Hoarding is what it's called and there is no definative answer as to why people hoard animals. It isn't recognized as a mental illness, but experts suggest that it may be symptomatic of psychological disorders such as Attachment disorder, Dementia,Addiction and Obsessive Compulisive disorder.

These people fail to acknowledge the deteriorating condition of the animals and household environment. They get overwhelmed and can't keep up with the demands of what is needed to care for these animals.

The profile of a hoarder is this...

76% are female
46% are sixty of older
Most are single and more than half live alone.

Hoarding knows no age, gender, or socioeconomic boundries. It has been found in men and women. The young and the old. Married , single and widowed.

It is a horrible thing to live with for my aunt was a hoarder. She liked cats and newspapers and tin cans.Her hoarding started upon the death of her husband. It took me two years to gain power of attorney and get for her the help she needed. Mind you her house was neat and tidy with all the tins washed out and packed in bags. The cats were well cared for but if things had progressed I am sure her home would have ended up like many do.....

Now puppy mills are another story for another thread!