Caboodle Ranch is a 30 acre non-profit cat sanctuary in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida.
The Ranch was unintentionally founded in 2003 when contractor Craig Grant agreed to take care of his son’s cat—he later found out she was pregnant with kittens.
Unable to bear giving up the kittens, Craig bought a new parcel of land, and cleared an outdoor space where the cats could roam, away from loose dogs and BB guns.
Craig purchased five more parcels of land, grew the sanctuary, and had 22 cats by Spring 2004.
Craig accepts wounded strays, cats who were formerly cage-bound, and cats that have been “kicked around by heartless people.”
In the middle of 100 acres of wildlife, the cats roam free through the nature trails, climb to tree forts, and hide in the underground dens Craig has built.
All the kittehs have been spayed or neutered, all shots are kept up to date and have regular visits to the vet.
Much more info on the story of Caboodle Ranch, photos, videos, planning a visit are here.
And as you can imagine, Caboodle Ranch is accepting donations.
O…M…G!! The little houses are unbelievable! Window boxes, little fences, and the lamp posts! This man is an artist with a ginormous heart.
I squeed at supersonic levels upon seeing that wee little kitten in the last pic!
What an awesome and adorable story. Definitely sending donations their way this holiday season
That is too cool!
Love eet! And the little guy at the end!! I want to smooch (gently) his little pink nose. I hope he has a mama close by so he’s not skeered. Big woods for a baby like that.
oh .. heh heh.. now I see Mom’s tail in the kitten picture. Whew.
The world is not all bad, there are still good people in there…
I read about that place a couple of months ago, it’s a wonderful story.
What’s funny is the guy didn’t even like cats!! He was not happy about having to take care of his son’s cat at the beginning.
It’s the kittens that got to him LOL!
And that’s the secret weapon!
Mr. Grant’s karma level just went to 11.
I want to move in.
Meg – Inspired hover texts.
ees theese paradise ? I can imagine lots of cat fights.
“Take that you bitch,
ouff.
I saw him first!
claw slash.
I’ll screw your nipples off.
Says who.
Says me.
You wanna make something of it, eh, eh,
Come on then, d’you want some, d’you want some.
Nah your not worth it”.
“Ladies, Ladies, remember, Marchioness of Queensbury rules,no punching bellow the handbag” (purse)
wow HG sounds as if THOSE female kittehs live on the rough side of town !!!!!
In the words of Abraham Lincoln, “Cats do fight a lot, but there always seem to be kittens.”
LOL I love it. Making up is fun to do.
That. is. awesome.
I can’t get to my checkbook fast enough. Thank you Mr. Grant!! Can you multiply yourself please!?!?
I agree that this place is great. However, I was disappointed at not getting an acknowledgment for my rather large donation last year..
Hi Kat. I do apologise for that. We are a small group of volunteers and our donations aren’t set up on a software program yet so its very hard to get out acknowledgements. Please accept our apologies and our most gracious thanks for your donation. It really does mean the world to the us and the cats. If you email me your address Craig would like to send you some Caboodle things? kastlekats@yahoo.com
Kat ~ it was wonderful of you to donate your “rather large donation”, but I’m kind of saddened that you need to receive a pat on the back… Donations are made from the heart and I believe that Craig, Nanette and the volunteers have their hands full, but are thrilled with the contributions from cat lovers like you. That should be enough…
……………I’m sorry. You really expect them to thank/give mention to every person who makes a “rather large donation”? That would take a lot of time and effort that could be better used on the cats. Wouldn’t you like your money to be used well? Then they should be taking care of the kitties, not sending out dozens/hundreds of emails/letters. Knowing that you’ve helped someone take care of animals who would be abused/neglected otherwise should be enough.
*gets down from soapbox*
while Kat’s comments were poorly made, it is STILL a legitimate point. Thank-you letters are pretty much the only thing the IRS accepts as evidence of a donation, so that you can deduct it for your taxes for that calendar year (as I am sure Nanette knows). And yes, I know we-should-all-do-it-for-the-cause, but you won’t get larger donors if this step is missed.
