Rico’s Refuge Cat Rescue

12/10/2025

Change starts with us. Unfortunately, this is the reality for millions of dogs, cats, bunnies, mice, cattle, fish, and many other species in Canada — don’t even get me started on the United States. Day after day, all these animals know is suffering. Although Doug Ford has pushed for refinements to animal testing policies in Ontario when it comes to cosmetics, these changes are limited. Think of your own pets the next time you pick up that lipstick, bottle of bleach, deodorant, face wash, etc., and imagine this life for them. The Cruelty Cutter app is a great way to quickly scan products and determine if brands test on animals. Dogs, cats, cows, etc., are NOT genetically similar enough to humans to determine how these products would affect the human body. It’s esitimated that over 90% of human trials fail, even if animal testing yields “acceptable” results. The statistical reliability and validity of these testing methods, and their generalizability to human samples are scientifically flawed, and a complete dumpster fire ethically.

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/186WgHPmxA/?mibextid=wwXIfr

12/06/2025

✨Fluffy was adopted!!!🥳✨

He’s settling into his furever home, and I know he’ll be spoiled by his mom and dad for many years to come!! Despite being a shy guy, he’s already following his dad around 😂 Thank you to his adopters for choosing our playful, cuddly, poofy-tailed boy ❤️

11/28/2025

✨Update: Adoption Pending! ✨

Can we find Bodhi a home for the holidays? 🥲 Bodhi is the most affectionate kitten I have ever met! He’s about 6-7 months old now, super goofy and sweet, and gets along with everyone. Bodhi is a bit nervous of really young kids, but does wonderfully otherwise, and wants to be best friends with everyone, his dog friend included! He loves his springs, kicker toys, wand toys, interactive toys, dog toys.. you name it, he’s playing with it (yes, that includes hair clips 😂). Bodhi’s happy to just hangout with you and your pals, and will cozy up for a football game or suspenseful movie, though he takes a front row seat for cat tv, but can we blame him?
Bodhi has lovely litter habits, gets along wonderfully with cats and dogs, and does well for nail trims!
His adoption includes neuter, microchip, age-appropriate vaccines, deworming, and flea/tick/earmite treatment. Bodhi is currently being fostered in Cornwall.
Send us a message, or email [email protected], to learn more about Bodhi ❤️

11/25/2025

✨Update: Adoption Pending!✨

Who has two thumbs and is looking for a holiday party to crash (with the secondary motive of sticking around and making himself at home)? Habanero!!!! He is also ✨AVAILABLE FOR ADOPTION✨
Habanero, little Habi (a nickname I’ve convinced myself he likes 😂), is an absolute dream. This little man comes from the streets, but he is now accustomed to indoor living, and loving every minute of it. Habi is super playful, and loves pets and butt scratches. He gets on his two back feeties and really leans into the pets, especially when you have a lickable treat for him! If Habi needs space, he makes it known; he’s still getting used to people, so can be shy at first, but he’s loving more and more attention and affectionate everyday!
Habi does great with cats and dogs, and would love some cat friends to play with. He also loves his interactive toys, springs, and kicker toys. Habi’s litter habits are wonderful, and he does well with nail trims when enticed with a lickable treat, and is getting more comfortable with them every time!
NOTE: Habi’s adopter(s) MUST be comfortable cutting his nails, or bringing him to the vet for nail trims, due to his extra toes, and him having an extra nail growing between two toes, this is important. I am happy to show anyone how to do this if this is a concern! Feel free to reach out via direct message or email ([email protected]) if you have any questions at all about lil Habi! His adoption includes neuter, age-appropriate vaccines, microchip, deworming, and flea/tick/earmite treatment.

