What has a tail, four legs, and large eyes? A goat? No, a kitten! But it’s clear how easily these two can be mixed up. Fair enough, a lot of creatures fall into that category. In the story we’re about to hear today, one goat will be pulling on a cat’s ear, and I’m just pulling your leg.
A kitten found a little farmstead by accident and became fascinated by the goats. So much so that it made the conscious decision to ally itself with them and have a normal goat life. When Embora Cats contacted Jan Goswick, the business owner, she gladly shared their experience. You heard it first here! Oh no, she’s back to making dad jokes… I have no idea how things go around here, but it is what it is.
Dear awesome great reader, if you’re still here after that terrible attempt at humor, I humbly request that you leave your opinions about the tale below, vote it up, and follow the author if you like their writing style. Let’s go (at) it now!
One sunny afternoon, Jan Goswick went to check on her goats. She saw a little gray ball of fluff and realized a kitten had gotten into the pen.
One lovely afternoon, Jan Goswick went to check on her goats and discovered something unexpected. In one of the dog hammocks where the goats normally lazed, there was a little gray ball of fluff. She reached down to pick it up, thinking it was a plush animal, only for the toy to suddenly come to life and bolt away. A kitten had gotten into the pen, she realized.
It had no trouble racing straight through the gaps in their fence because it was so small that it could fit in the palm of her hand. Jan tried to find the cute little thing by running after it, but failed. The kitty returned and was sleeping next to the goats 30 minutes later. The cat they would later refer to as GG, the Gray Goat, set off on his adventures at just the right time, in their opinion.
Jan and her husband decided to adopt two Nigerian dwarf goats, Marvin and Peanut, and they immediately fell in love with them.
Jan and her husband made the decision to welcome Nigerian Dwarf goats into their home. They thought it was the ideal moment to utilize up some of the space because their children had grown up and moved out to start their own lives, and because their home was at the end of a cul-de-sac and had 2.5 acres of land.
They bought their first two goats, Peanut and Marvin, in November 2020. We anticipated that we would love the goats, but Jan admitted that she had not anticipated how much she would adore the boys. They are the most lovable animals in the world, smart, entertaining, and fun. Because Marvin “had the most fantastic personality,” she grew close to him. He was witty and determined.
Marvin tragically passed away unexpectedly. Jan was forced to purchase two additional baby goats to keep Peanut company as a result, but the sadness persisted until the cat appeared.
Marvin unfortunately died in an unexpected accident. Jan was “extremely saddened” by the death, but she had to act quickly for Peanut’s benefit. Jan said, “Goats can’t be alone; they need to be with at least one other goat. Goats are quite delicate, although many people are unaware of this. I was aware that Peanut might die from the stress of losing Marvy and being left alone.
Until Jan could find Peanut additional company, a stranger from a Facebook forum offered to take Peanut in with her own goats. Jan added, “I found two baby brothers, which I bought and brought back home the next day.
Playing with the cat and later his new siblings, Peanut began to form bonds that helped him cope with Marvin’s passing.
“Peanut was not acting like his usual playful self, and it was evident that he was grieving the death of Marvy. I was so anxious about Peanut that I was finding it difficult to connect with the two new babies. Without Marvy, the entire dynamic had changed. I was trying to regain the happiness I used to feel when I went to visit the goats, but I knew it would take time.
And then the gray kitty showed up a week and a half later. Always with the goats was GG. He accompanied them wherever they went, played with them, made fun of them, and would spend the night with them. The only time Peanut began acting like himself again was after GG arrived. All three of the goats started to play together as Peanut and GG engaged in play, and Jan once more relished their time together. They started to become close.
They enquired of their neighbors to see if their cat had escaped or if they were aware of anyone looking for one, but no one responded. Jan remarked, “I know in my heart he was supposed to mend not only my heart but Peanut’s as well. The kitten, however, steered clear of the human family members for a full two weeks. till a new difficult circumstance emerged.
After asking their neighbors if they had lost a kitten, the family opted to keep it and gave it the name Gray Goat, or simply GG.
“As I walked up to the boys’ room to spend time with them, I saw that Peanut wasn’t getting up. I discovered he was unwell with bloat after further inspection,” Jan stated. An animal suffering from bloat, in which gasses are accumulating in the gut, is in danger of dying. It becomes fatal if not carefully and promptly treated.
