Behind The Scene
Welcome to Behind the Scene!
Many of you know me, I am the founder of Goathouse Refuge and I have been working to make it better and better for 22 Years…. what you don’t know is that I have worked for many years with many great people who helped out as much as they could and I am working now with a wonderful group of dedicated people who are the core of Goathouse. Our new “Behind the Scene” page will let you know who they are and what they do… how indispensable they are, how good they are. We will update you with new projects, photos, stories, and also post articles of vast interest, funny stuff, painful things… moving things. I have even started a blog!
Best,
Siglinda
Jan. 16, 2023
Dear Goathouse Friends and Family,
Over the last several months we have spoken about the transition to the Goathouse Sanctuary which will focus on those cats with no other recourse. These cats have no other place to go where they will be cared for and not be put down or neglected until they come into a miserable end!
We have many such cats here at the Goathouse. We want to tell you about just three of them, so you can picture and understand what we are trying to do and the message that we are trying to send out into the world.
Jones: Tonight, for the first time since he arrived to Goathouse, I have seen Jones the Cat, not the humped in pain, drooling, not eating clump of black fur… Our Veterinarian was able to remove ½ of his teeth, but his mouth was in such terrible condition it took hours, and she could not keep him under anesthesia any longer. More than 1 month has passed, but the recovery from his first surgery was difficult. He has been to our Veterinarian twice after the surgery to try to control the inflammation and the pain.
Tonight, for the first time, he is an almost normal cat! He was purring and eating, with some difficulty, but enjoying it. He jumped out of the crate and explored the room then returned to his crate and soft bed to sleep. What a joy!!! Yes, it has been a painful few weeks for Jones. But he will again be a happy, healthy cat who enjoys eating, playing and sleeping in the sun.
Maple: Maple now waits for me every night so I can pet his belly. This is very impressive, for a kitty that arrived after a year living in a crate with ulcers sprouting out of his body, angry, depressed, hurting.
Here are the notes from our Veterinarian: Although the ulceration is still large, it looks a lot better than it did at the last visit. This is going to take a long time to heal. We can’t do anything to help it along surgically right now. We lavaged the site with sterile saline and he did great for that (no sedation!!). We also gave another Convenia injection. I must praise whoever is keeping the area clean (Morena?) – she’s doing a great job! The E collar was not on when he arrived, and we noticed there was no tie through the collar loops. So, we replaced his collar and gave you a tie to use. If you need to remove the collar so he can eat, that’s okay, but someone will need to stand and watch him when he eats and replace the collar as soon as he stops. He was eager to eat here so I know he has a good appetite.
I could not believe it the first time Maple turned his belly under my hand that was lightly on top of his back! He turned all the way belly up and really loved me petting it… then he pushed his head under my other hand that was at the edge of the crate and pulled my hand with his paw, holding it so I could, also pet his head. We spent a long time telling each other that we love each other totally! Love has tremendous healing power. The horrendous blister under his tail is very slowly healing, we need to take photos every week to really see that there is some progress… but there is progress.
Click here to watch video of Siglinda with Maple: 
PJ: PJ had diarrhea most of his life… he came as a little one with his brother Daniele…. 2 feral, gorgeous kittens, he is now 14 years old, his brother passed away 3 years ago. Finally, PJ has regular bowel movements Thanks to a new medication , and strict diet. He must eat in his crate and all the food must be picked up before he gets out of his crate. He eats in 2 or 3 times, morning and evenings so we have to watch him all the time and take him out of the crate, on the porch so he can get hungry again then put him back in his crate. He even gained some weight. He is a very happy kitty.
We also have many old kitties with arthritis, and kidney problems. Like humans, each cat has its own temperament and way of being. Just as you would not throw out your Grandmother or Grandfather … or perhaps you are and Grandma or Grandpa or old enough to be one…we do not believe older or challenged cats should be dispensed with because they need extra care and may not be as physically beautiful as their adolescent selves.
n addition to being rewarding, however, this extra care is well … guess what … very expensive…. And a lot, a lot of work…. In addition to joining us in spirit we are asking you to reach into your wallets with your hearts and in particular help pay the $9,000 veterinary bill we now have outstanding. Yes these bills are to cover many cats, not just the 3 blossoming cats above and I am happy to tell you about any of them if you want to call me, and if you want to sponsor any of them!!!
Thank you from their hearts and ours.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Jan. 8, 2023
From the cats and all of us at the Goathouse, a BIG, BIG thank you to all of you who donated to reach our matching goal!!!!
