Meet Cat Guy Craig Grant
Craig Grant is the first to admit he didn’t always like cats. Now he owns and runs Caboodle Ranch, a Floridian Feline Farm that’s home to about 500 cats. How’d he get here from there? By accident, of course:
I was renting a two bedroom condo by the beach with my son. Then my son moved out on his own for the first time. He left his cat, Pepper, with me because he couldn’t take it with him. I didn’t like cats but I agreed to keep him. I wasn’t used to being alone and I guess Pepper wasn’t either. We slowly began to get along.
A couple months went by and I found out Pepper was pregnant. Oh great, now what? She had five kittens. I
wanted to give them away because I didn’t want my beautiful home destroyed, but my son told me they had to stay with their mother for 8 weeks. Over that time I learned that every cat had his 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.
But with six cats, complaints started from the condo owner and the neighbors. I knew I had to look for other places to go. They weren’t safe in the neighborhood. I found a B.B. lodged in the side of one of my cats and another was bitten by a pitbull that I know was set loose on purpose. Something had to be done.
I wasn’t sure what to do at first, so I built a shed in my son’s yard and lived in it for a while. Then I found an advertisement in the paper from a realtor offering five acre partials on a tree farm; owner financing, low money down and low monthly payments… the problem was that it was 100 miles west of Jacksonville.
I drove out to see it and I loved it. Over the next months I bought five more partials. I now have 25 acres.
I cleared a small area and bought an office trailer as a shelter for my cats. I put in a pet door and padded shelves for them. We moved out there in November of 2003, the day after Thanksgiving. By that time I had 11 cats. I had taken in abandoned and stray cats from the neighborhood and areas that I work as a contractor. I had 22 cats by the spring of 2004.
I moved the shed out to the property and made a little cabin out of it. I thought it would be for me, but many of my cats wanted to sleep next to me… so I moved back into the office trailer where we had more room.
I no longer have any of my old furniture; material items aren’t important to me any more. My cats have made me happier than I’ve ever been. They truly are the best friends I’ve ever had. (See for yourself in the following video.)
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Caboodle Ranch is now a permanent sanctuary for cats who have been kicked around by heartless people. There are many sad stories between all the cats I’ve taken in. Some almost starved to death, some of them wounded strays. I’ve seen many locked in cages for months in animal shelters and have taken in some of those, too.
Cats should be able to roam free, and at Caboodle Ranch, that’s what they do. We are in the middle of 100 acres of wildlife. The cats follow me through the nature trails that I put in and maintain, they climb in tree forts that I’ve built and hide in underground dens I’ve dug for them.
All cats have been spayed or neutered, all shots are kept up to date and I keep regular visits to the vet for each of them. I travel the 250 miles round-trip many times a week to work and back again to keep a safe haven for them to live. Every one of my expenses have come out of my own pocket and I do with very little so I can give them a happy life, but it isn’t always easy.
Caboodle Ranch is a 30-acre 501(c)3 non-profit cat sanctuary that almost 500 cats call home. Just this week, Craig rescued 46 cats from death row at Animal Control. Craig retired from his business so that he could live on the ranch and care for the cats 24/7. He works 14+ hour days, but his love for these cats keeps him motivated and energizes him.
Grant does not adopt out any of the cats at Caboodle. Instead, he urges people who want a feline in their life to go to their local animal shelter. Caboodle Ranch has the seal of approval from the Tallahassee Humane Society and Tallahasee/Madison County Animal Control. If something should happen to Craig, he has a plan in place for trained workers to come in and work and maintain the ranch.
All of this comes at a cost, and the costs are rising with the current escalation in the number of cats that are being abandoned, even as donations are drying up due to economic uncertainty. You can help this extraordinary Cat Guy continue his work by making a donation or buying Caboodle Ranch merchandise.
- Visit the Caboodle Ranch website
- Caboodle FAQs
- More Caboodle Videos
- Tallahassee Magazine Article
- ZooToo coverage
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What a pawsome ranch, and a wonderful man for making a great home for so many cats! He is an angel! We sent the ranch a small donation to help buy doughnuts, but I think the cats would like Tiki better – MOL!
Hello Skeezix, What a nice gentleman do do such a wonderful deed. More people are needed like him to help the “babies” out. Thanks to him so much!
