Hoarding by defintion is a condition in which animals are deprived of even minimal standards of care. The consequences of this deprivation vary in each situation, depending on how far it deteriorates until discovered. In some cases, particularly in the early stages, the visible signs of suffering are few - perhaps mild weight loss, poor hair coat, and parasites. Despite whatever physical afflictions do or do not develop, the psycholgical suffering from intensive confimement will go even more unnoticed.

As conditions deteriorate and / or crowding increases, irritating levels of ammonia develop from the accumulated feces and urine, infectious diseases may spread, injuries develop and are not treated, sick animals are ignored, and the early stages of starvation may begin. As conditions spiral downward, animals die from lack of food or water and untreated illness or injury. It is not unusual for dead animals to be found among the living, with some animals cannibalizing the corpses of others. In some cases, this may involve only a few animals, in other cases, homes or farms become literal graveyards, with bodies scattered where they fell.

Even when confronted with the obvious - feces piled a foot or more deep, dead animals in human living ' spaces, a home not fit for habitation by humans or animals, the hoarder will deny that anything is wrong or minimize the interpretation of events.