Only a group of people with shared values can reach the goals they work for. Together, we belong to something much bigger than ourselves. Your support is helping build a sanctuary for the old and non-adoptable cats at the Goathouse. With love for these sweet creatures, we can give them a serene life with the love, dignity and care they deserve and that many have never known. Thank you with all my heart! All of us, kitties and people wish you a great, serene, and rewarding 2023!!!!
Most of our sustainers and donors do not see what we see every day, the intentional and unintentional cruelty of some humans toward animals. What unites us is the love for the creatures we are protecting and our mission.
Please use your voices and your power to teach people the reality of animal pain! YES: you have power! Collectively we have great power. Your words, time, and commitment can help change the uncaring and often cruel human behavior towards animals. Please join us! Do what you know how to do: media, graphics, writing, make phone calls, be creative! Share our posts and your views wherever you can. The force of all of us can make a profound impact. This is an invitation to work together to change the cruel mentality of this world!!!
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Dec. 15, 2022
Dear friends and family of the Goathouse Refuge,
It is that time of year as we approach Thanksgiving and the Christmas Season that we always think back with the greatest gratitude for all that each of our donors has done for the refuge through these many years. Would you believe it? Almost 20 years! We simply would not exist if it were not for your trust and generosity; we would not have saved and found forever homes for more than 4,000 kittens and cats; and we would not today have with us approximately 100 cats that are too old, or too scared, or too disabled to find forever homes.
When I wrote to you in my September 24, 2022 letter that the Goathouse was going to change its focus from younger cats and kittens to the older, shyer, and harder-to-adopt-out cats, I hope I made clear that the Goathouse is only changing its focus from a refuge driven to adopt out as many cats and kittens as possible to a sanctuary for cats that have no other place to seek solace and care. The Goathouse has approximately 100 cats that fall in the “very unlikely to be adopted” category. And the transition I have in mind is only changing the Goathouse’s focus from a Refuge to a Sanctuary. As you may know, I have just finished three difficult years of health problems, and having reached my 82nd year, this refocusing makes great sense as I simply do not have the same energy as I had when I was a mere 60.
However, this is not to say that refocusing on cats that fall in the “very unlikely to be adopted-out category” is a smaller or easier task. My goal will be to bring public focus and sympathy to this category so that these animals can receive the dignity and respect that they have always deserved and so often have not received – just as so many senior humans have fallen into similar neglect and disrespect. I intend that this new focus on a sanctuary will affect minds and change the discourse about and treatment of our elderly feline sojourners.
All of this will, of course, take money. Yes, old cats, like people, have problems that need care. We still must work hard to find forever homes for our younger cats in the remainder of 2022 and into 2023 as needed. I know that you, my donors, are not surprised that I come to you at this time of year to ask for your continued participation and support. I am asking you to really think about these old beautiful, or just wise souls in pain with arthritis or dental disease who crave attention and affection. And most have need for medications, Vet care, good prescription food for renal or liver problems. So please be as generous as you can…. We will take very good care of them, and we are inviting people to come and love them with us!
I am feeling much better now and have returned to pottery, and I am finding again the joy of letting my hands, even if with arthritis like the old cats, make what they want, and I really like what is coming out. The proceeds from the pots and the donations given to the Goathouse by our friends and donors will all go to supporting the Goathouse operations: the staff, the vets, the upkeep of the buildings, and the care of these little hearts. Please dig deep into your pockets and support us this holiday season. Your donations this season will define whether I can pursue this dream with the ardor I wish to bring to its realization while I still have time.
You may donate online using the donate button below or by sending a check made out to Goathouse Refuge to the address at the end of this letter. And please come visit me, our wonderful staff, and the marvelous cats at the Refuge, and I will tell you of our plans for transitioning to a sanctuary and would love for you to do more than just impart your ideas, but to be part of the change.
I feel a deep sense of community, of kinship, with all the donors who have supported my dreams through the years. I delight in knowing you or finally meeting you or having a chance to place a voice with a face. It is a great joy for me, so please come to visit me here in the forest and the gorgeous gardens where I began the refuge more than 17 years ago.
We are grateful to everyone who has joined and stayed with us during this journey. You are proof that positive social change for the welfare and rights of animals is powerful when we stand together. Again, if you need a tax-deductible donation by the end of the year, please consider our work at Goathouse Refuge and click the donate button below.
A fine Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays to each of you,
Siglinda
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
August 28, 2022
From Refuge to a Place of Peace, Meditation, and Rest, for People and Animals
The Next Chapter in the Goathouse Refuge’s Remarkable Story of Philanthropy and Activism for cats
Dear Loyal Friend of the Goathouse:
From a childhood during the Italian Resistance to establishing the gold standard in the operation of a no-kill, animal refuge, I am asking you to help the Goathouse and all the volunteers walk through the door into the next chapter of this legendary place.
