Goathouse Refuge

What a nice place and the cats all look pretty healthy and there are many many cats. The place seems really clean for so many cats and what a selection. They have cats of every kind. I woudl say the only think I woudl have liked to see woudl have been a visiting room. We wee there to see a cat who was kenneled and we really could not put him down. That would have been helpful. But all in all I like the place. Not sure if I like that the cats can go outside but I do think the people seems knowledgeable and friendly… the cats too :)

We found our second cat Nikko at Goathouse Refuge (a real life cat city on a peaceful farm in Pittsboro) and couldn’t be more happy. The refuge was really beautiful and the volunteers were so nice. We told them about how our first cat was deaf and quite tiny, so we needed a companion who would be patient and sweet, and they helped us find Nikko.
It was a long couple of weeks helping our first cat warm up to him and getting him comfortable in his new home– even to eat at first– but it finally happened with a little TLC and a lot of patience. Nikko is so sweet and learned how to play with Gizmo without scaring her or sneaking up on her too much, and now of course they’re bffs. The best part is that our deaf cat no longer randomly walks around the house crying (especially at night), and she has a companion to keep her company and play with.
I highly recommend Goathouse Refuge. They’re honest, passionate, and really care for each and every one of their cats. I love that they encourage adopting two cats if you don’t already have one, because they are social animals and do so much better in the long run with a friend.

The Goathouse Refuge is a beautiful, peaceful cat sanctuary located in Pittsboro, NC. It is home to around 250 cats, who roam the fenced-​in grounds. All of the socialized kitties are up for adoption, and the Goathouse adopts out around 10 – 20 cats a month. It is not always necessary to adopt out kittens in pairs, but it is preferred if there are no other animals in the house, because kittens are very playful and social and they desire companionship. I have been volunteering at the Goathouse for four years, and I enthusiastically recommend the refuge as a place to visit and find a new companion.

Holy cats! This is one of the most unusual pet shelters I’ve visited in the area. Seriously.
Once you find the street, the refuge is a short drive down a gravel driveway and then another short walk to the main building. Walking along the driveway to the right behind a fence are goats. I counted at least 5 but there may be more in the goat houses. To the left of the driveway is another fence with two or three smaller buildings and all along the way are cats. Cat roaming around, laying in the sun, chasing each other, sleeping, climbing real trees.
Walk into the building are there are still more cats, sleeping on blankets, a bed, on top of the cages, in the cages, everywhere you look. The owner let me wander around the buildings and the grounds and take my time. As I did so, one large cat escorted me around. At least I thought he was escorting me, but as I came to realize, he was acting more of a bodyguard and keeping the more timid cats from approaching me.
In a way, after all the other shelters I’ve visited, where the rooms and hallways are closed-​in and a few where the closest the cat gets to the outside is a window, the Goathouse Refuge goes the opposite direction. I felt like I was in their home. All the cats are able to free-​roam around the grounds. It was both fun and kind of creepy.
The few cats that were in cages in the main building were on medication or special diets so it seems they’re well cared for.
The Goathouse Refuge is a surreal experience, but what an adventure. It has the same screening processes as other shelters, even doing a home visit, but it’s quite an unusual way to meet your new cat friend.