Again, Craig and I apologize for any acknowledgements not made by folks that donate. It is all of you kind hearted people that make the ranvh possible. Like I said above we are not on any software at this time that would make this process very easy, so we do everything by hand. And since most of us do not live in the State of Florida, and have other jobs and family, and we get the envelopes later than they came in, the process is a bit slow to say the least. Since there are no paid staff at the ranch, 100% of the donations go to the care of the cats, but that does make the administrative part a little challenging
Please bare with us, and we promise to do better in the future.
I am only a poor student and could afford to donate $10 to caboodle ranch. I hope that was enough to buy a bag of kitty food or two. Or Craig’s favourite donuts for the cats!
Heck, I was only able to donate 2 bucks at the moment (new baby) but as they say in the FAQ, it’s a nonprofit, and every dollar counts! your ten bucks will probably buy 1/5 of the food for a day… that’s not shabby!!!! I’m putting them on my favorites tab, and hopefully I’ll be able to give more soon!
Legitimate, well-organized non-profits acknowledge donations. As for being busy, a boiler plate form letter doesn’t require too much.
Really? Have you ever run one? Have you had hundreds of envelopes each week to answer to? I try not ot get defensive but some times it’s just too over the top. All I can say is we are doing our best and our supporters know we are very grateful for wvery dollar they send. I have apologized to Kat and I am sure she understands. Can we let this be now?
Yes, really. Non-profits due send acknowledgments. Especially if they want to continue the services they provide.
nanette, I am with you on this one, that was a bit mean of mommywuvoo- It’s important to remember that the most valuable commodity is TIME, and it take a whole lot of that to answer letters (even with a form-reply if there are a ton!) and that time is really better spent doing what’s *truly* important (helping the kitties that this whole thing is about!) … I understand why people feel like they deserve a thank you, but they (we) need to understand that a nonprofit is always understaffed, overworked, never paid… you doing what you do is all the thanks I care for!
I agree mommywoovoo even the smallest of donations need to be acknowledged. It’s a lot of work, but so worth it.
Thank you Esmeralda and the others as well! I haven’t heard from Kat since her post so I am assuming she is okay with our sincere apology. We really to try hard. And I am actively looking for a way to better submit out thank you’s in a timely manner because we never ever want anyone to think their donation doesn’t matter. I can’t stress enough how much a difference each and every dollar counts and makes a difference. Like the ten dollars above, and the 2 dollars! That is so special to us, for those who have so little or who have a little extra to spare, it means full tummys at the ranch and quality health care and shelter. You are all so very precious to us. A merry Christmas to you all.
Kat, you really needed to write down “my rather large donation,” do you?
Kat, you really needed to write down “my rather large donation,” do you?
Mr. Grant, you rock. I wish I could fly halfway ’round the world, visit your place, and help around.
And for you nuffers out there, I’m sure Mr. Grant knows what he’s doing, and has probably done everything to prevent the ranch from being a nuisance to other people or other haminals.
As a common politeness they could have still acknowledged her, I don’t think it’s asking too much… it has nothing to do with a ‘pat on the back’.
Awww…bless you Craig!
GOD BLESS YOU CRAIG!!!!
awwww, that is pure awesomeness!
I’m an architect, how did I not know until this moment that I could be… a Kitty Architect?? Love the little houses, and love even more how happy and healthy each one of those cats looks.
I’m an architect too… Studio Kitteh FTW?
hey silentk…. architect some for the Cats in the Valley at Rustic Hollow Shelter
could use a kitty architect. purrs, Burnie d.katt, spokespurrson
steppy has a new hero. God Bless you kind sir!!
Was totes relieved to see they do get spayed and neutered so that the population didn’t explode and exceed the Twilight Vampire count in the woods.
What a fantastic guy. It’s nice to know there are still good people out there. Warms my cold, frozen, jaded heart.*
*Note this is typically directed towards mean people and never animals. I wuv me my aminals… they make me squee just like @Lizzy
Ha! I thought the same thing. ‘I hope they’ve been fixed, or Kittyville is going to have a major population boom.’
Yeah… otherwise Kittyville will quickly become KittyNation….
Stephanie -Can I join the jaded club? i’ll bring a large dose of cyniscism and a bucket of jaded.
By the way, shouldn’t that be “The Whole *Kitten* Caboodle”? ;o)
Looks like TPTB heard you!
