Reptile Keeping vs. Reptile Hoarding

People keeping 50 cats (or dogs) in their homes are generally considered "hoarders". Some even believe these people have a predisposed mental illness or 'addictive' personality.

What keeps a general reptile keeper with a rack full of snakes from being labeled a reptile 'hoarder'?

Is it related to the quality of care? ease of care? responsibility required to keep the animal?

Or is it a 1 dog = 10 snakes type balance that makes things acceptable?

Do you believe that there are 'reptile hoarders' out there?

Just looking for opinions on the topic and trying to spark a good discussion ;)

I guess people with a bunch of reptiles that aren't for buisness can be called hoarders.
But maybe they just like wildlife. Most repti keepers don't just keep reptiles.

a hoarder is someone who is constantly obtaining new animals, and not being able to provide adequate care for them. It is not a numbers game. Everyone has their own limits. As long as every animal is receiving the proper care, its not a problem.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by daniel1983

People keeping 50 cats (or dogs) in their homes are generally considered "hoarders". Some even believe these people have a predisposed mental illness or 'addictive' personality.

What keeps a general reptile keeper with a rack full of snakes from being labeled a reptile 'hoarder'?

Is it related to the quality of care? ease of care? responsibility required to keep the animal?

Or is it a 1 dog = 10 snakes type balance that makes things acceptable?

Do you believe that there are 'reptile hoarders' out there?

Just looking for opinions on the topic and trying to spark a good discussion ;)

---

You know, I was actually thinking about that.. When I tell people how many I have, the shock on their faces is priceless :O (Kinda like that).

Some people also ask me if its legal.

Depending on the town/area/housing, the answer is no.

I am the crazy snake lady, but I don't feel like I am a horder. I take care of my animals, and they are all individually housed with water and food.

Then again, what is the definition of a hoarder??

Someone who has too many than they can take care of??

My snakes are not breeding like rabbits and running around the house with feral snake babies all over lying in their own excrement. (picture Animal Precinct with snakes??)

I don't think I am a hoarder...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by _Venom_

I guess people with a bunch of reptiles that aren't for buisness can be called hoarders.
But maybe they just like wildlife. Most repti keepers don't just keep reptiles.

---

So if you have alot of reptiles for 'business', what does that make you? What seperates a breeder producing thousands of snakes a year from a 'puppy mill'?

There seems to be a difference in numbers. 30 snakes is acceptable....30 cats is not. Mass producing corn snakes is acceptable......mass producing dogs is not.

I am interested in what makes reptiles different in people's minds.

I am not saying breeding snakes in quantity is wrong or a person with a rack full of snakes in their basement is wrong.

I am just looking for opinions on the difference concerning 'hoarding' with mammalian pets vs. our reptilian pets.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by halfwaynowhere

a hoarder is someone who is constantly obtaining new animals, and not being able to provide adequate care for them. It is not a numbers game. Everyone has their own limits. As long as every animal is receiving the proper care, its not a problem.

---

Then you have to consider the definition of 'adequate care'.

Is keeping 10 snakes in a rack system as adequate as keeping 5 snakes in natural enclosures?

Is being able to interact with one lizard for 30 minutes a day as adequate as interacting with 20 lizards for 5 minutes each per day?

What is adequate? ;)

Reptiles are different , they don't need much.
It would be very hard to walk 30 dogs.
you can have 30 snakes on the side of a wall no probelm with minimal space. It doesn't cause much chaos in your living enviroment.

I think in the end its when the keepers or animals health and well being is being placed at risk simply due to the mere existence of the "pets".

-A keeper maintains a certain number of animals based on their abilities to properly care and feed them animals with out putting themselves or their pets at risk.

-A hoarder keeps a number of animals far beyond their abilities to properly feed and care for. They may truly care for the animals but their pets have far exceeded their abilities to keep the animals while maintaining a healthy environment for themselves and the pets.

I think the definition of a hoarder is someone that constantly acquires new animals without the ability to adequately care for them. I have seen some examples of people that operate "reptile rescue" operations but appear to just be hoarders.

I wouldn't consider someone with 50 cats a hoarder if they were all cared for and didn't negatively affect that person's life or the people around them.

Hoarding: Having more animals than you can care for in your within your own means, often to their or others harm.

Major Collection Syndrome: Keeping animals in proper set ups and husbandry. Animals thriving in your care and when they are sick or ill are immediately taken care. There is no neglect or abuse in this scenario.