Today, at the age of 82-years young, I am hoping to transition into a more private, artistic/meditative retirement and transition the Goathouse Refuge into the Goathouse Sanctuary, which will be a home to a small number of old cats who have no other recourse, or whose humans have specified in their will or estate planning that their cats be cared for by us for the rest of their lives. Plans are still evolving, but the intention is to make this successor Sanctuary, with its cats and gardens, a place for human respite as well. I also would like to make it a resource for those of us who wish to have a place to rest and recharge for the day and become more sensitive in the ways of cats, especially communication.
In consultation with my board of directors, I am winding down a central part of the operation of the Goathouse Refuge.
As of August 1st, the Goathouse no longer has been taking in abandoned cats. Rather, the volunteer staff and I have been directing pet owners to other appropriate operations.
Over the course of the next two to three months, the Goathouse is actively committed to finding forever homes for our adoptable cats. For those cats for whom adoption is not a possibility, we are setting up a permanent sanctuary where they may live out their lives in dignity and safety with our care. We will be accepting a limited number of cats whose families want to make sure they have a place to go should something happen to the family.
The work entailed in establishing and maintaining a sanctuary for the remaining cats is still sizeable and costly, especially since a hallmark of this transition is to maintain the highest standard of care that gives its feline charges the dignity and respect they so rightly deserve.
We need your help to moving from a busy adoption and refuge center to a sanctuary. Specifically, the staff and I very much need help to move the adoptable cats into forever homes or high-quality adoption programs in the next few months.
We all relish our partnership with you and our network of more than 4,700 donors who have sustained our work of the past 20 years, and who will support us and the animals in this time of transition and for the future of the organization.
We will continue to welcome visitors to find peace and rest and to recharge their souls from the difficult lives we all live, celebrate the lives of the remaining cats and to enjoy the beautiful gardens and sturdy kilns, where I will return to the active creation of my work of pottery that will help sustain the lives of our remaining animal charges.
Please, will you help us shepherd the Refuge safely, securely, and in an orderly manner to successfully care for the cats in this time of transition and beyond, and be part of our new Goathouse Sanctuary?
We cannot accomplish this transition without your help. We welcome you all to be part of our new, beautiful, serene, organization.
Thank you!
Siglinda Scarpa
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Siglinda is back home and doing great!
2/11/22
Dec. 8, 2020
…… Something very important to remember in this time of loss, heartbreaking troubles…loneliness and anxiety……
“It was then that the fox appeared.
“Good morning,” said the fox.
“Good morning,” the little prince responded politely, although when he turned around he saw nothing.
“I am right here,” the voice said, “under the apple tree.”
“Who are you?” asked the little prince, and added, “You are very pretty to look at.”
“I am a fox,” the fox said.
“Come and play with me,” proposed the little prince. “I am so unhappy.”
“I cannot play with you,” the fox said. “I am not tamed.”
“Ah! Please excuse me,” said the little prince.
But, after some thought, he added:
“What does that mean–‘tame’?”
“You do not live here,” said the fox. “What is it that you are looking for?”
“I am looking for men,” said the little prince. “What does that mean–‘tame’?”
“Men,” said the fox. “They have guns, and they hunt. It is very disturbing. They also raise chickens. These are their only interests. Are you looking for chickens?”
“No,” said the little prince. “I am looking for friends. What does that mean–‘tame’?”
“It is an act too often neglected,” said the fox. It means to establish ties.”
“‘To establish ties’?”
“Just that,” said the fox. “To me, you are still nothing more than a little boy who is just like a hundred thousand other little boys. And I have no need of you. And you, on your part, have no need of me. To you, I am nothing more than a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But if you tame me, then we shall need each other. To me, you will be unique in all the world. To you, I shall be unique in all the world . . .”
“I am beginning to understand,” said the little prince. “There is a flower . . . I think that she has tamed me . . .”
“It is possible,” said the fox. “On the Earth one sees all sorts of things.”
“Oh, but this is not on the Earth!” said the little prince.
The fox seemed perplexed, and very curious.
“On another planet?”
“Yes.”
“Are there hunters on that planet?”
“No.”
“Ah, that is interesting! Are there chickens?”
“No.”
“Nothing is perfect,” sighed the fox.
But he came back to his idea.