(*calls cab co to book trip to Ponte Vedra* )
(*buys bus ticket to Ponte Vedra* )
(*buys airplane ticket to Ponte Vedra*)
Hey, ya gotta have Plans B & C, ya know?
PS: is NTM rubbing off on The Great Meg?
“Glurpity-Durpity” indeed! YAY for “glurpity-durpity”!!!
This man is wonderful. I want to work at a kitteh ranch!
MUCH better working conditions than The Chicken Ranch, I would think.
Kitty heaven. It’s kitty heaven!!
But they are ALIVE… right?
jk
Someday when I’m working again I’ll send you money. Thank you for caring.
There’s a place in heaven for this guy and people like him.
I saw the first pic and went AAAAHHHHNNNNNNN!!!!!!!!! I don’t even know why–usually reserve that for puppehs.
So many kitties to feed !!!
The heavens give gooshy manna!
What I”m noticing is that EVERY LAST ONE
of them there kittehs’ tails is at PROUD, happeh HIGH MAST!!!!
ohmaigosh. That is amazing!!!!! So much mewing! I love it.
Awww!
But they shouldn’t eat canned food! Too much water in it, they might get liver-problems
Well, better shut the place down then. The guy’s not feeding them the right food. /END SARCASM.
Being an outdoor environment, it is essential that the cats have moist food to their diet. Especially in the summertime, they need that extra hydrstion for the intense hot days. We also put unflavored Pedialite in their water, a wonderful trick of the trade we learned from the local farmers…
Funny, according to my vet, wet food is better than dry. Mine get both.
wet food IS better than dry, except for maybe ProPlan which they love. Senior cats, all cats need ‘some’ canned food in their diet. Our vets are stern about that.
Stella, you could volunteer as a kitty cook, so they get the correct victuals.
Where did that information come from?? For cats, wet food is MUCH better than dry food, and usually, most cats don’t get enough water, so the wet food is another source of water intake and helps prevent kidney problems. This would be most useful for outdoor cats living in Florida. Besides, dry food is mostly full of carbohydrates, so it’s more fattening than wet food, which is mostly protein–and I feed my cat Wellness, which is even grain free, yet it’s still not good dry food. A good diet for a cat is both dry and wet (although primarily wet), and there isn’t a threat of liver disease from wet food.
Stephanie, we use some Wellness Core but we have cats that won’t even touch it. Pro Plan they love. good post.
It is cute and I’m sure the owner means well but I fear for the lives of birds, insects and all small creatures who’s natural habitat is threatened with the introduction of so many cats.
I agree with you Zatlite- I shudder to think of the environmental impact this operation is having. In Australia feral cats are decimating local ecosystems that cannot cope with a new apex predator. Keeping the cats well fed (as they obviously are) is not a fix either- cats just hasve hunting behaviours hard wired.
The difference is these aren’t feral cats–they’re not breeding or reproducing, and aren’t wild and nasty. Being from Florida and the experience I’ve had with the Game and Wildlife commission, I know they would let it be known if they felt it had a negative effect on the wildlife. Enough of the cats won’t go high enough to remove all nests and disturb birds that are small enough to nest high in the trees, as a good amount of the birds are cranes who sleep on the ground, and Craig is more North (the majority of the protected species are down South causing problems by nesting in powerlines).
agreed. when he says “cats need to roam free,” my first thought was “no, they don’t.”
can’t argue his good intentions, though.
I can’t believe there are nuffers about this!
It’s one of those cat communes where they grow their own nip and don’t wear any clothes. Harumph. Probably all smell like patchouli.
hahaha.. I love you for that, Mel. I really really do.
Mel, you made me LOL, again! Those were the days….
Mel.
or catchouli?
So grooovy man! D’ya think they have a drum circle?
I just sent some monies for the kitties! They surely need it. xxx Snowpea
donating right now. what a wonderful place!
*sigh* a Florida resort for cats? Simply awesome!
Check out the “WalMart” and “City Hall” buildings around the 2:22 mark!
Mad carpentry skills.
I’m not gonna lie, I cried a little.
Me a lot
1.25! He’s running for love! omg!
I’m rather surprised that all the cat still seems to cuddle up to him. With so many cats, i thought they’d go feral and be nervous round humans
LOVE the white kitteh at about 1:00 with the extra pair of eyeballs!
