Prepare for a piloerection-induced tale about family, faith and felines in the backdrop of Washington State, where a crazy cult leader uses cats as a front for salvation while allegedly plotting to eliminate her number one enemy, her ex husband.
Episode 5 of the Curious Case Of…titled “The Doomsday Cat Cult” on Hulu exposes Sheryl Ruthven, the founder of Freedom Fire Ministries and Eva’s Eden, revealing hair-raising revelations that she told her congregation that her ex husband must die and asked them to pray for his death in the name of Felis catus.
Still operational last time anyone cared to check, Sheryl Ruthven convinces her devoted flock that she’s not just any run-of-the-mill guru, but the literal “God’s direct line” and a Prophet of the almighty Almaty! In the documentary, which was released on 17 February 2025, she went on to persuade them all to adopt at least 30 cats each, claiming these furry overlords are actually supernatural beings (AMEN!!!) who will miraculously transform into humans during the Apocalypse to save the 144 devoted cat slaves. Because honestly, who better to lead the charge against evil than a band of independent, judgmental fluffballs with a flair for dramatic exits?
What will you do to attract my attention?
Those who bought into Sheryl’s hocus pocus cat spells describe her as a charismatic and charming individual who made them feel safe and at peace. During her Pentecostal church services, the worshippers radiated joy, hanging on the “prophet’s” every word like cats mesmerized by a flickering beam of light.
Sheryl Ruthven went from being a woman of God to a nutcase, an ex-member of the cult said during an interview. She started portraying herself as the wife of Jesus, calling herself Mary Magdalene after watching the Da Vinci Code. At times, the bride of God asked her devoted followers of the extreme cult to drink salt water and even her own blood to cleanse them from evil spirits and demons.
Cat Cult Commandments
Bringing a new religion into the mix, Sheryl declared to her followers that cats have been chosen as the divine vessels of God, urging them to embrace this revelation by adopting plenty of felines, not just one or two.
Cat obsessions and religion is not exactly new, for example the ancient Egyptians believed that cats were vessels that could be inhabited by their gods. For Sheryl, cats are divine creatures and in the book of Revelations she points its written that cats would carry 144,000 in the apocalypse. The message Sheryl would give about these cats are they god and if they safe these cat today, they will be saved from the apocalypse. She convinced them the cats will eventually turn into humans.
Cats Over Family
But like most things Sheryl adopts she pushes her version to the extreme, telling her flock to put the cats before their husbands, wives, the children and even themselves. She goes on to threaten her followers to adopt more and more cats and should people refuse she would publicly humiliate them. Sheryl also threatened them constantly that should they ever try to leave and escape the ministry, they will die, be it by accident or any other means.
A typical home would house around 14 to 30 cats at a time. Homes got destroyed, people did not get any sleep, the smell of cat pee became overwhelming and it was impossible to keep the litter boxes clean.
Sheryl was getting the cats at no cost and her followers had to pay adoption fees of $75 per cat. Followers had to buy a specific brand of cat food and cat litter which Sheryl supplied through Eve’s Eden Cattery. Meanwhile, the funds were allocated for Sheryl’s plastic surgery and breast implants.
Cats, Guns and Gold
In 2008 Sheryl shut the doors of cult and no newcomers could come in. It became a secret religion whose homes were filled with cats, cats, cats, cats, cats. Things took a turn for the eerie when Sheryl relocated her cult to Tennessee, orchestrating a massive operation where her followers trafficked all her prized possessions—cats, guns, and gold—by the busload.
What is the point of all this?
You were family of the cult until you weren’t. She tried to separate families from one-another, convincing them to pick her (and cats) over everything and all. If you don’t comply, you will lose everything.
One of the members was eventually given an ultimatum to submit to Sheryl and turn over the family finances to his wife, or she will be leaving with their children. He did not comply and when he got back home his house was empty and the wife left with the children.
He had no idea where the wife and family went and even after pertaining to an interim custody order. After 8 days she surrendered to the court order and agreed to go for marriage counselling and leave Freedom Fire only to trick him by filing for divorce, subsequently regaining custody of the kids.
Sheryl and his wife intended to shake the husband for money. It sure looks like Sheryl creates the vision among her followers and then exploit them for financial gain, only to enhance and better her own life.
You see, Sheryl’s power of a cult leader includes her ability to identify the needs and passions of others and it’s what she does with that knowledge is what makes her cat cult dangerous.
