The Ranch Cat Rescue, Bloomington, IN (2025)

06/27/2025

Hi friends, I wanted to share a little life update, and this one’s tough.

Y’all know I’ve made it my job to care for the sick, injured, and disabled. But now... I’m the sick kitten. And taking care of me? Waaaaaay harder than I ever imagined.

For over a year, I haven’t felt like myself. I’ve been tired to my core, feel like my brain can’t keep up, and my anxiety and depression have been debilitating. It’s taken a lot of time and blood, but thanks to my amazingly supportive Nurse Practitioner, we’ve learned that I have Hashimoto’s Disease, along with a few other compounding issues.

Having answers feels good. But living with a chronic autoimmune condition is a drag. I’ve started a strict detox to reduce inflammation and get a sense of what my new baseline is. I’m already seeing a little improvement, but there’s still a long road ahead as I figure out what a slower, gentler life looks like.

So what does that mean for The Ranch?

It means I’m temporarily scaling back. I’m still taking severe cases that align with my medical strengths, like Manx Syndrome, limb deformities, FIP, and other complex needs. But I’ve had to say no to a lot of litters, neonatal kittens, and able-bodied cats. That’s been hard.

That said, we’ve still got around 150 cats here, from adoptables to feral gremlins to our long-term medical residents. So it’s still a full-time circus. I’m just learning how to juggle my own care in the mix now.

More soon on ways to help, but for now I wanted to check in. I’m hoping to post more and share the stories I’ve missed telling. Thank you for understanding while I try to find my footing again.

And Brandine (pictured here) says hi. She’s doing amazing. More on her soon. ❤️‍🩹

06/07/2025

Just one hour till Nick's Lemonade Day stand opens for business! Here's another message from his team:

Meet Ranch Cat Rescue alums Kingsley and Albie! They now live with Nick, the 6th grade entrepreneur behind Laughing Walrus Lemonade and Tea. Kingsley and Albie aren’t allowed to drink tea OR lemonade, but if you left it near them in an unattended open cup, they’d sure try!

You can enjoy tea and lemonade, though, and help Ranch Cat Rescue at the same time. Nick is donating 40% of the lemonade stand profits to RCR, and he’ll also be collecting donations for the ranch. You can enjoy some cool drinks and snacks from 12:30 to 3:30 next to Pottery House Studio (223 S Pete Ellis Drive) on Saturday, June 7. Tell Nick Kingsley and Albie sent you! 🐈‍⬛🐈🍋💛

06/07/2025

Man, Lemonade Day always warms my cat lady heart! Our friend Nick is back again this year with his stand. Locals, give the guy a visit tomorrow! And non locals, you can still support Nick's entrepreneurial spirit via Venmo. A message from Nick and his team:

Tomorrow (June 7) is Lemonade Day, and Ranch Cat Rescue has been chosen to receive donations from the proceeds of Laughing Walrus Lemonade & Tea, run by 6th grader Nick. The stand will be next to Pottery House Studio (223 S Pete Ellis Drive on Bloomington’s east side) from 12:30 - 3:30 PM. Nick will have iced tea, lemonade (including sugar free!), and some snacks to sell.

Nick will donate 40% of the profits from his sales to RCR. There will also be a jar to donate directly to Ranch Cat Rescue at the stand. This is a great way to help a young entrepreneur and RCR at the same time - plus lemonade! Want to show your support but can’t make it to the stand? You can donate directly to Ranch Cat Rescue via Venmo and put “lemonade” in the memo so the donation can be counted toward the total generated by Nick’s stand.

Insider tip: the “Tea Twistee” with 1/2 strawberry iced tea and 1/2 lemonade is our prediction for this year’s fan favorite.

05/19/2025

Okay y’all, it’s time! We got close enough to our goal that I can finally share the absolute madness that was the Ms. Lake Lemon Pageant.

First of all, holy crap, that was haaaaaard. But also the most fun I’ve had in ages. I came in 5th out of 17, and it was an honor to “compete” alongside such supportive, badass babes. None of us knew what we were doing half the time, but we brought our A-game, hyped each other up, and kept the vibes immaculate. I’m sunburnt, sore in places I forgot had muscles, and my abs hurt from laughing.