“My life is very monotonous,” the fox said. “I hunt chickens; men hunt me. All the chickens are just alike, and all the men are just alike. And, in consequence, I am a little bored. But if you tame me, it will be as if the sun came to shine on my life. I shall know the sound of a step that will be different from all the others. Other steps send me hurrying back underneath the ground. Yours will call me, like music, out of my burrow. And then look: you see the grain-fields down yonder? I do not eat bread. Wheat is of no use to me. The wheat fields have nothing to say to me. And that is sad. But you have hair that is the color of gold. Think how wonderful that will be when you have tamed me! The grain, which is also golden, will bring me back the thought of you. And I shall love to listen to the wind in the wheat . . .”
The fox gazed at the little prince, for a long time.
“Please–tame me!” he said.
“I want to, very much,” the little prince replied. “But I have not much time. I have friends to discover, and a great many things to understand.”
“One only understands the things that one tames,” said the fox. “Men have no more time to understand anything. They buy things all ready made at the shops. But there is no shop anywhere where one can buy friendship, and so men have no friends any more. If you want a friend, tame me . . .”
“What must I do, to tame you?” asked the little prince.
“You must be very patient,” replied the fox. “First you will sit down at a little distance from me–like that–in the grass. I shall look at you out of the corner of my eye, and you will say nothing. Words are the source of misunderstandings. But you will sit a little closer to me, every day . . .”
The next day the little prince came back.
“It would have been better to come back at the same hour,” said the fox. “If, for example, you come at four o’clock in the afternoon, then at three o’clock I shall begin to be happy. I shall feel happier and happier as the hour advances. At four o’clock, I shall already be worrying and jumping about. I shall show you how happy I am! But if you come at just any time, I shall never know at what hour my heart is to be ready to greet you . . . One must observe the proper rites . . .”
“What is a rite?” asked the little prince.
“Those also are actions too often neglected,” said the fox. “They are what make one day different from other days, one hour from other hours. There is a rite, for example, among my hunters. Every Thursday they dance with the village girls. So Thursday is a wonderful day for me! I can take a walk as far as the vineyards. But if the hunters danced at just any time, every day would be like every other day, and I should never have any vacation at all.”
So the little prince tamed the fox. And when the hour of his departure drew near–
“Ah,” said the fox, “I shall cry.”
“It is your own fault,” said the little prince. “I never wished you any sort of harm; but you wanted me to tame you . . .”
“Yes, that is so,” said the fox.
“But now you are going to cry!” said the little prince.
“Yes, that is so,” said the fox.
“Then it has done you no good at all!”
“It has done me good,” said the fox, “because of the color of the wheat fields.” And then he added:
“Go and look again at the roses. You will understand now that yours is unique in all the world. Then come back to say goodbye to me, and I will make you a present of a secret.”
The little prince went away, to look again at the roses.
“You are not at all like my rose,” he said. “As yet you are nothing. No one has tamed you, and you have tamed no one. You are like my fox when I first knew him. He was only a fox like a hundred thousand other foxes. But I have made him my friend, and now he is unique in all the world.”
And the roses were very much embarrassed.
“You are beautiful, but you are empty,” he went on. “One could not die for you. To be sure, an ordinary passerby would think that my rose looked just like you–the rose that belongs to me. But in herself alone she is more important than all the hundreds of you other roses: because it is she that I have watered; because it is she that I have put under the glass globe; because it is she that I have sheltered behind the screen; because it is for her that I have killed the caterpillars (except the two or three that we saved to become butterflies); because it is she that I have listened to, when she grumbled, or boasted, or ever sometimes when she said nothing. Because she is my rose.
And he went back to meet the fox.
“Goodbye,” he said.
“Goodbye,” said the fox. “And now here is my secret, a very simple secret: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
“What is essential is invisible to the eye,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.
“It is the time you have wasted for your rose that makes your rose so important.”
“It is the time I have wasted for my rose–” said the little prince, so that he would be sure to remember.
“Men have forgotten this truth,” said the fox. “But you must not forget it. You become responsible, fore
ver, for what you have tamed. You are responsible for your rose . . .”
“I am responsible for my rose,” the little prince repeated, so that he would be sure to remember.”
(Excerpt from The Little Princeby
Here, at Goathouse all the cats are our cats, we are responsible for our cats…. And I want to make sure we all remember it! When we lose them we remember all the special personalities: Oscar, the boss of the feral family, one eye and 3 legs… all his friends revered him and we all loved him, Dixie, taking time to let you pet her but loving it and then touching the ground with her beautiful head to say thank you!!! Adriano, polydactyl, with huge 6 toes paws that loves to place his paws on my mouth to be kissed, without using his nails…. Twig, that every day brought me twigs, after searching in the woods the most perfect one! Asha, gently touching my lips with hers for a very gentle kiss… Ernesto squeaking instead of meowing… and always sleeping on my pillow… Cowboy….. my heart, hard to describe how incredible he was! Little Mu, smiling at me when I hold him upside down like a baby, Moo Moo, who comes, many times every day, looking for me to make sure I am here… and I love him! So many, so many!!!!