Let’s not forget another sanctuary (that boasts over 16000 animals!) The Cat House on the Kings, north of Los Angeles:
OMG, I want to move in and bake cat-size pies for the residents!
Hasn’t this been posted before? No? Because I’ve seen it… Must have been on ICHC. I appreciate that CO introduces us to great charities like Rescue Ink and Cat House on the Kings, etc. Yay for pet charities!
i still have hope for the human race
AWW
What a nice man that Craig Grant is 
If I can win the lottery, I would set up a HUGE grant for Mr. Grant to keep Caboodle Ranch running for years 
Love the 1:25 mark when all the kittehs are walking to greet Craig. What a great guy!!
Yes that was my favorite part too, and they way he calls them all “my babies”!!!
What a kind hearted man. I am at a loss for words to describe my sentiment.
Yes, it’s all very sweet, unless you happen to be a hapless songbird in the area. Domestic cats kill millions, possibly hundreds of millions of birds every year. Sorry to be the wet blanket, but I’m a birder. I’m also a cat lover, and I’m owned by a wonderful 14 year old Maine Coon.
Cats have caused the extinction of whole species of birds and are implicated in the extinction of some mammals as well. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feral_cat This cat ranch is cute and all, but a colossal waste of money, if you ask me. I would rather take my neighbor’s cats to get spayed than send a donation to prop up the lives of otherwise valueless cats. I’m guessing that if the cats were removed, even the vegitation would be adversely affected for years because of the vast amount of cat pee. I’ve read that they have a tough time *keeping* volunteers. Think the stench might have something to do with it?
Valueless cats? Yikes! I think you might be on the wrong website!
[visualizing a cat-L-drive]
Egad, it’d be like… like… well, you know.
Theo: I’ve tried my darndest to find a link to one of my favorite cartoons: a cat herder’s dream. It makes me think of CO every time I look at it posted in my cubicle. Sigh.
Wasn’t there a Super Bowl commercial a few years back that featured a “Cat-L Drive?” Maybe one of you technical-type peeps could find that for us??? Thanks!
Hmmm, did that not work right?
Aha! Got it that time!
I thought y’all meant something like a driveway/road to drive on, and was like, “Cat-L drive? What’s that? An L-shaped road leading up to the house?” Heh, my brain musta been turned off.
Omg!!! This made me weepy! Craig you are a great guy. Sending some kitty money your way very soon
dude, the the story is awesome enough, the mustache clinches the deal in making me want to donate to this place.
I’ve found my happy place.
God bless this man!!! My money now has a new home.
Like!
Is that the Stray Cat Strut on photo number 6?
Also, feeling very deprived right now with only four feline friends…
JerilynS – I suspect the ‘Stray cat Strut’ is their national anthem.
Actually I was thinking of the strut from Saturday Night Fever!! All he needs is a can of paint… “Now you can tell by the way I walk, I’m a lady’s man, no time to talk”…
LOL, my ringtone for Craig is Stray Cat Strut, haven’t changed it for 4 years, LOL
This guy is a menace. It may be cute to have tons of cats living on a ranch, but out in the woods these cats are wreaking havoc on the local ecology. Give cats good homes without disrupting woodland habitat. That is not cute.
a “menace?” really??
Unfortunately, it’s true. No matter how I love this, ask any ornithologist. in areas with lot’s of cats, there’s very few songbirds.
I’ve read articles on this (unfortunately in Swedish), about how it’s in some areas is a real concern.
I remember those studies, particularly in England. They had owners collect the various “kills” and send them in for the studies.
They more or less concluded that domestic cats had become natural predators or had already been absorbed into the local “circle of life.”
i know it’s true, but where should those kittehs go? the songbirds will eventually vacate the area, right? i’m assuming they can’t roam too far. the woman with the sanctuary in california has a fence around the entire place. wouldn’t that help?
1) Cats kill more than just birds. Small reptiles and amphibians are also at risk and are generally more vulnerable. Check out the lists of threatened and endangered species.
2) Potential cat victims vacating the area is part of the problem. Just like the cats, they don’t have another home to go to.