Massive thanks to the organizers and volunteers who made this fever dream possible. Y’all crushed it. A ton of money was raised for the Monroe Fire Protection District through pure ridiculousness. Kel, you are a Bloomington treasure. Thank you for this delightful torture.

And my team. My ride-or-dies. You brought drinks, wiped mud off me, pulled splinters, and screamed for me at every checkpoint. I don’t even have words. Emily, those gloves are the only trophy I need. Piper, the dress you made is a masterpiece. It’s been washed, dried, and is somehow in near-mint condition. She’s got more events in her, guaranteed.

Which brings me to one final, vital point. Swifties, I need you. The number of people I had to explain my outfit to was truly wild. I was wearing a biblically accurate re-creation of Taylor Swift’s Tortured Poets Department gown from the second half of the Eras Tour (may she rest in peace), modified slightly to include a cat joke, obviously. I worked in every lyric I could in conversation. Barely anyone noticed. Did that stop me? Absolutely not. But one glorious moment made it all worth it. I was crossing the field when a little girl screamed, “Mommy! She’s wearing a Taylor Swift dress!!” and I could have wept. 🫶

Enjoy the still photos here (by The Polycule feat. Jolly). Videos and the most unflattering images imaginable will be in our stories soon, where they’ll vanish like it never happened. Thank gods for that. I love you all. Thank you for cheering me on through my first and very last pageant. You helped raise a solid chunk of change for the ranch cats, and I’m forever grateful.

05/17/2025

We've had a few folks reach out to ask if the ranch cats were okay after the storm. We're good out here and y'all are sweet to check in. There was one tornado that was very close but stayed far enough south to not cause damage here. We had a few trees snap and the power is out, but the generator is humming and all the cats (and my livestock) are safe and well.

The bulk of our population is downstairs in a basement so they're always safe. We have a pole barn that I constantly worry about and special care and terminal cats upstairs. So I always hover nervously with them and hope I don't have to carry a bunch of diaper cats to the basement.

Stay safe as you recover from the damage, Bloomington! That was some scary stuff. If we can help anyone please let us know. ❤️

05/14/2025

Hiya friends, Alison here, Resident Human behind The Ranch in case we’ve not officially met. A while back I’d teased an event I’m taking part in, but in classic me fashion I got swept up in 1005 emergencies and didn’t say more.

But! This weekend I'll be competing in the Ms Lake Lemon Pageant at the illustrious (infamous?) Port Hole Inn. The event touts itself as “a quirky, oh so regional pageant for women of a certain age” and has me and a bunch of badass babes in ballgowns and workboots showcasing our redneck skills as we compete to move wood piles, back up lawn trailers, cast fishing poles, etc. All for charity, of course.

While I usually try to stay behind the scenes at The Ranch, many of you have expressed interest in seeing me act a fool. To which I say, pay me! Lol, no, but like really though. If we can raise $1000 before Saturday I will post pics and videos of all of this insanity for y’all to witness. Donations will go toward purchasing flea meds, vaccines, and summer supplies for cats of The Ranch. Visit theranchcatrescue.org/donate for ways to give.

Posted are teaser pics of the outfit my team has been working on. Even Brandine has been helping. Swifties out there may recognize the gown inspo. 🫶

Donate and stay tuned for the final reveal!!

05/08/2025

Meet Brandine, our newest special care baby. She arrived yesterday and while we’re glad she’s here, her story starts with heartbreak. Her brother, Cletus, passed less than 24 hours after intake. He was in rough shape, and his little body just didn’t have enough fight left.

But Brandine made it to us just in time, and she’s already showing us she’s a scrappy little survivor. In less than a day, she’s gained 19 grams, is bright and active, and clearly here for a good time.

Brandine and Cletus are the result of severe inbreeding, and Brandine is showing a long list of congenital challenges. She has Manx Syndrome, which means she was born without a tail, has minimal a**l tone (p**p problems, yay), and her back legs are twisted nearly 360 degrees. We’re also pretty sure she’s missing her knees. As for toes? She has the right number on one front paw. The others are a little more abstract, three beans here, two beans there, for a grand total of 13/18 toes.

She’s less than half the weight she should be. Her premolars are just emerging, so we estimate she’s about five weeks old, but she only weighs 341 grams. Bottles? Absolutely not. Syringe slurry? Delicious. She eats until she’s full and then pushes my hands away, which I fully respect.

