Caboodle Ranch – ASPCA Cat Removal Underway

Found this alternate source for the story.

http://www.wctv.tv/news/headlines/Caboodle_Ranch_Cat_Sanctuary_Operator_Faces_Cruelty_Charges_140581263.html

Very sad. I think the man started out with good, honorable, kind intentions but like so many others didn’t know when to stop accepting animals and ended up in a terrible hoarder situation. It’s more a mental ailment than anything criminal, although in the end it doesn’t matter to suffering animals which is the cause of their suffering.

Normally I consider PETA to be sooooo far out into zealotry that they themselves are objectionable, so I do take their report of conditions with some skepticism. However, depending on what the law enforcement and ASPCA investigations find, then I’ll think we get a more balanced version of the conditions at the Caboodle Ranch.

Just disgusting, saw info on a Peta update. How terrible to have such abuse vs care/treatment!

Okay, I’ll give credit where credit is due. PETA has done a good job in uncovering this situation and bringing about needed action. I have gotten in recent years to discounting PETA due to the extreme positions they take and the type of shock value advertising they do, etc. But in this case the problem is all too real and I applaud their work in making publicly known the conditions at Caboodle Ranch.

I tried watching the video but had to stop as it was making me physically sick to see and hear. Those poor cats.

It’s what happens in hoarding situations. How utterly sad for the animals and heartbreaking.

No problem MO. Online local newspapers are finally figuring out that they cannot make money giving their product away for free and have begun limiting access to one degree or another to non-subscribers. There are other internet sites that have picked up the story and have it out there.

Just a sad, sad situation all around. I remember seeing the Caboodle Ranch featured on national tv a few years ago; don’t recall if it was a newscast or one of the tv news magazines. What was shown were all the cute little cat houses made into an entire cat village, etc. Definitely not what is now to be seen in the footage shot undercover of deathly ill cats suffering.

Caboodle Ranch is the place that had the cute little cat sized buildings. The poor guy put out a request last year for more funding and for less people to drop cats off over the fences. He wanted to provide them with a safe home, but it sounds like he was just overwhelmed.

One sad thing I’ve seen happen here in Missouri is when well intentioned groups or individuals begin rescuing and fostering animals but end up not knowing when to say no or to call the Humane Society for help. And once someone is actively involved, it is so easy for them to feel they cannot turn away animals in need; that, and other people assume those already taking in lots of animals can simply accept more so they dump the animals on the already overwhelmed caregivers.

I have three cats with special medical needs. Until last April I had an elderly fourth cat, also with special medical needs. So I go through a lot of cat food and cat litter, more than average even for this number of cats. So when I’m seen regularly buying that volume of supplies, the rescue groups at the pet store have often approached me and tried to guilt pressure me into “helping them out by fostering several more special needs cats since I obviously know all about taking care of special needs cats.” I’m polite but quite firm about saying NO.

I know I am at my limit with the crew I have and in fact somewhat overstretched — financially, time, cleaning, etc. — and as much as my heart goes out to all the hordes of cats needing fostering I know that I simply cannot save the whole world and have had to commit to giving good care to the ones I have and praying for the other cats out there. But I can so easily understand how good people end up in overwhelmed situations with too many animals. It is hard to say no, to draw the line and hold firm. And once someone has taken on something like this man did with the Caboodle Ranch, it can be psychologically almost impossible for them to call the authorities and ask for help because it seems like defeat and betrayal of the animals.

My greatest sympathy is for the poor cats, all those poor cats. But short of evidence arising that the man INTENDED neglect and cruelty, I cannot help also feeling sorry for him even while I decry the fact he didn’t contact authorities for help sooner, even at the risk many cats would be euthanized.

No one person or group can save the world or even a fraction of it. The best we can do is help as many as we have resources and capabilites to do so. Many TDKers do an awesome job of caring for feral colonies or fostering or otherwise helping cats in need. I’m often impressed and amazed to read of just how much many of you accomplish with strained resources.

LS, if this woman has that many cats, is hiding them from her husband, and is unwilling to let them be adopted, then she has already crossed the line into a hoarding mindset!