At first look this is a heart warming story of a wonderful man saving neglected and abandoned cats whose fate would quite likely be horrible without his intervention.
Upon a closer, thoughtful look though this is a disaster waiting to happen. He has no back up plan when the time comes that he can no longer care for these cats ~ and that time will come, it is inevitable.
He doesn’t even try to find them permanent homes. There was a comment about his not always having enough money to feed himself and while he says the cats come first, are they truly getting everything they need?
This is a case of institutional hoarding and it has all the earmarks of another horrific story of a rescue after he can no longer care for the cats…leading to illness, starvation and death for the cats. I’m sorry to be sp blunt, but I have seen first hand what can and does happen in these situations.
yeah… I thought the same, corinne. I got a bit uneasy when I read that even though the cat had 5 kittens , he wanted to keep them all. Sure , I love cats too , but when michis had 4 , I gave them all away , bc I knew I wouldnt be able to care for all of them. If he had kept one or two , or decided to get another cat now that he found out he loved them , but keeping 5 kittns when he knew he couldnt care for all of them puts his needs beofre the cat’s. and not adopting out any of them in caboodle ranch !!! is’nt that the purpose of cat sanctuaries , to find them a loving a permanent home??? I dont know , this guy may have good intentions but it sounds kinda fishy to me…
Thank you so much for pulblishig Craig’s story on your site! Unfortunately, the two comments I just read judged before they had all the information. Had they read more on his website they would see that not only does he have a ‘back up’ plan for an emergency or if he becomes ill etc,and to keep Cabodle Ranch going for generations to come, but all cats are spayed and neutered before coming to the ranch, therefore preventing kittens. Some people do bring us mama cats that they have rescued, and when the babies are old enough they go to the vet to be fixed, as well as the mama cat.
The purpose of most cat sanctuaries is first, to save the cat, get them safe and fed and healthy. Some do adopt out. Craig has tried this, but 9 times out of 10 those same cats came right back to the ranch when the life circumstances of that person changed and they could no longer keep the cat. This is extremely traumatic for the cat, and the re-adjustment period is very hard and very long.
Caboodle Ranch is the cats permanent home. They no longer have to worry about their next meal, their medical care or being taken away from the home they have come to love. There are THIRTY acres at the ranch. He has barely touched on five of them. There is no ‘hoarding’ here. It is very sad to me that someone would only find this story negative when Craig and his volunteers work tirelessly to love and care for these cats. He has spent several years perfecting this sanctuary. It is a professional, non profit organization. Those people that commented must consider all sanctuaries and animal shelters as hoarders too, which is ofcourse ridiculous.
Kudos to Craig and the ranch volunteers who have a huge heart and dedicated their time to help make life better for these precious feline. Please go to the FAQ’s page on Caboodle website for answers to questions. Thanks again for sharing this remarkable man’s story!
I am so glad that “Nanette” posted the above comment. It is true, this is an amazing man helping out these wonderful cats! I just donated to the ranch, all non profits need our help to continue their selfless efforts to help out the worlds animals.
I went on Caboodle website and was so impressed with the information, the beautiful photos and videos. How anyone could see anything ‘wrong’ with this amazing ranch is just a fool. God Bless Mr. Grant and his fantastic felines!
i was thinking that it was such wonderful thing, until i saw that he doesn’t adopt. it’s magnificent that he cares for these animals, but he is not being very intelligent about it.
Thank you, Nanette, for posting what you did!
We are buying a house from Nanette as we type this!
Thanks to Catster for the connections and you guys!!! I Bellz and some others fully read about the Cooble Ranch. We would not support a organization that hoards cats thank you! A sanctuary is not a place to where a person can adopt from (although possible) but a place of safety and care to the end of a lifespan.
Purrs,
Bellz
Mr. Grant is like our modern day St. Francis of Assisi, he’s pawsatively awesome and I’d like to give him a big kitty hug – eyeTAILyun style hug!!
this man is amazing. I would love to help out there if I lived closer!!! he is really really amazing.
After reading about the mean-spirited animal control officer who was exonerated after killing three innocent cats, I so needed to read this feel-good story. God bless you, Mr. Grant! Thank you for opening your heart and making a home to these wonderful beings.