If you do more research, you would know that the very reason these cats are at the ranch is because there are not enough homes. We urge people to adopt from shelters, animal control etc because those cats are on death row every day and are desperate to have a forever home. The ranch is in the middle of hundreds of acres of dense woods. They are not wreaking havok on anything. Craig takes in cats that have been abandoned, or their families lost their homes, their jobs or their lives. He takes in cats from over crowded humane societies so that the cats are not put to death. Open your heart and your mind a little more.
……….WHY CAN’T YOU PEOPLE LISTEN TO THE LADY WHO ACTUALLY WORKS AT THE PLACE??????
Sorry. The end.
Well said.
Lauren, thank you, another voice of reason. If you cat lovers want to make a real impact, offer to pay the cost of spaying or neutering your neighbor’s pets.
Are those places clean?
I’m with Heather. GOD BLESS YOU CRAIG GRANT!
Omg! I live in Ponte Vedra Beach, how did I never hear about this??? I wonder if he needs any on-site help?? I’d love to work with all those adorable kittehs and kitteh structures! So cute! What a nice thing for someone to devote their time, money, and effort to. Thumbs up sir!
adorable idea…. just adorable! love it! (:
Love this! I’ve been wanting to open a no-kill rescue but don’t know how to get started. Would LOVE to do something like this.
Also check out Best Friends in Utah, they have a program where you can come out there and they teach you how to get started!
Great stuff. http://www.bestfriends.org/
I thought I posted this, I guess it didn’t go through!
Check out Best Friends in Utah, they have training programs on how to get started with your own shelter! Great stuff http://www.bestfriends.org/
Argh…not sure why this isn’t posting (or, sorry this posted a billion times)
Check out Best Friends in Utah they do a program to help folks get started making their own shelters
http://www.bestfriends.org/
For some reason this hasn’t been posting. Check out Best Friends in Utah, they have a program where you can come out and learn more about how to set up your own shelter. Plus – ponies!!11!
http://www.bestfriends.org
It’s called moderation. Wait a while. It will go through.
Michelle what state are you in?
It’s a very kind and adorable idea — but domestic cats kept outside are responsible for killing millions of songbirds and small mammals in the US every year, including endangered species. Because they aren’t indigenous to North America, they really don’t fit into the ecosystem. http://www.abcbirds.org/abcprograms/policy/cats/index.html
Well I can tell you where all those songbirds are! They’re in the trees where I work!!! How do I know this? Let me show you the…um… “after affects” whenever I happen to park there!! LOL I’m telling you…Those birds have all moved north to these trees!!
Yet there’s never any shortage of songbirds. C’mon… what suicidal songbird would go anywhere near that place? Or mouse or mole or other small critter? They aren’t stupid, they won’t go near the cats.
I always joke that my apartment should be a mousie hazing ritual. My neighbors all say they have mice but I haven’t seen one whisker (or dropping) of mouse in my place. I can thank my two kitties for that.
It’s always wonderful on the rare occasions when you hear of someone being kind, generous and unselfish, especially for creatures who would otherwise have no home or kindness. This guy deserves a special spot in heaven for that.
What an awesome man and God bless him for his kindness. People like him remind me that this world isn’t so bad after all.
On this thanksgiving weekend I am thankful there are people like Craig out there
Aaaaaaaargh I shouldn’t (financially speaking) but I had to help this guy out. What a great person, what a love-filled place he’s made for those cats. It’ll be handmade gifts this year, but we’ve got enough and these kitties need all the support they can get.
And what’s wrong with handmade gifts? :3
Kittie caps, mufflers, booties. Knit, knit knit on!
This guy ROCKS! I want to visit! Will be donating asap.. =D
This is… the greatest thing I’ve ever seen. I must plan a visit.
My life just got x659865 better.
Kittys!
When I win the lottery one day, there WILL BE a cat sanctuary like this in NC. People get ready! Handsome ranch hands, please take note–I will need your assistance!
Amazing, this is like cat heaven!!! It’s the kingdom of cats, like in the movie the cat returns!
Bless this man for his efforts, he knows how to spend his money!
The Ranch is NOT in Ponte Vedea Beach. It is located in Lee, Florida, about 100 miles west of Jacksonville off I-10.
My world is a better place than it was five minutes ago.
