Noah’s Syndrome: Systematic Review of Animal Hoarding Disorder

Abstract

Animal Hoarding Disorder (AHD) is a recently acknowledged psychiatric syndrome regarded as a form of Hoarding Disorder. Despite its great complexity, AHD has been underestimated both within and outside the academic community. This systematic review of the literature will assess some features to give a description of the syndrome. We have selected 26 empirical investigations which have been analyzed for such purpose. Moreover, we have estimated the mean values of some variables such as age (55.6 years old), gender (74.9% women), households (51.8% single-person), unemployment (53.6%), number of animals per case (64.1), presence of dead animals (32.9%) and object hoarding co-morbidity (59.5%). Results will be discussed to highlight AHD particular features, the need for an integrated view around the One Welfare concept and the need for an interdisciplinary approach. Given its complexity, we recommend acknowledging AHD as a separate nosographic entity.

The Complexity of the Human–Animal Bond: Empathy, Attachment and Anthropomorphism in Human–Animal Relationships and Animal Hoarding

“…Some reviews of the literature provide a portrait of the main characteristics of animal hoarders and the factors that may be involved in the emergence of the disorder [ 99 , 282 , 289 ]. Overall, the studies outline that animal hoarding is a chronic disorder that progressively deteriorates [ 273 , 274 ].…”

“…Overall, the studies outline that animal hoarding is a chronic disorder that progressively deteriorates [ 273 , 274 ]. As regards an animal hoarder’s characteristics, the literature shows that the disorder is more frequent among women, who constitute, on average, between 70% and 83% of animal hoarders [ 99 , 282 , 289 ]. This rate has been confirmed in most of the reported hoarding cases (e.g., [ 265 , 273 , 285 , 290 ]).…”

“…Studies also show that hoarders are often unemployed or retired but may also be breeders who initially bred animals for economic reasons [ 274 , 276 , 285 , 290 , 291 ]. However, the phenomenon emerges in all demographic socioeconomic conditions [ 99 , 282 , 289 ]; even individuals who are well integrated into society may be affected (e.g., health care workers, public employees, lawyers and veterinarians), and not uncommonly hoarders live with people who depend on them, including children, people with disabilities or elderly people, who may find themselves sharing the same living conditions as the animals being accumulated.…”

“…In general, animal hoarders show a highly dysfunctional relationship with animals, characterized by distorted overattachment to them, empathy disfunction and a high level of anthropomorphism [ 99 , 235 , 289 ]. Their behavior, especially that of incipient hoarders, overwhelmed caregivers and rescue hoarders, is most often rooted in a real desire to take care of animals or save them and is characterized by a strong emotional attachment to animals and an extreme distress, often genuine despair, at the idea of being separated from them.…”

“…They could consider their relationships with animals as safer and more rewarding than interactions with humans [ 275 , 294 ]. Cats and dogs are the most accumulated species [ 278 , 289 ] but also the two most common species of companion animals; they have a long history of domestication and close association with humans, live close to them and are widely considered as important social partners by their owners in many countries. However, hoarded animals may include a variety of animals, such as miniature ponies, deer, ferrets, pigs, various species of birds, and even spitting llamas, and multiple species may be present in any isolated hoarding case [ 278 ].…”