I hope Beth doesn't suffer the same fate as this woman: http://www.insidebayarea.com/news/c...teer-cat-rescuers-faces-felony-animal-cruelty
She wasn't charged with cat hoarding, it was animal cruelty. She would still be charged even if she was only mistreating 1 cat. The conditions in that house were atrocious, according to the article. Dead cats in the freezer, dried feces 3 inches tall along the floorboards, urine running down the cages, etc. Disgusting.
most cities/towns have a limit on how many can be owned. Here's a total of 6 - cats or dogs or combo of.
That's still a decent amount. And that still is enough to cause a huge stink in the house unless you spend an hour or two a day cleaning up, doing a mop, etc.
Its only hoarding if you're not a celebrity/rich. When you're a celebrity, you're considered a hero to the animal community.