Craig is a “Man of Cute Overload”. There can be no higher accolade.
Oh damn, now I’m tearing up and it’s not even 7:30 yet. This is the perfect happy start to a monday.
I watched the vidoes and all I can say is, there needs to be more neutering and spading so there would not be so many cats! both taps showed that they where over run by cats and they both wanted money to help feed all the cats and what they really need is to stop having so many babys I know kittens are cute but they grow up and have more kittens and more kittens and more kittens it has to stop some where so the problem isn’t money to feed them it is money to neuter them all
If you actually READ anything, he DOES have the constant drop-offs spayed & neutered. He isn’t letting them breed, he merely doesn’t say ‘no’ to anyone bringing by another unwanted feline. There are so many because he’s running a HUGE no-kill shelter here!
Any cat that comes to the ranch by appoiontment has to have their cats fully vetted, including spay/neuter and all vaccines. Craig does rescue mama cats and the babies are born at the ranch. They are given colored collars to ‘tag’ them for their vet visits. We are huge advocates of spaying and neutering, but there are still thousands of cats that are left homeless. We are just trying to give them a second chance. Check out the FAQ’s page on the website.
Nanette. hanks for the patient answers to peoples concerns (both the valid and not so valid!). You guys are doing a great job! Hope this site helps to flood in some needed funds for your kitteh ranch,
Thanks Jenn. The ranch has a very new concept and we understand it brings alot of questions. But having worked there for 4 years now, I love sharing with others the wonder of the place. The happy healthy cats that would have been put to sleep otherwise. Its natural for a cat to want to be outdoors but we still have to make it safe for them, hence the 7.5 foot fencing and optimal health care. Cats don’t have to be in cages to be safe and that is no way for them to live. The caboodles are free, safe and happy and have that second chance of life
it IS a new way of doing things, but I have to say, from what I can see, it’s a huge improvement over anything that’s come before it. “whole cat care” comes to mind- like whole body care, but for kitties. I used to work for a vet who wisely told me:
“There’s a big difference between ‘thriving’ and ‘surviving’”… these cats are without a doubt thriving! Mad kudos are due to you and your peeps. Forgive the ignorant/ ninformed comments I keep seeing, you are indeed (as stated above) very patient- I hope more people see the elegance of this solution.
Wow, that is so very gracious of you Esmeralda, thank you. I used to be known to “professionally blast people”, but have come to realize that that isn’t the way to get my point accross
I am very passionate about the ranch and would literally defend Craig and the cats with my life. I know thast sounds dramatic, but it’s how I feel. I love what you said about ‘thriving’, it is so true! The cats there want for nothing, and are so happy and loved. You can see it in them and you can feel it at the ranch. We love that so many people have wrote in to us wanting advise on how to start their own little sanctuary on their 2 acres of land or more. We are all making a difference , one cat (or animal) at a time.
LOL… so does that mean there are those who come without an appointment?
You’ll have to forgive some of the comments & questions that have been posted. We get that a lot here. They just refuse to READ the previous comments before blaring away. You’re doing a great work.
Yes, some folks do come without an appointment. Craig does his best to accommodate them, but he is SO busy doing so many priority things for the cats the first several hours of the day, before he can stop for a bit and show folks around. The cats come first and he will ask someone to wait if he has medications to give. We urge folks to please email us for an appointment so that Craig can give them his full attention and let them enjoy the caboodles and the grounds
I want to go to there.
This could be the greatest thing ever.
I saw a story on this a few months back. I went to Amazon and found some cat food they can use, and I send some every month (since I get free shipping). It isn’t a lot, it costs about $10/month, but I’d like to think that every little bit helps. If I ever get to their neck of the woods, you can bet I’ll be visiting!
Can you share the food and/or link, Belinda? I’d love to do this too! Thanks for sharing!!
This is the Amazon link to the food I send:
Friskies Prime Filets Meaty Selections 24-Count Variety Pack, Poultry & Beef, 8.25-Pound Box
This specific food used to be requested on the Caboodle website; now I see they just have “Friskies moist food” listed, so I’m sure any kind will be great. I go through Amazon because they have a ‘subscribe and save’ program. You can sign up for regular shipments of the cat food, and get a 15% discount. That makes the cost of this specific food $11.05. Plus, there’s no tax! I have an Amazon Prime membership, so 2-day shipping is always free for me, and Amazon will deliver it directly to Caboodle Ranch. All in all, I figure it’s a no-pain way for me to help out on a regular basis.
