Oh My Ears and Whiskers

Last night I turned on the TV after the kids went to bed because I wasn't sleepy yet (although I ought to have been, but oh well). A&E was showing the season finale of Hoarders which I find strangely mesmerizing in the same way as is Intervention. Maybe it's because I used to have issues with alcohol and food as a young adult, and also because I tend to be somewhat untidy...but the comparisons with the people on these shows make me feel absolutely AOK.

Anyhow, last night the two situations were as follows: 1) a widower who allowed a tank of three pet rats to become a colony of over 1000 rats which had overrun the house including the furniture and walls; 2) a divorcee who kept over 40 cats and hoarded other people's castoffs which she thought she might recycle somehow someday. Seeing and hearing over 4000 sets of rat claws gave me the willies, as did the sight (and imagined smell) of a house being used as a litter box. Often this show profiles food hoarders, which has its own disgusting sights of rotting produce and happy feasting insects. None of that last night.

Now I must say that cats and rats are not at all among my favorite animals, but it was very sad to see the state of some of them once they were removed from the homes. The guy who kept the rats became visibly unnerved when he was faced with the decision of euthanizing some of them once he was shown the extent of the illnesses or injuries by animal rescue personnel. Makes me think of Bob Barker's usual plea about neutering your cats and dogs at the end of each Price Is Right show. I'm not a pet owner, but it sounds like a good idea to take excellent care of the ones we have.