I am asking you, all our supporters, friends and followers to post on their County’s Next Door our posts, help us find more friends, donors, sustainers, people who care about our work. We are not a shelter, we are a Refuge. We do not kill the creatures, we bring them to our wonderful Vets to care for them and if they need it we take them to specialty hospitals… Pinocchio is now getting Chemo therapy at VSH, because he is s strong cat, he has cancer, but he is not ready to die. Dr Ruslander says we can give him 6 to 8 months of good life…. When he will not have a good life anymore our caring Veterinarian will gently put him to sleep in my arms, and, yes, I will cry but I will always remember his sweet, beautiful eyes and he coming to watch TV with me , the other cats and the puppies before going to sleep. We all feel the depression, the lack of money, the fear of not going to make it…. Some changes are brutal for many families… we try to help with their pets, because they must leave them behind…. But we cannot help all…. It is extremely painful! When I see the kitties sleeping so happy, with their full bellies, on soft blankets and
(pic courtesy of Pinterest)
beds, my heart aches imagining having to leave them behind outside in the cold…. Without food or a warm place to sleep…. I don’t believe that I could survive it! Please, link our FB to yours, spread the word about our work of love…. Help us!
Thank you friends, and be sure you are very careful and safe!
With love,
Siglinda
THE BIRTH OF THE GOATHOUSE REFUGE 
Many people do not know how the Goathouse Refuge came to be, nor how many caring individuals have supported it, contributing so much of their time and resources to make it the saving place it has become. In this short space, our founder, Siglinda Scarpa, tells of how the Goathouse Refuge became a haven for both cats and people.
In the mid 1980’s she wanted to leave the hustle and bustle of the large city to live in a place where she and her two cats felt safe and she could build a pottery studio. A visit to ru
stic hills of Chatham County, North Carolina was all that was needed to make her decision. Finding a listing for a property just put onto the market, that had a big barn like irregular house in the middle of the woods and a very old dilapidated southern farm house whose resident was a goat. Literally a Goathouse Refuge! Siglinda thinking, it was perfect—so perfect that before the purchase was finalized , planted a quince tree on the land in celebration of the discovery.
As neighbors became aware of Siglinda’s love of animals, word spread and every so often someone would visit and ask if she had room or a home to take their cat or dog. She also became aware that North Carolina is one of the few states in the nation that allows shelters to regularly euthanize excess pets of time or their limits. Siglinda being aghast at the idea of a litter of kittens or puppies being gassed or otherwise put to death abhorrent. Thus, she adopted or fostered these animals.
One day a woman from Alley Cat Allies called asking if she had room for animals displaced by Hurricane Katrina survivors who may very well be put to death.. Of course, she said yes, and six cats joined her fami
ly with Ma Mao and Passera. It did not take long before more calls came in about animals heading to a kill shelter, and soon the population added another 19 cats from a deceased owner who left a bequest in his estate to care for the cats. Arrangements were made for Siglinda to take them and using the funds from the will was able to install fencing to give them safe outdoor access. The dream she had as a little girl growing up in postwar Italy, to be with and help animals was quickly becoming a reality. As the number of cats grew, so did the work involved to care for and feed them.
Over time she realized that to properly care for and feed all of the animals that found their way to this magical garden spot in rural Chatham County the Goathouse Refuge needed to become a non-profit organization to raise the funds needed for all the animals calling the Goathouse Refuge home. Before long, the shelters learned of this magical refuge for cats and animals the flood gates opened. Over the years, the Goathouse Refuge has grown to include more animals whether it is their forever home or temporary while they seek temporary care and love before finding their forever homes.
Siglinda, a woman on a mission, has put the fruits of her life’s work and countless hours over 30 years into nourishing and sustaining the Goathouse Refuge. This includes her inheritance from her family in Italy. Hiring many people to work here and help care for the animals. Policies and procedures have been instituted, a board of directors has been formed, and there are many volunteers that spend countless hours helping with the care, adoption and fundraising that the animals and their temporary or permanent home requires.