Thanks for asking – it makes me happy to see so many generous people!
You rock!
Glad you’re giving these guys some good press! How wonderful!
And for those ranting about cats killing the animals around the place: remember they are fenced in to protect the cats from foxes and coyotes, and I would wager to protect the wildlife from the cats.
My husband and I had the chance to make donations and visit Craig and the kitties in May. Craig is so caring! If he’s not eating or sleeping you can bet he’s taking care of the cats and the ranch. And that’s just how it went when we were there. After our visit, we went to lunch with Craig. He ate a big meal and was eager to get back to the cats as soon as possible!
The Caboodle Ranch does rely on donations, so if you can donate please do so! No donation is too small! And if you can help, Craig is always looking for volunteers.
I plan on making a donation in the names of two friends of mine who also rescue Kittehs… I’m going to make a certificate to give them for the holidays, saying how much was donated and why, in their names… I’m so excited, they’ll just love it!!!
Kudos to Craig. However, reading that story about what his neighbors allegedly did the original kittens is pretty anger-inducing. Anyways, just made a modest donation. Wish there were more places like this.
OHMYGOD.
I want to go there NOOOWWW! (*read in Veruca Salt voice*)
Stupid Florida, so far away.
Do they adopt out incoming litters? I understand sanctuary rules for older kitties, but those babies are just so adorable!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wow. This is just amazing. I’m going to have to send some money.
People worried about songbirds around this place are not really paying attention when they watch birds in the wild. I am pretty sure the birds would notice a large group of cats like this, and would stay away. Besides, I don’t think the owner is putting out bird feeders/seed.
If you’re really worried, make a donation to Cornell OL.
Stella: newest research is that kittens and cats eat wet food only. High quality wet food. They don’t need carbs.
Kat: REALLY? you need a thank you for your donation? Isn’t it enough to know that you’ve done something?
And re songbirds: I’m going to bet that there are fences around this place or he wouldn’t be able to be a registered sanctuary. Songbirds are not going to be that adversely affected because they do learn to stay away from areas like this. Free roaming and outdoor cats are the ones responsible for songbird depletion. Keep your cats indoors, and quitcher nuffing!
I had the honor of visiting Caboodle Ranch this summer. The place is just as awesome and amazing as it appears.
All those cats, living where they don’t have to fight for food, where they have human companionship, where they get vet care when they need it, where they are loved – it is the most remarkable place I’ve ever been.
Craig, you’re an extraordinary man.
Dan you are awesome, Hope you can come back soon!!
The Nobel Peace Prize would not be inappropriate.
YES! Where can we send Craig’s name in? *readies the petition*
Seconded and witnessed!!
I have been feeding 25 or 30 homeless cats in the city for many years.
(I’ve placed lots of them and had many fixed. But there are always more.)
I talk to them when they get close and tell them that someday,when we’re
rich,we are all going to move to West Virginia and get away from the inner-city.
Now I’m gonna say Florida. What a beautiful place! What a beautiful man!
Thank you, Craig Grant. XXXX
A few points:
Craig’s cats are “last chance kitties,” those whose next stop would have been certain death or homelessness had he not take them in. They are not available for adoption to the public because this is their forever home. He would like for you to adopt other pets to keep them out of shelters.
Watch all of Craig’s video’s on the Caboodle Ranch website or on Youtube. The cats have plenty to eat, lots of affection, and they don’t fight with each other.
The special needs cats receive medications, need-specific diets, and are given supportive care so long as they still have a good quality of life.
Even the outdoor cats have litter boxes and they use them. The santuary is protected from preditors, and the cats from predating. The cats are not a threat to wildlife.
The cats get all the routine health screenings and treatments that are vet recommended. All vaccinations and parasite treatments are up-to-date.
All the cats have shelter and protection.
The have love. Watch how they follow Craig, even when it’s not feeding time.
Thank you, very well said!!
hehehe mini shopping carts here… http://www.thinkgeek.com/homeoffice/be9b/
– i *thought* i recognized them from SOMEwhere!! 