11/15/2025

✨Request for Support✨
Louis joins us from Alexandria, where he lived as a stray, and was being cared for by a kind human for the past few years. Little else is known about him, other than the fact that he is as sweet as pie! Louis reminds me so much of Rico, who will always hold a special place in my heart, so this one is hitting me right in the feels.
I could really really use some help with funding at this point 😅 As some of you already know, I pay for 99% of the rescue out of my own pocket, and it just isn’t sustainable. I know stray males and feral/unsocialized cats aren’t as “cute” to some people as little kittens, but please help me help these incident souls; they’re all scared, lost kittens at heart ❤️ Donations can be made to [email protected], and in-person drop-off/pick-up can also be arranged for supplies if you’re more comfortable with that!
As always, please spay and neuter your pets, and thank you for joining me on this wild journey!

p.s., Intake is now closed except for emergencies, and we are unfortunately not accepting owner-surrenders at this time

11/15/2025

🐾 Some fresh faces.. Uno and Simba - thank you to K.S. for fostering so last-minute, L.L. for making this happen for these cats, and M.L. for also making this happen, trapping, and providing some supplies! Without support and foster homes, we can’t continue bringing cats into care. If you would like to donate toward their care, donations can be made to [email protected]. Every little bit truly helps!!
🐾 Simba and Uno have settled in with their foster mom so well! Uno will have his ear checked to see if we’re dealing with a hematoma, or if something else is going on.

11/14/2025

Four kids saw the vet for spay/neuter and some other fun things this past Monday!
If you’re feeling unsure about whether to alter your pets, check out this article that provides a bit more info on the benefits of spay/neuter: https://spca.bc.ca/faqs/how-will-spaying-or-neutering-help-my-pet/

11/08/2025

Wink (formerly Vienna) was adopted!! She has already settled into her new home so well, and is running the show 😂 Enjoy some content from Wink’s adventures with her family! Thank you, K and G, for loving her so much. I know she’s in the best hands ❤️

11/01/2025

Little Bodhi’s dreaming of finding his furever home 😴 This cutie is still available for adoption! He’d thrive in a home with another playful cat, and with people who will love his affectionate nature!
Fluffy, who’s not so fluffy anymore aside from his big ass tail (I swear the name used to make sense 😂), also questions his foster mom about still being available for adoption.. does someone want to volunteer to explain it to him? :’)

10/30/2025

A HUGE thank you to Stacy's PET DEPOT for all they do to support local rescues and animals in need. Cornwall is so lucky to have such a dedicated locally-owned pet store. Thank you from the bottom of my heart ❤️

We raised $180 this past weekend for
Rico’s Refuge Cat Rescue ! Thank you to everyone who
came to support our local rescues!🐾

Here are the next dates:

🐾November 30th- FULL (there are very few spots left)
-Donations will go to Roy and Cher's Spay Neuter Services

🐾December 14th- MANY SPOTS AVAILABLE!
-Donations will be going to PawPortunity Rescue

Call us 613-932-7337 to book your spot! 🐾🚨

10/20/2025

🐾 Taking Adoption Applications 🐾

I know we mostly do TNR, so we don’t have a lot of cats up for adoption, but these three haven’t had any luck finding their people. I’m still hopeful, though! I would love to find these cutie patooties their furever homes before the New Year, although I know good things take time, and their families are out there. Send us a message, or email [email protected], if you think that might be you! Please share to help Bodhi, Fluffy, and Vienna find their people ☺️

09/01/2025

This post may be a bit loaded, but there are some important updates, so read on (if you want)!
Over the past week and a half, 18 cats saw the vet. That’s 18 cats who will no longer face the reality of endless reproduction and hormone-fuelled fights, and who now have a reduced risk of illness. Most of these cats were unsocialized, and will go on to live in their supported colonies. Please keep an eye out for the signature ear-tip pictured below when determining if a cat needs vetting; ear-tipping isn’t always done, but it can be a helpful indicator! As much as we want every cat to find a home indoors, that isn’t the reality of the current cat crisis in our community, and many others. All we can do is our best.

With that little factoid being said, I’m sure you can imagine the cost of vetting for 18 cats, on top of everything else. I’m one person, doing most of this alone, and that includes covering costs. If you’re wondering how I pay my bills on top of all this, so am I 😂 (for real though, 10/10 do not recommend). For this reason, intake remains CLOSED at this time. I will continue to TNR, though this will be reduced for the coming months while I try to recoup financially from my life choices 😂

It helps so much when people take matters into their own hands, and I’ve seen it more and more lately. It can be tough seeing so much negativity in the world, but I’m so proud of our community, and those whose actions help balance the scales. Everyone has the power to make a difference in the world, and I see more positives every day! If you want to help a cat, dog, squirrel, sea bass, etc., in need, but don’t know where to start, please don’t hesitate to reach out. We’re all in this together.

As always, please spay and neuter your pets!