This kid is a genetic disaster, and she could not care less. Right now she’s curled up on my chest, attacking my sweater while I type this.

Next up: more weight, more strength, and figuring out the bathroom situation. Send her some love. We’ll keep you posted as she grows!

04/25/2025

This five dollar Friday we're checking in with an update on HRH Princess Pepsi-Cola. She has recovered beautifully from her amputation and is now pain-free, all thanks to your donations! She's really coming out of her shell as she heals. This is all very new and different for her and I'm super proud how well she's adjusting.

Here's a quick view of the space she's been living, our Med Bay, where we keep kitties when they first arrive and are in active treatment/recovery. Pepsi’s current favorite spot has been under a chair where she hides all of her favorite toys.

In this room we have some two tier condos and some modified crates that make single level flats for kitties with mobility issues who still need some space to move. There's a ton of shelves for the massive amount of laundry we go through, shout out to our volunteer Erin who manages that beautiful mess! We always have radios playing and lots of folks moving through checking in on the kitties, giving scritches, and getting them well enough to move out of this room. It's not a fancy space, but it's evolved over time to suit our needs and has been able to help hundreds of cats.

As always, we can give them the space, we can get them the care, but it's your dollars that keep this cat loving machine going. Visit theranchcatrescue.org/donate for ways to help! We're forever grateful for your support. ❤️

04/24/2025

Meet Oswalt (aka Oz): Certified Sweet Baby Man

If you’re looking for a cuddlebug in a tuxedo, allow us to introduce Oswalt, professional snuggler, spring toy enthusiast, and all-around gentle soul.

This 4ish year old charmer came to us with a severe abdominal hernia, but after surgery and a whole lot of TLC, he’s back to full loafing strength. Along the way, we discovered he has urinary crystals, so he’s on a prescription urinary diet which he is thriving on.

Oz is looking for a home with other cats (he loves friends) and a family who understands special diets are just part of keeping this soft boy healthy. He would be perfect for a household with scheduled feeding or other cats already on a urinary diet, he has zero chill around food and can’t be free-fed.

Oz is ready to find a family that’ll treat him like the gentle king he is. He’s past his wild kitten phase and just wants a forever couch and a few cat friends to nap with.

Head to theranchcatrescue.org/adopt and tell us about your kingdom, because every good king needs loyal subjects. Preferably the kind that hands out treats.

04/20/2025

Me: Get it?! You're an Easter BUNNY!
Bunny: You know I'm p**ping in your shoes tonight, right?
Me: Yeah. That's fair.
Bunny: I know.

04/09/2025

Princess Pepsi Cola got her amputation yesterday and is recovering well! Baby girl is a bleeder so we’re not gonna show off her fancy little leg nubbins just yet, but she’s already hopping around like a pro and feeling good.

We’re grateful to everyone who helped this sweet critter. Having partnerships with folks like who can save a kitty from being euthanized just for a bum leg and an amazing community who can raise the funds for her surgery is a dream. Y’all changed this critter’s life and we can’t thank you enough.

A few more weeks of healing and she’ll be ready to find her forever home. If you have a soft spot for tripods you can fill out an adoption application for her on our website! ❤️‍🩹

01/24/2025

What a busy vet week! We had five lucky kitties in for spay/neuter, so much bloodwork, urinary scares (look at all them shiny crystals), and routine checks. We’ve racked up quite the bill - $1400! And that doesn’t include all the prescriptions we need to order and rechecks that will happen next week. Ugh!

We haven’t done a $5 Friday call out in a minute, but we could REALLY use your help this week. To make a donation to our vet fund visit theranchcatrescue.org (link through bio) for all the ways to give. I can provide direct care all day, but y’all are the ones who keep this machine funded and to me that’s really where the magic comes from. $5 to $50, every penny saves cats!

Quick medical update on our FIP friends - Bunny is at the start of her observation period and bloodwork says she’s doing amazing. She was our first kitty on the new compound drug and is a testament to science! Harrison, our new neuro case is improving every day. I’ll post a video update this weekend, but he zooms around the house with coordinated use of his body and I’m cautiously optimistic in saying he’s gonna be just fine.

The Ranch Cat Rescue

06/27/2025

06/07/2025

06/07/2025

05/19/2025

05/17/2025

05/14/2025

05/08/2025

04/25/2025

04/24/2025

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04/09/2025

01/24/2025

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