There are simply not enough gold stars in exsitance for places like this and the people who run them! But here’s a few… ******************************
exsistance
Um… existance, perhaps
Wow, I can’t believe a place like this exists! The cuteness, the cats, the love. I sent the story on to all the cat-lovers I know. I’m inspired by Craig and will be donating soon. I’d love to visit someday! Meanwhile – thanks, Craig, Nanette and all the people who take care of the kitties! >^..^<
what a wonderful cause! I want to donate! great
Love it sooo much. Thank you Craig for all that you do. My 12 year old son was fascinated and said now he knows what he wants to do when he grows up!!
The thing I like the most is the happy tails on all the cats. They really do look happy.
Can I rent a small cabin there to live with the cats?
Aw, man, I get all weepy-eyed watching these videos.
What an amazing man. What an amazing thing to do – my heart goes out to him. Every cat is a splendid creature, and it breaks my heart every time I hear about one being abandoned or hurt. My own kitty was handed over to a sanctuary when he was super-tiny for some reason I’ll never know and he turned my life around, and I turned his around as he was sick and would otherwise have been put down. I can only imagine the force of warmth and affection from this mass of kitties that all likely know who they have to thank for still being alive, and being so happy.
*sniff* So beautiful.
For the people who can’t help but complain – shame on you. Applaud goodness, don’t go around nitpicking to find something to whine about just because you have never helped so many lives, yourself. This isn’t someone just buying cat after cat like a classic crazy-cat-lady, it’s someone taking care of lives that other people couldn’t be bothered with, that were hurt, abandoned or mistreated.
If I lived in the US, I’d go visit the ranch in a heartbeat, would likely make me bawl like a little girl. Alas, I’m in Sweden so that’s not really an option but I can applaud from far off.
Ive read about this before and it amazes me!, the videos make me tear, but this man is AWESOME, I too vote for the Nobel Peace Prize!
So awesome and heartwarming. I showed this to my coworker, and both she and I are going to donate as well.
Oh my God, this is heartwarming! It made me happy. I wish I could do something as great as that for stray animals and animals who have been abused.
Plus, they are so cuuute!
I visited this place in October to drop off my cats. We learned my newborn son was allergic, and had to get rid of them. The Ranch saved my ktities and allowed them to all stay together, something I could not have done myself by just rehoming them. They had lived together more than eight years, and now they can live the rest of their lives together.
Can I live there?
What a nice sanctuary…
Hmm. Cats in the middle of 100 wild acres. Along with wilderness come wild animals. How many of the cats have been taken down by bigger, wild animals? Seems like the cats would be very vulnerable.
30 *fenced* acres. No problem with depredation by wildlife.
The first 7 acres of the ranch is fully enclosed with 7.5 foot fencing. The bottom of the fence is secured so that no one tried to dig out or in. The cats are not interested in getting out, they have everything they could ever want. The other wild life has figured out its way too much effort to try and ‘get in’. Our Caboodles are safe and Craig guards them with his life. He is often up at 3am walking the property to chek on his herd and enjoy a moonlit walk with his babies. Just one of the many things he does ever day.
o my goo’ness the globe does indeed have a few humans with wonderful values. We celebrate you, Craig & staff of Caboodles!!!
This is a wonderful human being.
What a wonderful wonderful man. I am so sick of seeing ads in the paper or seeing stories on rescue websites where it says, “owner moving, couldn’t take along”. WAY too much of that going on out there…and this man is just the opposite. HE moved when the condo wasn’t working out for the cats.
Bless you, cat man!
I rescued some feral kittens a year or so ago; one of them became a darling little love-bunny, but despite MONTHS of effort the other never got very comfortable with close human contact. I couldn’t bear to separate them and I tried everything I could think of….eventually I took them to Craig at Caboodle Ranch. It was an amazing place and he is an incredible man.
To any who wish to criticize this place, I say you’d best hold your tongue until YOU are doing the same thing and making a better job of it. I seriously doubt it could be done. Having personally worked in a traditional “no-kill” animal shelter, I can say without reservation that this is better for the cats. No, it’s not perfect, because nothing is perfect. But Craig and his staff do a STELLAR job and I am thankful to them and for them every day!