My human was out of town from Thursday until Monday. I did not find out what she was up to until she came back smelling like hundreds of cats! She went to Jacksonville, FL to check out the adoption event the ASPCA was having for hundreds of kitties who were rescued from Caboodle Ranch in late February. Ever since February, they have been staying at the old Jacksonville animal shelter, which ASPCA volunteers fixed up especially for them.
The cats were at the shelter for so long because they were part of the evidence for the upcoming cruelty case of the owner of Caboodle Ranch, and also because the custody of the cats had to be decided. Many of the nearly 700 cats could have found homes sooner because once the evidence was recorded, most of them could leave, but Caboodle Ranch fought for custody for months. Eventually the judge, after hearing testimony from both sides, decided that Caboodle Ranch was not able to care for them, and awarded the cats to the sheriff of the county where the Ranch was located. The sheriff, as is usual in these large rescue cases, handed the custody over to the organization caring for the cats, which in this case was the ASPCA.
Why didn’t the judge think that Caboodle Ranch could care for these kitties? I won’t go into a lot of details here because it is a very sad story, but when the cats were taken away, evidence showed about 95% of them had some sort of illness and hardly any of them were getting treatment. Anyone who does rescue knows that something as simple as a URI, left untreated, develops into something awful and life-threatening. Cats lost eyes and developed chronic problems because they were not taken care of. The percentage of FIV+ and FeLV cats was much higher than you would normally find among this many sanctuary cats — and many of them developed these terrible diseases while they were at the ranch. Most of the cats were once house cats and were not used to living the way they did at Caboodle Ranch. They starved because other more dominant cats would not let them eat enough, and they were starved for affection too because there was only one person and a handful of part time volunteers watching over them. There were a lot of other things wrong with the way the ranch was being run too, and it was just not something that could be fixed, so the cats needed to find real forever homes.
There is a lot more to this story, but I bet you would rather meet some of the cats! Most of them were up for adoption this past weekend, some at the temporary shelter in Jacksonville, and others at events held by Cat Depot in Sarasota, FL and the Humane Society of Pinellas. My human just had time to visit Jacksonville, and she had a hard time taking photos of some of these kitties because they were so friendly, they kept getting too close to the camera. This black kitty below was one of those:
The shelter was huge and made up of six different wings, or wards. Most wards had a long row of runs that were half indoor and half-outdoor, and the cats had lots of room to move around.
This sweet-faced orange cat loved that mousie toy and was carrying it around in her mouth.
Each of the runs had a basket with a toy and treats so people could interact with the cats.
Except for Ward A, with the barn cats, or ferals, that is — the chain link in front of each of their runs had a big palm frond to offer them some privacy. They were up for adoption too, for people who had farms or land where they could be happy. My human managed to get her camera lens around the frond to photograph these handsome orange guys.
There were three smaller wards that were really just rooms with large cages — they housed the special needs kitties: cats with FeLV, FIV, or other chronic conditions that would require extra care. Many of these kitties acquired their illnesses while they were at Caboodle Ranch, and would carry the scars of their time there for a lifetime.
As you can see from his medical chart, this guy is FeLV positive. He kept reaching through the cage bars in an attempt to touch my human and her camera. He was fun!
My human fell in love with this special needs girl because she reminded my human of the cat before me. She was very sad that because of her issues — not to mention being in Florida — she could not take her home.
There was one especially nice volunteer standing in front of a Ward and she looked at my human and said, “You haven’t photographed any of my cats.” So of course my human had to go inside — it was the ringworm ward, so she had to wear booties. When the cats were first rescued from Caboodle Ranch, a whole large ward of runs was full of cats with ringworm. Now there were only a few left in the small room. Most of the cats had some sort of medical issue, which is why it was taking so long for the ringworm to be cured. Like the special needs guy below.
My human could tell that the nice volunteer really loved him and wanted him to get a home. In fact, this fluffy guy had a couple of girl cats he was friends with and she really hoped that maybe they could all find a home together.
Although the adoption fees were waived for these cats, the ASPCA spent a lot of time with the humans who wanted them. All humans were interviewed and counseled before going in to find out a) if their home was really right for a new kitty, and b) what kind of cat would fit best in their home. There were also volunteers in each run who talked to the potential adoptees about the different cats’ personalities, and who got to know the humans a little better too. When a kitty finally got chosen, the human would finish up the paperwork and volunteers would give them more information, coupons, an adoption package and a name tag for their new kitty. My human noticed that a lot of families came to adopt.
About 300 Caboodle kitties found homes that weekend. The ASPCA will find homes for all of them. I will keep you posted!
We are glad that 300 kitties got their forever homes and hope the rest will too.
THREE HUNDRED! Sparkle that makes us have leaky eyes. It is wonderful that people rescued these sweet furry babies. I am glad your Human was a part of it. That makes us leaky too. XOXOXO
Thanks for sharing this story with us. We hope the rest of the kitties find homes really soon.
Sparkle,
Your human rocks! Thanks yous for telling us about the ASPCAs work and about the Cats.
We wishes we was closer.
Kisses
Nellie
we’re so very happy for the 300 caboodle cats being adopted and wish that the rest will find their new home soon
Smelling of 100s? Oh gasp, thats too many to sort out and we KNOW TBT wont haves 100s move in here.
So it has to be some other reason. A faire, a colony save, something.
SRSLY, yer Bein was doin good stuff.