The next 30 years for the Goathouse Refuge she and the volunteers hope to see it continue to provide a refuge, both permanent or temporary, for the cats that need a home. Provide a place for people to come visit and socialize with the cats and if able, adopt them. To help foster more knowledge and understanding of cat health, behaviors, medical needs, nutrition, and cat personalities to educate both potential families for the cats and cat professionals alike. To provide a means for a cat caregiver to find a home for their cats should they know longer be able to provide a home for them. And So Much More.
This year of COVID induced distraction and economic hardship is threatening the very existence of the Goathouse Refuge, just like many charitable organizations. Unlike some non-profits the Goathouse does not directly shelter, feed or educate humans. It cares for animals and primarily cats. Here at the refuge each animal is an individual with feelings. Each animal can feel the pain of loss and loneliness as we do.
Animals that come here and respond to this haven, blooming in surprising ways and revealing personalities and behaviors most of us could never imagine. Then there are the humans who come to visit, almost all find comfort here and sustenance for their souls. In addition to the care and compassion all who come here find, many 
humans find an outlet for the love they cannot feel or express elsewhere. This too is the beauty and a saving grace of the Goathouse Refuge. Please help us continue this work of mercy as we weather the financial winter this pandemic has brought us. At this point the Goathouse Refuge really does depend on your support and generosity.
To honor this legacy and to help us build for the future, please consider donating now or become a monthly sustainer.
Sincerely,
Helena Openshaw
Jeff Vojta
Board members.
Special Stories of Special Cats Your Support Helps
Dec. 10, 2020
Pewter’s Story (from Pewter’s Humans)
“To all the good folks at the Goathouse Refuge,
It’s coming up on the 3rd year since the cat you knew as Pewter came to live with us and its past time for us to thank you for saving this most wonderful cat! The info about him along with his photo when he was up for adoption said he was “complex”. We were not sure what this meant but have come to understand it. Through the years we have had many cats but none quite like Pewter. He is by far the most intelligent cat we have ever encountered.
He settled into his new life quickly and seems quite content. When the weather is nice, he loves to be on the screened porch and never shows any disappointment that he cannot go out in the yard. He is also very affectionate and a true snuggle kitty. Very attached to his humans and sticks close to us throughout the day. He is in excellent health thanks to all the Goathouse Refuge did to save him when he was with you.
Since we joke that cats have 9 lives, we think they can also have several names. It struck us that he must have had quite a past, has a military air about him and because of his considerable size we call him Major Biggs. Biggy for short. He likes routine and runs the household like a ranking officer should. He knows what he wants and how to communicate it and we are more than happy to focus on him. We love him dearly and he makes us happy every day.
Thank you for all you do. Each and every cat is worth saving and deserve a second chance like 
the one you gave Pewter/Biggy.”
By Permission of Major Biggs!
6/21/20
Tiny Tina
Tiny Tina had her surgery and was released from Quartet Specialty Hospital last night. She will remain on pain medication and is staying in Siglinda’s house where she can be constantly monitored. She received a pin in the tibia breaks in both back legs and mesh skin to hold the recentering of the breaks together. She has tongue depressors on both legs as splints, held in place with sparkling purple bandage fabric! An incision had been made in her hip that had numerous stitches for the realignment of the break in her pelvis and she is wearing a green mini cone. She was put in her cage and settled in nicely. She is to see a vet in 15 days to have her bandages replaced and to give them a chance to see how the healing is progressing. We will let you know how that goes with a future update. We are so thankful for your support in making this happen for her. You can see all the updates on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/TheGoathouseRefuge
“Dear Goathouse Rescue family,
We thank you for entrusting us with Tiny Tina’s care. Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Tiny Tina!
~ The Quartet Surgery medical team
Please find attached our clinical summary for Tiny Tina:” clinicalSummary_AN155171_CN490531_S10582
9/15/20 UPDATE
Now three months later, Tiny Tina had her surgery and is recovering. Her foster father fell in love and permanently adopted Tina. Her new dad is a musician with a drum set and Tina likes to play the kick drum! She is able to be a kitten, full of life, and hopefully a long playful life. Thank you all for making this happen.
May 29,2020
Miele
You will be loved and all your hurts will be healed now sweet boy.
This sweet and very affectionate boy was recently owner surrendered to a shelter at 3 years old, 7 lbs, and is FIV positive. He was brought in with painful, enlarged red pads on all his feet. Miele was abandoned when he desperately needed someone to care for him and fortunately the Goathouse was able to take him in.
You can see the pictures below of when he arrived at the Goathouse, and after pictures from getting medical treatment. We wrapped his feet in a mixture of raw honey and a paste of prednizolone…. and he is still on doxycycline. He gained almost two lbs and he is not anemic anymore. Miele is happy to walk around the house and the porch! A very happy cat and happy to get all the affection he can find….
