Hoarders

[*winter*]

The rat guy...statistics are against him...the "one" rat he kept is most likely pregnant. So, probably more rats are in the future for him.

I still can't believe they filled an 18 wheeler with rats!

The recurring theme in the show seems to be loss. Loss of people, places, things. The lady who got robbed in Detroit and left her house, but then went back "to visit" was particularly sad.

The last episode I saw, with the lady and the tapes...she lost her son in an accident, and the other person on the show started hoarding after deaths in her family. They mentioned that "stuff" can fill "a space" (albeit a physical one, not a psychological one) and that "stuff" can make people feel less alone. Or they inherited someone's stuff who died and they feel guilty about throwing it away.

I always assumed it was based in poverty, but I guess it can also be caused by loss? Interesting.