Sponsor a Coffee Cat

Meet some of our Special Needs kitties. Oscar had to have an eye and leg removed. Patches requires a daily bath. Princess uses special kitty litter because of skin allergies. Toast & Mittens needed extensive dental care. Due to advanced age, health, physical or temperament issues, the chance of adoption for these cats is considerably lower than our other cats and many of them will likely be lifelong residents at the Goathouse Refuge. For a tax-deductible donation in your name or that of a loved one, you can sponsor one of our special needs or feral cats.

A contribution of $30 per month, about the same amount that many people spend on their daily coffee habit, will provide food, veterinary care and litter for your new friend, and greatly help the refuge to continue to operate.

Do you know someone who wants to help the cats, but...

• is allergic?
• travels too much?
• lives near a busy road?
• or already has a house full?

A donation to a special needs cat in their name would make a lovely gift. Donate securely via PayPal, and email siglinda@earthlink.net with the name of your cat and for additional details.

Meet a few of our cats needing sponsorship:
Patches | Oscar | Endora | Princess | Spazzacamino | Toast & Mittens

View other donation and gift options.

Thank you for supporting the Goathouse Refuge!

Cats of the Week: Oliver and Danimals

UPDATE: Danimals has been adopted, and Oliver went into a foster home.

We are in urgent need of foster homes or permanent homes for these two sweet and stressed-out kitties!

Oliver and Danimals were rescued from a public shelter a couple of months ago. While they are both friendly and love people, they are not very comfortable living at the Refuge. There are simply too many other cats, and it makes them unhappy and scared.

Oliver is a handsome tabby gentleman, about 6 years old. Danimals is a young and petite tabby girl with a cute round face. Both of them love to be petted. We think they will be wonderful companions once they are in safe and loving homes where they can relax and be happy.

Please consider opening your home and your heart to these nice cats!

See more photos of Danimals.

See more photos of Oliver.

Dr. Lucy's Healing Touch

Lucy (formerly known as Heather when she was at the Goathouse Refuge) was adopted by Eugene and Mary of Chapel Hill on November 9, 2009. That day is when the love affair between Lucy and Gene began. Each was thoroughly entranced by the other. Lucy would watch Gene get dressed every morning, and once he was comfortably located in his favorite armchair, she would proceed to give him his hairdo for the day. Gene remembered time by "before we got Lucy" and "after we got Lucy."

On December 11, 2010, Gene had a massive heart attack and was taken by ambulance to North Carolina Memorial Hospital where he currently resides in the Intensive Care Unit. After sedating him heavily for the first 48 hours, the medical staff is currently working to revive his responses. While he responds mildly to the names of family members, it has been noted that he responds most actively when the name "LUCY" is mentioned.

It is our hope that Lucy will be able to visit Gene in the hospital when he is transferred to a private room. In the meantime, Lucy's veterinarian has suggested that the family bring one of Lucy's toys or blankets for him to hold....better yet, a piece of her fur.

Medical science has made amazing discoveries, but it is when Gene holds Lucy in his lap that his ailing heart is provided with what it most needs. Nothing is as important as what is HEARTFELT.

Happy Tails: Diotima and Ornella

We wanted to wish everyone at Goathouse Refuge a Merry Christmas!

Dee Dee and Bella (formerly Diotima and Ornella) are doing very well and seem very happily adjusted to our family. My four children and I all love cats, so we love to visit Goathouse Refuge to socialize and play with the kitties whenever possible. We decided to adopt one of our favorites, a cat named Diotima, whom we renamed DeeDee because the kids could never pronounce Diotima :) We also were blessed to bring home a sweet little cat named Ornella (who is now Bella), who needed a loving home and lots of attention from little children, which we certainly provide!

DeeDee and Bella get along well, and they have become buddies with our 15 year old cat Calvin. The children absolutely love them, and the feeling is mutual. They look forward to playing with DeeDee and Bella every day, and DeeDee is exceptionally playful. We recently discovered that they love to chase a little red laser light! Bella is a little lover who loves to be by your side and also loves to snuggle. Both DeeDee and Bella often like to sleep on our beds at night, and the kids love it when one of them chooses their bed to sleep on! We are delighted to have these cats as members of our family. Thank you to Siglinda and all the staff and volunteers at Goathouse Refuge for all that you do.

Meet Sterling!

UPDATE: Sterling has been adopted. Yay!

Sterling is a foster kitten with a Goathouse Refuge volunteer and does not live at the refuge. He acts like a little puppy, following people around the house to see what they are doing. He was found unfixed and shivering in the cold outside an apt. complex in Durham. He's very friendly and purrs if you just look at him. He likes to be held and cuddled. He’s very playful and his kitten antics provide lots of entertainment. He's good with other cats and probably good with kids because he's so outgoing. He's a little nervous around dogs but could easily be trained. He should go to a home with other pets because he gets lonesome without a playmate. Approx DOB Spring 2010. Email his foster family at 6babykittens@gmail.com.

Happy Tails: Laura

A note from Laura's new mom:

Just a little update on Laura. She is doing beautifully, eating well of course, with extra bits of this and that, her coat is so soft and smooth and shiny - must be the good food she eats. Josie and she do very well together, and Laura is always running up and down the stairs and stays very busy. She is very, very gentle, loves all the people that come into my house and is very affectionate. Both kitties sleep with me most nights - all cuddled up and they both have their favorite chairs to lounge on during the day in the livingroom.

I am so glad that I fully adopted Laura now - she is a joy.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you both and your families. May next year be the best year ever.

Love,
Sue

Cat of the Week: Ringo

Ringo has been at the Refuge for three years now. He came as part of a litter of kittens (John, Paul, George, and Ringo) in December 2007 when he was about one month old. Paul and George were adopted together, and John passed away in summer of 2009. Ringo is still waiting for his family to come for him.

Ringo is very exotic looking with a sleek grey coat and large shiny green eyes. He's an easy going and friendly cat who gets along with everyone. His high-pitched meow sounds so funny coming from such a manly guy! Ringo is very much a cat...independent, intelligent, curious, and wonderful in his own way. Please consider opening your home and your heart to this fine fellow.

See more photos of Ringo.

Chatham Studio Tour: First Two Weekends in December

Please visit the Goathouse Gallery during the 18th Annual Chatham Studio Tour.

1st weekend
Saturday, December 4 & Sunday, December 5, 10am-5pm

2nd weekend
Saturday, December 11 & Sunday, December 12, 10am-5pm

Come see Siglinda's wonderful pottery, tiles, and sculpture. Purchase a holiday gift for that special person on your list, and the proceeds will benefit the Goathouse Refuge. What could be better!

And please stop by the Refuge to pet some kitties!

Cat of the Week: Alex

If you come to visit the Goathouse Refuge, you are sure to meet Alex! He's an out-going and curious guy who wants to make friends with everyone he meets. Alex is a handsome orange and white boy who was rescued from a kill shelter just before his time was up. He's happy to be alive and is ready to find a family to call his very own. Approx. date of birth: March 2008. Come meet this wonderful fellow soon!

View more photos of Alex.