Will you help us continue to make a difference for cats like these?
https://www.goathouserefuge.org/become-a-sustainer/
Dear Goathouse Refuge Staff,
I hope this message finds you, your loved ones, and the cats healthy and well during this crazy time. I adopted McKinley from The Cat Tales Cafe, where I volunteer, last September. I’ve been wanting to update you for a while now and am so sorry it’s taken me this long! This will be novel so I apologize in advance.
I first met McKinley at the end of August 2019 and took the attached Bow Tie picture. I sent it to everyone I knew because, a cat in a bowtie! And a handsome cat in a bow tie at that. Katy told me how shy he was and that everyone was hoping he would find his home through the cafe. McKinley stayed on that shelf for my entire shift but he let me pet him for thirty minutes straight. His purring then, and now, is not like a motor but more a grunting! Two weeks later I returned to the cafe and McKinley was still there. There was something about this cat that made me want to give him a home. I had just moved to Carrboro for a new job at UNC a couple months prior after staying with a friend in Charlotte, who has 7 cats. I didn’t have cats growing up due to allergies so those 7 were my introduction to cat care, behavior, and getting used to being around them.
It took only one week from filling out the application to bringing him home. I brought him home on my 40th birthday: Friday, September 27th. My original plans of celebrating with friends over margaritas and tacos turned into sitting on my kitchen floor with this new cat (who was hiding behind my bicycle because he had not yet found the bedroom) and eating a slice of birthday cake. McKinley slept under my bed that entire next day. I don’t have children but I would check on him hourly out of nerves to make sure he was okay and still breathing!
Very, VERY, slowly McKinley has become less shy but is still cautious. He curls up against me at night in bed but runs away when there’s a knock on the door. He gives the best stink eye of anyone I know and makes the best biscuits. McKinley does NOT like to be picked up (it took me an hour once to catch him and get him into his carrier for the vet) and requires the bathroom be empty with the light off to do his business (he screamed at me once to get out of the bathroom because it was his turn. I wish it was recorded). McKinley is not a Lounge In the Sunlight cat but the opposite, under the couch until dinner time for him.
McKinley is affectionate on his terms and in his own way. Being a first time cat owner, having a cat with this behavior is humbling and is continuously teaching me patience. Through Facebook comments after his adoption, I learned his origin story how he and his litter mates were fostered by a former Goathouse volunteer who passed away, and then was returned to the Refuge to later be passed over. I am so sorry for the loss of your friend and volunteer. My uncle passed away from cancer in October and it sucks. I was told her birthday was around mine and I like to think she had a part in bringing McKinley and I together.
I’m sad to report he no longer is wearing the bow tie! I regrettably took it off in October when he lost weight following the transition and it was hanging around his neck getting in the way. I still have it though and am hopeful one day he will let me put it back on! I wasn’t looking to adopt a cat so soon to moving here but the universe had other plans. Despite his off-putish attitude, I know he loves me in small ways every day. And I love him right back. Thank you all for loving him. It isn’t something I’ve forgotten and I promise to update you more often!
May 5, 2020
All of these happy endings and second chances would not be possible without donations from YOU.
Such as was with Jackie Sparrow. She is a sweet, adorable little girl who was shot with a gun in her eye. She had her surgery, her eye removed, and was pampered for 2 months at the Goathouse with special food, fluids, anti-nausea and Vitamin B12. She finally started to gain weight, recovered nicely and then was adopted from Cat Tales Cat Café!
May 5, 2020
Layna
Layna was adopted in the summer of 2016. Layna used to spend a lot of time outside, near the back of the refuge, which is where she got shot by someone from the neighboring shooting range that was open at the time. She was shy but once she got to know and trust you, she was incredibly sweet, and she even drools a little when she purrs. She always struck us also as a smart cat.
Her new mom wrote:
Goathouse came to Layna’s rescue more than once. When she was picked up by a shelter with her newborns, deemed feral and going to be euthanized along with all her kittens, Goathouse saved her. When she was intentionally shot twice by some horrible person, and anyone else would have given up on her, Goathouse saved her. They saved her because they knew no matter how unlikely to be adopted she was, or how difficult her situation was, that her life was worth something. And she’s worth everything to me!
May 5, 2020
Abner
The Goathouse Refuge is a no-kill shelter that serves two important roles: a stopover for cats on their way to permanent homes, and a permanent shelter for cats that just need a place they can call their own regardless of age, medical issues or disposition.