Jan remembered, “I made the decision to stay with him all night and keep getting him up to walk. The goat yard has a covered swing. I brought a pillow to sit on as I rocked Peanut to sleep.
GG didn’t spend much time away from the goats, but he took his time getting used to the family. It took a little more than two weeks, and Jan even spent one night outside watching over Peanut.
“After getting Peanut to stand and walk once more, I sat down on the swing and sobbed since my son’s condition was not improving. I was concerned that I would lose him. I was sobbing as I laid there when my leg felt like it had been struck. GG climbed onto my chest after jumping onto the swing. He had never before allowed us to touch him. He stayed on my chest till I got up with Peanut, and each time I went back to lay down, he was there for me.
By dawn, Peanut had recovered completely and was able to expel the gasses. From that moment on, GG would come snuggle up to Jan or her husband, or run up to follow them on their walk to the goats. As soon as we approached, GG would emerge from hiding behind a tree, sprint to the gate, and wait for us, according to Jan. At about halfway to the house, he would turn around and run back up to the goats, where he would then climb into their pen. He would also accompany us down to the house each night after we had put the goats in for the night.
They currently have six goats total, or five if you consider GG, Nigerian dwarfs. When the kitten first discovered the enclosure, it was very small, and the more time the animals spent together, the more the cat felt like a member of the pack. Jan remarked, “GG acts just like the goats, and we assume he believes he is a goat.
She smiled at the memory, “GG used to hide in the grass or behind anything and jump out to attack one of the boys as they walked by.
She also related a tale about GG being a cunning little thief. The family was confused of how the kitten was getting in there to sleep with the goats because they generally put their goats up in an enclosure at night for added security.
Jan therefore installed a trail camera in the shelter one evening. I was examining the footage the following morning, she added. “Suddenly, the camera began to tremble and move, and a tiny paw was captured on film.”
“We discovered GG was climbing a tree next to the shelter after we locked the boys inside. GG then entered the shelter from above, where we had vents for airflow. The camera was set near the shelter’s ceiling at that point. Just before we opened the shelter for the day, he would sneak out. He would then go lie down next to the boys and sleep all night.
GG got an eye infection a month later. The kitten was found to be extremely unwell and required time inside after a trip to the veterinarian.
Yet the kitten’s days as a goat would soon come to an end since an eye infection necessitated a trip to the doctor. The physician determined that GG had a respiratory infection, necessitating the kitten’s confinement inside. “He detested it! Nonetheless, we wanted him to improve,” Jan remarked.
He would spend the entire day gazing out our back door and up towards the goat pen. The kitten appeared to be doing better, but additional issues led the veterinarian to believe “that GG should not be an outside cat at all longer.”
They ultimately determined that GG would have to stay an indoor cat after further issues, and GG was not pleased. But, things improved once they got Pickles the cat.
The family decided to acquire another cat to keep GG company because of the kitten’s intense disdain for staying inside and being apart from his companions. Jan assured that “GG is just as crazy in the home as he used to be with the guys” and added, “We named it Pickles and they have become the best of friends.”
GG remains in touch with the goats. The elderly come through the back door, and the newborn goats, who are too young to live with adults, are kept in a pen inside the home with the cats. GG will continue to live indoors with his best friend Pickles and, ideally, will have a very long and fulfilling life with us.
At the back entrance of the house, GG now receives visits from his goat family, and occasionally, young goats will hang out with the cats inside.
Jan started using TikTok to share her boys and GG with the rest of the world, but she never anticipated it would become so popular. 105.4k viewers eagerly anticipate their stuff. It has been “really fantastic,” according to Jan, to watch the following grow and receive notes from individuals expressing their adoration for her pets. They make me so happy, and I adore seeing how happy they make other people.
The family has created a GoFundMe campaign to raise money for medical expenses and, possibly, a temporary outdoor enclosure so that GG can rejoin his goat herd.
They recently created a GoFundMe page, which will assist with some of the medical expenses and may eventually help raise money for an outdoor cage so that GG can rejoin the goats he adores.
We wish Jan and her family the best of luck and anticipate that this is just the start of their inspiring tale! I’ll wish you a bright and goat-iful day if you leave us your views and impressions in the comments section below.
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