There aren’t many places in today’s world that offer ongoing, unconditional care to animals in need, but that’s exactly what we provide at the Goathouse Refuge. We are a cat sanctuary, a place where cats that have been abandoned or lost can be safe and warm and happy, where cats who have had to live at the margins of the modern world can find a place where they are welcome. The Refuge is a place where no cat will be refused due to age, illness or disposition. Even cats that are “unadoptable” can live in comfort, with the care, attention and love they deserve. The sanctuary also accepts FIV+ cats and is devoted to their care like any of the other residents and no cat will be euthanized unless it is suffering and there is no hope of recovery. Our ultimate goal is to connect every cat with a loving family who wants to share their life with a wonderful feline companion. Typically, 25 – 30 cats are adopted every month from our facility, and since we keep all of our cats up to date on their vaccinations and check-ups and make sure they lead interactive, social lives, adoptions from Goathouse Refuge are easy and effective. Since our founding in 2007, we’ve placed over 2,500 cats into loving, permanent homes. Unfortunately, not every cat is destined to be a typical pet. Some have medical issues that require daily care; some grew up as feral cats and don’t have the disposition for domestic life; and sometimes, there just aren’t enough homes to go around. But Siglinda Scarpa, who founded Goathouse Refuge years ago, believes every cat has the right to a life free from both danger and indifference. The Refuge is designed so that cats can spend long periods of time here comfortably, awaiting adoption. In fact, it is designed so that a cat could spend years, or even its entire lifetime, at the sanctuary. This means that cages are only used in intake when a new cat arrives and needs to adjust and feel safe, or in the infirmary to be able to medicate and care for ill kitties, or for feeding cats with special diets (but only for feeding and then the cats will be free to roam and play around with the other cats in the refuge indoor and outdoor safely). We only spay and neuter kittens once they weigh 5 pounds, to insure that their organs and their bones are well grown and well-formed and they have strong teeth. They are adopted after they have been spayed/neutered, fully vaccinated and microchipped. Old cats get their dental surgeries… injured or sick kitties will go to our veterinarians and/or specialty hospitals including the Vet School… and Homeopathic/Alternative Veterinarians. And, of course, all of the cats are given human attention, love and interaction, along with high-quality food and prescription food if needed. This is the philosophy we operate by at Goathouse Refuge, 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. That’s what we do at Goathouse Refuge. We think it’s worthwhile work. We hope you think so, too.
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. 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 home visit. Only after a representative of the refuge has visited the applicant’s home 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, 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.
Pittsboro NC | 6 miles away
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Pittsboro NC 27312 | 6 miles away
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Pittsboro NC 27312 | 8.5 miles away
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Siler City NC 27344 | 12.4 miles away
We have many pets for adoption. Some have been through hard times and others were just dropped off at the clinic. We believe every animal at the clinic deserves a fair chance to find their forever homes. Take a look at our pets for adoptions below. If you would like to come in and meet with one of our animals give us a call to set up an appointment.