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.

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.

In 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.

Siglinda and the Goathouse Feline Sanctuary Team

Click here to watch video of Siglinda with Maple:

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