Wow, our mum just came home smelling of one kittie. Even so, she was unfaithful to us.
you are INCREDIBLE!!!
this post touched me more than you could possibly know. How selfless of you to go and help out and check out the kitties with your own eyes.
I am thrilled to hear that 300 kitties have been adopted…….many of us shared all over the net and I would love to think that that had something to do with it as well.
You are incredible!
(((((hugs))))))
The Caboodle Ranch story is a sad one…but we hope that it will have a happy ending…at least for all these kitties at the shelter, that they all find their purrfect furever homes! Your human was lucky that she got to visit with them, Sparkle. Thanks for sharing them with us!
I am so glad that these kitties finally have the happy ending they deserve!
FaRAdaY: *dirty look* Ooookayyyy….you made our human drip all over me again… *wrings out tail*
Maxwell: DOOD. You’re not special needs like me. You don’t unnerstand how *important* it is to find people who care & are willing to give these kittehs a home. That’s pretty awesome indeed that over 300 found forever homes last weekend!
Great story and happily FB shared, pinned.
Under the circumstances, we forgive your human, Sparkle 🙂 thanks for sharing this post. concats to those kitties that were adopted! that is such a heart breaking situation. we’re glad all of the kitties are in safe hands now, on the road to recovery, and we are purring for the rest to have furrever homes soon!
Pip, Smidgen, Minnie, Hollie
We are purring and purraying for all the kitties from Caboodle Ranch still awaiting a forever home.
purrs
>^,,^<
✿•*¨`*•. ♥Abby♥Boo♥Ping♥Jinx♥Grace♥✿•*¨`*•.
WOW !
What a GREAT job the volunters at the ASPCA are doing for all the cats !
Great that so many found new forever homes this weekend 🙂
Sparkle, it’s so wonderful your human went to help these kitties and we’re glad so many found homes! It’s a very sad story but we’re purring for a happy ending for everybuddy.
That is some undertaking! I’d heard of the Caboodle story, even over the pond. So very sad, but looks like a lot of hard work has led to a positive outcome for many of those kitties!!
I love, love, love those who are caring for those sweet ones…and your Mom for visiting them!
I don’t know this story but it must be a horrible one ! When it comes to administration or law things, you can die before one take care of you, and for cats … ! Apparently it’s everywhere the same. I am glad that 300 cats found a new home, that sounds like quiet a big success !
Lady Sparkle, it is wonderful your human went thru time zones for kitties. My human Tommy fell in love with the orange kitty carrying his prey! I pray all the kitties get furr-ever homes! 🙂 And Sparkle, so cool your human was in our burg for a few minutes at DFW-we live just 10 minutes or two from there!
The publicist is crying at this post. It is so sad that these kitties were so lonely. She wishes she could have one
I cannot imagine how hard it is for the volunteers to have to deal with things like that–knowing that this uninformed attempt at doing something good ended so tragically. Your human is very brave to go there. Mine couldn’t.
We are so happy a lot of kitties found new homes! We think we’d give your mommy a break for smelling like hundreds of kitties 🙂
It is sad that such a good place got out of control. But how wonderful that so many cats found homes – and that the special needs one hav been given a chance as well (they don’t always). Glad your human got to see them….
Such a sad story with a happy ending for many of the kitties. They all look so sweet.
This is amazing, Sparkle. My girl is all leaky eyed reading your post today… God bless those loving volunteers and beautiful kitties.
We are so impressed with how the ASPCA has set up shelter for these kitties and how they are taking great care in the adoption process.
It all helps to lessen the sting of so much sadness. A little.
xo,
Katie
This is so brilliant and hopefully a happy ending will be there for all the cats. And we know it is complicated when humans want to help and rescue us, and then our homes get overcrowded and helping actually becomes harming. There are some beautiful cats there and Äiti would love to take them too, but it’s not good for us (nor the kitties as the journey would be traumatic!).
And it’s great your human has been there to document it all.
I’m glad your meowmy could go & help spread the word about these poor kitties! This just makes me SO thankful for the good luck & wonderful people who cared for me before I finally got MY forever home. So many sad, sad stories … and the people like these folks DO get overwhelmed when they are only trying to help … there are never enough hands and there is never enough help …
I hope they ALL get good homes!
MomKatt said it broke her heart reading that the kitties were all so friendly – despite such pitiful conditions …
PURRS!
Selina
I think in this case it’s OK that your human smelled of hundreds of cats. We’re so glad those kids were rescued and almost half have found new families! That is great news.
They are all very beautiful!
Here’s hoping that many more of these cats will find forever homes. Thank you for sharing this story.
The ASPCA are doing wonderful work with all those cats and we are so happy that many of them have already found furever homes. We were rescued by the RSPCA from a house of over 100 cats (this is not many compared to these cats though). We all had medical treatment and innoculations and our lady or gentleman operations. All of us got loving homes and we are praying that those who have not yet found theirs yet will do so very soon.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
Sparkle, our purrs are with these sweeties that they all find fur ever homes! Please thank your Mommy fur giving them a voice & her love!
Wow, Sparkle, that was so great for your Mom to go to Florida to see those cats. Also it is so exciting to hear that 300 cats have been adopted. That is just awesome. It sure looks like the ASPCA is doing a super job at taking care of all the cats. I sure am impressed and it is so great to get a report from a real person. Good stuff.
We’re so glad these kittehs are being taken care of, and finally adopted! May they go to wonderful Forever Homes, each of them.