You may remember Abner. This beautiful, sweet boy with glorious green eyes who loves to be around people and would show off by rolling around on the ground in front of them, but just in that moment when they would reach to pet him, he would get a little over excited and kind of jump out of the way, only to immediately begin again rolling on the ground and being a tease. Abner needed a loving family to help him bridge that last little gap. Abner came to the refuge at 2 months old in 2008 and lived here for 11 years and 3 months! On day 4120 Abner went to his forever home! Experienced cat owners who understood patience, cat communication/body language and the need to allow the cat to bloom and bond 100% at their own pace over time.
May 2, 2020
Wendy
She came to us in 2014 with a broken pelvis and foot from a trauma that had already healed misaligned. She had to have an emergency C-section because her kittens were unable to pass through her pelvis, and this is why she limps and has arthritis. Wendy was adopted in 2016 and then sadly returned four years following because one of the adopter’s dogs became ill and started to attack Wendy, which was a very traumatic experience for her and caused her to become defensive and/or fearful around other cats and dogs. Wendy isn’t particularly fond of being held, but she does love people and is otherwise a very sweet and affectionate girl. She just needed to find her forever family and your donations helped us take care of her until that happened.
Last year she was adopted by the perfect family and they write:
She seems to have adjusted just fine. She loves to just lay on top of us and she gets up on my desk when I’m studying and just lays between me and my laptop lol. Shes eating ok and loves the wet food we feed her. She has even gotten used to the regular guests we have over and sleeps on their laps too if she gets the chance. We got a few toys that she occasionally plays with but she still loves her scratch pad.
May 1, 2020
Blue Belle
She came to the refuge in 2008 after being abandoned in a carrier. Blue Belle lived at the Goathouse for 9 and a half years before being adopted at the beginning of 2018 at the age of 13. She has a very special relationship with the youngest son in the family and it brings us tears of joy to see.
Her mom writes:
To say she is spoiled may be an understatement! She loves laying in front of the fireplace and has a bed in our living room and her own personal tent upstairs lol. She is very comfortable here and she loves to crawl up in the sun or in front of the fireplace on cold days. She typically sleeps With our 15-year-old son and his room overnight but loves to cuddle up on anybody any chance she gets. She is such a SWEET girl and she knows she has a good life! She brings us a lot of laughter and lots of snuggles at night, she loves to knead on our bellies before settling in to sleep a bit. We have the deck gated in so she gets to sit out there during nice days and take in the air and nature, she sometimes begs to go out there! We are so grateful for her and I know she feels the same! We are so blessed to have her, she always has to stretch out her arms to be sure she is touching as many of us as she can at one time!
Omero and Cheetah
Do you remember our 2 special kitties Omero, who is blind, and Cheetah, who had only partial use of his hind legs due to a trauma to his spine suffered two months prior to being brought to the refuge? It was a long road but these cats are doing so well, are best friends and as happy as can be. Cheetah has even been able to start walking some on his back legs due to daily physical therapy. Neither cat lets their physical differences prevent them from zipping around and doing cat things. They would not have survived a shelter in their condition and the Goathouse was able to give them a real quality of life they deserve.
Marissa
April 4, 2020
One and a half years ago you let me drive up to NC from Florida just after hurricane Florence and adopt an orange and white cat that lived in your office named Marissa. I love my little girl…now over 14 years old. I can’t thank you enough. She sleeps with me every night, stays on my bed each day watching Animal planet, steps down to use the litter box, gets fed sitting on the bed, and when down using the litter box goes on walk-about around the house. Thank you so much for letting me adopt her. Now that I have to teach using distance learning I get to spend more time with her. I retire after next school year and will be able to become a full time cat(4) and dog(1) mom. I recently told the parent of one of my students she needs to Google Goathouse Refuge and watch the videos. She wants to become a rescue some day. My house would not be complete without my Marissa. God bless you, and please stay healthy (you and your volunteers)for the kitties as well as each family.
November, 2019
Hello Goathouse! I adopted Marissa about 14 months ago after Hurricane Florence. Marissa is doing so well! She has been with me for over a year now and is a loved little girl at about 14 years old. I love her more and more every day. She gingerly climbs on top of my chest each morning to say hello. We snuggle a little and she gets petted on the forehead where she likes it most. Thank you so much for my sweet baby!! Marissa is one of my many blessings….only 4 cats and 1 dog are included in those blessings. I wanted to let you know that at Thanksgiving time and always, I am thankful for my little girl. I often refer to her as my pumpkin pie with whipped cream because of her coloring. Since adopting her I have started volunteering at our Humane Society. We are no kill. Our county shelter just recently went no kill as well. Yay!! Thank you again for the blessing of Marissa!