Mom had the honor to met Mr. Grant and he’s just amazing!!! Cabodle Ranch is just a puuurfect place for Cats. He has taken 17 cats from Mom Rescue Group (FIV+ & Feral ) The FIV+ has their own place and also they got medical care!! We really thanks Mr. Grant and his staff for doing such a pawsome work!!!!!! Thank you for doing this for them!!! Cabodle Ranch Rocks!!!! Please help him if you can!!! Love Ashlye & Troop
Unfortunately there are way too many cats in the U.S. to ever find homes for all of them. Bless this man for giving his time, energy, money and love to all these critters. If the local humane society backs him, he must be doing a good job.
I want to add that this guy was my inspiration!! I have right now 55 cats at home.. I know is alot of work and there is always something going on.. but the love that you receive back from them is something that there are not words that can express the feeling that you got in return. Once again thank Craig for being an angel for those cats!!! all the best for you and the Caboodle Ranch!!! Please if you can donate anything will help! Love Ashlye & Troop
What a pawsome idea. I’ve never been big on the idea of cats being kept indoors and this sounds like a great idea and the way cats should be kept. Keep up the great work Craig your an awesome cat person.
Wow, mommy wants to do that to, or help someone else whose doing it. I be a house cat though, not for me!What a nice man. I wonder how he could raise money? I guess kitties are common enough few people would pay for a kitty petting zoo. He does have those carpentry skills though, maybe classes on how to make cute cat houses? Make the kitties get jobs and pay kitty town taxes? MOL! Train the kitties to wash cars? Raising money is such a pain!
I think if I were him I’d only adopt cats out under special circumstances, like if a volunteer fell particularly in love with one, or if somebody had a medical problem where they should be in a home. Too many idiots taking in cats then getting rid of them on Craig’s list because they are “having a baby” or “have to move to a place that doesn’t allow cats.” Schmucks. Liars. Quitters. Unworthy slobs. You form your life around the cat, not dispose of the cat if it doesn’t suit your life. This guy has the right idea. The shelters already spend a lot of time and resources with their adoption processes, someone needs to concentrate on providing more massive “forever” homes, because not everyone will be adopted anyway. May his kitty town forever provide a safe home for the kitties.
I do think the kitties should be able to be adopted if there are good homes to be found. But there is nothing wrong with big ol forever homes like this one if you can do it.
Mom purrrays that we come into money some day, some way, some how, so she can have a sanctuary. for special-needs kitties especially.
Even for orphaned/abused human children…there are always more kids in need than “adopters”.
Go to the Caboodle Ranch website and read the FAQ page.
It will answer all your questions to whom are skeptics without all the answers.
God Bless Mr Grant we need more people like him.
No matter what one does no one is ever happy are we?
Geez leave the guy alone gosh darnit.
I wish I could be supportive. It’s clear Craig has poured his heart and soul into this. And at least the cats we see in video are happy.
But knowing cats, I have to wonder about the ones who are not on camera. When cats are sick, injured, intimidated by other cats or otherwise scared ,they tend to hide and if you can’t see them, you can’t help them.
Please forgive those of us who had experience when things go wrong for cat sanctuaries where a large number of cats is managed by a very small number of pople … but after Tiger Ranch in Pennsylvania, F.LO.C.K. in Nevada, etc. it is just nerve wracking to see one person trying to care for huge number of cats…and apparently not capping the number.
God bless you and I hope that this continues to be what you wanted it to be.
Wow, I guess there’s just no convincing a person who has made up their minds without ever meeting the man or seeing the sanctuary.
But I do not think Craig would want you there anyway because you would be there soley to FIND something wrong. Heaven’s sake, cats get sick just people do, its impossible to have 100% perfect health 100% of the time. The cats that do need the care, get it. And when it is something that basic medical cannot help they go to the vet, just like I would do for my own at home.
You may experienced these other places to be less than appropriate but don’t box them all into the same group. And if you have never run an animal sanctuary, you truly do not know what its all about. These cats seem to know that it is a fleine community. And they really do all get along. ALL of them. Ask anyone who has ever been there.
Lighten up and smile for this man. He is just following his heart and helping those in need. Its more than most people do ina lifetime.