoarding" is different among different people. I watched that show as well and where there are people with 200 cats, I also saw a man with 2 horses, 7 dogs, 10 cats (not exact, but I think that's about right). It was his ability to care for them and not say no that made him a hoarder.
Check out the eBook Betta Fish Care Made Easy
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