ORIGINALLY POSTED ON THIS DAY IN 2011!
UPDDATE: IN 2012 ALL THE CATS WERE SEIZED. Subsequently, the owner pleaded no-contest to animal cruelty. The prosecution said he absconded with the money donated and the cats went unfed and their health was at risk. All were seized and re-homed by the ASPCA.
OK, so cats are not horses.
The only horsey thing about this post is the word ‘ranch’.
However, I thought these photos and this man were very compelling.
I mean, who does this?! And, who does it with such FLAIR?
I have to say that I am totally impressed with his design and construction… my house should be so cute!
THANK YOU, KIND READER
One of you sent this article to me and I pored over it as if it was the document describing the precise formula for Wonka Bars. I swear, I found this utterly fascinating!
I looked at every house and all the detail. I looked at all the different felines. I computed ages and sexes and groups… I wondered which cats liked which homes. Do they pick a home based on design? Did some of them like the church and others the cabin? I mean, who puts a miniature rake and shovel on a cat’s house for decoration? I guess I can see planting flowers in front of a cat abode, but I have never cut curtains for my cats…
And, what was it like to go on a walk with them all? Did most of them get bored or distracted along the way? Did some follow him everywhere? Did he get ambushed from tree dwelling tenants?
Does this guy have any human friends? Does he need any?
Anyway, I thought I would post these pics on this Wednesday (humpday) to help you all get past the dulldrums of the mid-week slump.
Enjoy!
ORIGINAL ARTICLE (the photo subtitles are mine…)
Man Built a Sanctuary for Homeless Cats
by Amy B. on May 14th, 2010
OK, seems totally every day normal
Craig Grant bought a tree farm far away from the city and turned it into a sanctuary for all the cats he has rescued. He lives there with the cats and provides lots of love, care and companionship. It’s hard to imagine that once he was not a cat lover and did not want cats until he met his son’s cat Pepper. He also got to experience what it is like raising a litter of kittens.
Wait a minute!…
“Over that time I learned that every cat had its own unique personality and it wasn’t long before the kittens were swinging from my curtains. I didn’t care. Something had changed… I didn’t want to give them up.” The condo life was not easy for the kitties, so Craig found a tree farm and settled down there for his fur babies.
Notice the specially made sign, the mailbox and the functioning window…
Over the next several months, he rescued more and more homeless and abandoned cats. The number of new residents kept going up, so Craig expanded the sanctuary to make more room for the animals.
OMG! It is like a Putty Tat Playground! A Whisker Wonderland!
The farm was named Caboodle Ranch and is now a permanent home for all the homeless, rescued cats. Each of them has a sad story of their past, but now they are living in heaven.“
Working on the church window with his assistants
Cats should be able to roam free, and at Caboodle Ranch, that’s what they do.” Craig has built many beautiful cat houses and decorated the place with vibrant colors and tons of liveliness.
Hmmmm, where will I sleep tonight?…
All the cats are spayed and neutered. Don’t forget to visit Caboodle Ranch (non profit rescue center) at their website and check them out on Facebook.
This is the house with the mini rake.
Cute!
Kinda scary if you are a mouse delivering something to this residence…
City Hall is very popular. They should have called it Kity Hall.
This cat looks like he is starring in a puppet show.
This one looks a bit unhappy with her digs. However, I like the cushy bumper for her porch.
Yup. He has a few cats…
The carpenter and his cats. (I wonder who drives the mini-jeep?)
I think I might be able to figure out how to create this one…
Look at the detail!
Awwwww.
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HALFWAY THERE! Our September Bucket Fund is “Brother” . You can read his story by clicking the image!
This individual, PETA’s creature, is always showing up on comment boards about Caboodle Ranch to slander its founder. It is pure slander – and actionable. The courts have found that Mr. Grant did no wrong, even though PETA and ASPCA crucified him and the cats. Just look at those ASPCA ‘raid’ videos, and you will see perfectly healthy and (previously) happy cats being forced into carriers and away from their happy life. Others report that during their ‘raid,’ASPCA hunted down the terrorized cats with ATVS and ropes, injuring many in the process. Why didn’t ASPCA simply help with any cats that were ill? PETA is known to kill 95% of its own ‘shelter’ animals and is known to fabricate ‘evidence’ and misrepresent a situation to fit its own agenda. We can see from hundreds of photos and visits to the ranch that almost all of the Caboodle Ranch cats were healthy and happy. This witch hunt against Craig Grant and his wonderful Caboodle cat sanctuary is an appalling injustice.
You folks obviously didn’t see the evidence from the raid and felony animal cruelty charges.
Cats with eye infections were were left untreated until their eyes burst. Dead cats were found rotting in the furniture. Of the 653 cats rescued from that hellhole, nearly every single cat had severe health problems from their neglect: they were infected with fleas, ringworm, hookworm, roundworm, giardia, FIV, FeLV, coronavirus, calicivirus, and worse.
The owner squandered donations on clothing, trips to the Daytona Speedway and Las Vegas, and thousands (yes, *thousands*) of dollars on local hotel rooms for God knows what.
At the same time, cats were dying in agony because he refused to take them to the vet for treatment. Instead, he scrubbed their eyes with Clorox bleach wipes, and wandered around squirting antibiotics randomly to any cat that he thought might need it. And when he was done, he’d put the dropper back, uncleaned, into the same bottle.
Even his “favorite” cat suffered, and was nearly dead when rescued from the ranch.
This is why Caboodle Ranch was shut down. It’s why the owner signed a plea bargain admitting guilt on all charges. It’s why their nonprofit status was forcibly dissolved.
You don’t have to take my word for it. The photos from the trial were entered into evidence without objection from Caboodle Ranch’s attorney. They’re available at http://www.caboodleranch.net, along mountains of additional evidence from the various hearings, inspections, and eyewitnesses.
Everyone loves the idea of cats playing among whimsical gingerbread houses, but that’s the scam they used to bring in donations. The reality was hideous, and the cats suffered horribly at the hands of this hoarder.
Please don’t glorify this lunatic. He is a menace to animals, and he deserves to be in prison for what he did to those poor cats.
YES. I just learned of this… horrible to do that to this man… but I read on his new site that he is starting over in Georgia. http://caboodleranch.livejournal.com
Too. Bad PETA and the ASPCA had to go and destroy this. Makes for depressing reading.
Thank you SO much for posting our photos and info on your site (which by the way i LOVE your site!). What a wonderful surprise for us! We had many people sign our website guestbook that told us they learned about us from you. Very cool. Craig and the caboodles welcome anyone to come visit the ranch which is open to visitors on Saturdays starting at 2pm. We love to show you the ranch grounds and meet all the caboodles. There are more new gingerbread houses being built for the kitties now, and even their own Lowe’s and Starbucks! They got their Walmart a couple years ago too! LOL I have worked with Craig for 5 years now and its an amazing kitty wonderland, so glad you enjoyed it too! We take in all kitties, domestic, abandoned, stray, feral, FIV and Feline Leukemia cats too. Many blessings and purrs…and whinnies to you,
Nanette
If anyone likes the Colbert Report, he did a hilarious segment that featured Caboodle Ranch :) He called it “The Enemy Within” and it is crazy funny. Enjoy!
http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/369694/january-03-2011/the-enemy-within—caboodle-ranch