Our Process
A Goathouse Refuge cat will be a rescued cat or kitten from the community. They may have been surrendered by their owners, found living outdoors, picked up from animal shelters in the area, or by any other way a cat or kitten has found itself alone in the world and is in need of rescuing.
All Goathouse cats ready for adoption will have been spayed or neutered at our local veterinarian hospitals, unless we have records or absolute proof that this has been done previously, and they will be microchipped. They are tested negative for FIV/feline leukemia, given their first vaccines, de-wormed, and observed and treated by local veterinarians for any other conditions they may have.
They are socialized in a loving environment with other cats and plenty of humans. After an initial quarantine period where they are kept caged, they are released into the Refuge and allowed to run around freely all day.
We have a policy of not allowing kittens to be adopted until they are four months old, and then, only to families with no children under the age of six years. Kittens must be at least nine months old before they are adopted into homes with children under the age of six years. We also require kittens to be adopted in pairs until they are five months old, as they are very bonded to their siblings and kitten friends and can become quite depressed and stressed due to the separation. If you have any questions about this policy, please contact us.
All adoption applications will be reviewed by the refuge adoption committee. Applicants must be at least 21 years old to apply. If the applicants seem to be a good fit for the cat or cats of interest, the refuge will contact the interested party to set up a virtual home visit. Only after a representative of the refuge has conducted a virtual home visit will they consider continuing with the adoption process.
Once a home is considered safe for our cats, an appointment is scheduled to complete the adoption where paperwork will be signed, the applicant pays an adoption fee of $125 per cat, and the cat will be ready to take home. This fee covers the spaying/neutering and all vaccinations that ensure the cat will have a healthy and happy life with their new family.
Some of our cats and kittens have “sponsored” next to their names. These kitties have a guardian angel who wants to see them in a happy, loving home and has sponsored part or all of their adoption fee. With an approved application, you can adopt a sponsored cat(s) and use the money you saved to buy them some really cool toys, or you can pay it forward and sponsor another cat, or make a donation to go towards the care of the cats.