Why Do Cats Hoard Things?

Hoarding behavior is typical for many animal species in the wild such as squirrels, rodents, etc. Even dogs and wolves tend to bury bones and save it for later. However, cats in the wild are not prone to hoard things. They rather hunt, take a prey to their roost, and hunt again. Cats do not make stockpiles from their preys. They prefer fresh meals. As the great hunters, they do not have to worry about the next meal. On the other hand, cats who live with humans hunt rarely. It is especially the case when a cat lives in a household as a pet. These cats can occasionally hoard things such as stuffed toys if a cat is indoors, or birds and lizards if a cat goes outside. Domestic cats, who live on farms, tend to pile up mice and rodents near threshold or under a carpet. This trait is so typical that many cat owners take it for granted. Hoarding preys do not bother us so much as hoarding things. We accept it as it is, without giving it much thought, even though their ancestors had not gathered preys if that had not served their young to learn hunting skills. For that reason, feline experts think that their maternal instincts motivate the cats to gather preys. They bring preys, dead or alive, to transmit their skills to kittens. But, what about male cats? It has long been known that male cats do not take part in bringing up little kittens. Namely, members of a female family tree are highly involved in taking care of offspring, in the cat world. Another group of feline experts explains that cats hoard things because they are predators and just need to practice their skills. To learn more about why do cats hoard things, the article “Is Your Cat a Secret Hoarder” gives us the following explanation.

An unusual hoarder

There’s a new type of hoarder I want to discuss. Have you ever lost something in your home or found something in the yard and didn’t know how it appeared.

Cats can collect objects just like people do. They can suffer the same emotional problems. We’ve all seen and read about people who have collected vast amounts of items in their homes.

They are often referred to as hoarders. Some people are hoarding animals but there isn’t much information about animals that hoard.

Well, there may be a member of your family that doesn’t know they’ve got a problem. Your beloved pet may be stealing from the neighbors to feed their secret obsession.

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Humans have a difficult time recognizing a hoarding problem so imagine trying to get the dog or cat to see that. Should we laugh it off? If you have understanding neighbors, then maybe.

The cat, dog, ferret, or pot bellied pig that steals is trying to tell you something. Do you spend enough time with them? Do you know their earliest history? Were they abused and abandoned?

Some pets found at shelters had horrible beginnings and no one knows for sure what they went through before you adopted them. Understanding and patience is the key to helping them break this addiction or obsession. Adopting an animal is a lot like adopting a child. You may never know what they endured before you found them.

If a cat hoards things because she/he feels threatened, we need to check her/his environment to look for an intruder cat or to find out what is the another reason that disturbs our feline friends. By removing the cause of anxiety, we will help a cat to feel more safe and secure, which will stop her/him to hoard things in return.