C & W’s Rustic Hollow is a special needs cat sanctuary in Iowa offering lifelong, cage-free care to cats with medical, behavioral, and neurological challenges. Founded organically on a family farm, the sanctuary provides a true home – not a deadline – for over 135 cats, including FIV and FeLV-positive residents. Through compassion, structure, and a strong safety net, Rustic Hollow gives cats a genuine chance at a lifetime.
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I was contacted by Carmen Linda Conklin, retired founder and long-time volunteer of C & W’s Rustic Hollow Shelter, with a simple and heartfelt request: to write a short story, introduce their residents, and let more people see what life looks like inside a special needs cat sanctuary built on care, patience, and dignity. What you’re about to read is an invitation to meet the cats who call Rustic Hollow home – and, if you’re able, to support their work in any way that feels right to you.
A Sanctuary That Didn’t Start as a Plan – But Became a Promise
Some sanctuaries are built from blueprints.
Others are built from compassion, one cat at a time.
C & W’s Rustic Hollow Shelter, located in Nashua, Iowa, belongs firmly to the second kind.
Carmen Conklin and Wanda Orrick did not wake up one morning and decide to create a special needs cat sanctuary. What they built grew slowly, shaped by compassion, circumstance, and cats who needed a place to stay. Carmen came from music education, while Wanda spent decades in the business world. What they did have was a century-old family farm, a quiet valley, and an open door that never quite closed to animals in need.
And sometimes, that’s how life-care sanctuaries are born.
When “Unadoptable” Isn’t an Ending
The turning point came in the early 1980s, when a woman facing the final stages of cancer arrived with eight deeply bonded cats. They weren’t social. They weren’t “adoptable.” But they were loved – and they needed a future.
Rustic Hollow became that future.
Those first rooms in the old farmhouse marked the beginning of a mission that continues today:
to offer a “chance at a lifetime” to cats who would otherwise face euthanasia simply because their needs don’t fit adoption chThose first rooms in the old farmhouse marked the beginning of a mission that continues today:
to offer a “chance at a lifetime” to cats who would otherwise face euthanasia simply because their needs don’t fit adoption checklists.
Today, Rustic Hollow is known across the United States for welcoming cats with:
- Chronic medical conditions
- Neurological and physical disabilities
- Behavioral trauma
- Feline Leukemia (FeLV)
- FIV (Feline Immunodeficiency Virus)
- Seniors displaced after the death of their guardians
Cats arrive not for rehoming – but for home.
Life at Rustic Hollow: Cage-Free, Calm, and Full of Care
Rustic Hollow now consists of four main buildings, including the lovingly restored 1913 barn known as the Kitty Kabin. Each space is designed around comfort, not containment.
The cats live cage-free, many in private rooms or shared spaces matched carefully by temperament. Outdoor, screened catios allow fresh air and sun in warmer months. Inside, there’s climate control, soft bedding, enrichment – and yes, televisions playing cat videos and cartoons.
There are currently over 135 special needs cats in residence, each with their own story. Each with veterinary oversight, daily care, and something many never had before: stability.
For just $1.66 a day ($50 per month), you can sponsor a special needs cat at C & W’s Rustic Hollow. Sponsorships help cover food, veterinary care, medications, and daily comfort – and sponsors can receive photos and updates of the cat they support. More than 100 cats are still waiting for a sponsor.
Learn more at rustichollowshelter.org
Meet Soup – The Happiest Cat You’ll Ever Read About
If Rustic Hollow had an ambassador, her name would be Super – though everyone calls her Soup.
Soup arrived with complex medical and behavioral challenges. Her veterinarian had run out of options and gently recommended euthanasia. Instead, Rustic Hollow opened its doors.
Today, Soup is one of the sanctuary’s official greeters. She’s trimmed down, healthier, confident, and very aware that this is her place.
Her rescuer, Dr. Connell, put it perfectly:
“Rustic Hollow stepped in and offered her a second chance at life. Their calm, attentive environment is exactly what she needs to thrive. They don’t just understand cats like Soup – they embrace them as family.”
That sentence could be the sanctuary’s mission statement.
The Greeters, the Goofballs, and the Quiet Heroes
Soup isn’t alone.
There’s Cricket, a long-term resident who has been welcoming visitors for over 14 years.
There’s Potato, a senior FIV+ cat with no teeth, a huge appetite, and personality traits that feel suspiciously canine.
There are dozens more – some playful, some shy, some medically fragile, all equally respected.
At Rustic Hollow, cats aren’t defined by diagnosis. They’re defined by who they are.
Built to Last: The Safety Net That Protects Every Cat
One of the most impressive – and rare – features of Rustic Hollow is its Safety Net Program.
This program ensures lifelong care for cats even in the event of a guardian’s death or inability to provide care. Crucially, it also guarantees continuity for the sanctuary itself: if anything were to happen to the founders, a clear plan and board oversight ensure the cats’ care continues uninterrupted.
In rescue, sustainability is love made practical. Rustic Hollow understands that deeply.
A Sanctuary Supported by People Who Believe in Lifelong Care
C & W’s Rustic Hollow is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and receives no city, state, or federal funding. The sanctuary is sustained entirely through:
- Donations
- Cat sponsorships
- Grants
- Estate giving
- Fundraisers
Volunteers can even “adopt a room,” forming bonds with cats who benefit from familiar faces and consistent human connection.
This isn’t rescue as a numbers game.
This is rescue as responsibility.
Why Sanctuaries Like This Matter
Not every cat is meant for adoption.
That truth makes some people uncomfortable – but it saves lives.
Rustic Hollow fills the space between “no options left” and “you matter anyway.” It proves that dignity, comfort, and joy don’t have expiration dates.
And if you ask Soup?
She’ll tell you this is the happiest ending imaginable.
Learn More or Support Rustic Hollow
- Website: https://www.rustichollowshelter.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/cwshelter
For readers who want a deeper look into the sanctuary’s history, philosophy, and long-term commitment to special needs cats, C & W’s Rustic Hollow Shelter has created a detailed brochure outlining their programs, safety net planning, and ways to help.
