Merry Christmas from Rikki’s Refuge !!!!
Christmas flyers are out …. TODAY is the day they should arrive at YOU house …… but ….. I guess like about everything this year ….. they got behind schedule too ….. like they won’t be arriving until the first week in January. In the meantime, please now we love and appreciate YOU and all the animals send you Peace, Love and Joy !!!!
November 3, 2021 Wednesday at Rikki’s Refuge
all in a day’s work …. photos by those caring for the animals
First frost of the season … and it’s COLD this morning !!!
The sun is coming out and it’s going to be a beautiful day
8:30 am .. the sun is out strong, and everything will stay frosty a bit longer
Frozen grass for breakfast
Toby say, “make this cold stuff go way, pleaz!”
The frost and snow sure can be pretty ….. but …..
All the water bowls have a layer of ice …. ick …
Trash bags from the evening before are covered in ice
Somebody made a wish
for this little leaf bug to find a warm sunny spot to defrost this morning, I sure hope he’ll be safe thru the winter
I wonder where on earth Riley is hiding this morning ????
She’s found a warm cubby to hang out in till breakfast is served.
Riley is our psycho extraordinaire – she eats people if they succumb to her pleas for physical affection — or sometimes just if they’re not looking
Joanne asked, “how did you manage to get all of the terrorist kitties?”
Well … we specialize in special needs kitties – and other creatures – who have little or no hope of a home. We don’t generally house normal adoptable animals, cus there are so so so many adoption agencies. But so few sanctuaries that can provide life care for the scared or the scary !!
I first met a psycho kitty when I was in my early 20’s and volunteering with a humane society. I just fell in love. Despite the transfusions I’d frequently need. Just kidding, but almost. Kasha was quite the kitty. I just love that purrsomality, little bitty kitty will kill you to save her dignity if necessary. They just have such character. The Riley’s of the world leave a little hooman blood behind to be clean up, but they deserve LIFE too !!
Momma cat is practicing her balancing on one of the 100 gallon water container for the big critters. Be careful Momma !!! It’s an awfully cold morning to go swimming !!!
Can you help me find Munchkin? I’ll give you a hint. He has gone into the woods to play. He’s a little Orange guy !!!! Munchkin is NOT a goat !! Tell me when you see him !!
Why is Clarence cold this morning? He took his jacket off for a moment and when he went to get if two of his best buddies had claimed it. He can’t disturb Toby’s and Smacks’ place in the sun just to warm himself up !!!!
Come on hoomans !!! Can we get on with breakfast here? Like NOW !!!
The turning leaves have been exceptionally beautiful this year. Ron helps out at Rikki’s Refuge by planting trees. Some give shade to the animals. Some give food, like apples and cherries and pears!! Wouldn’t YOU like to volunteer to help out the animals?
Good morning Triangle !!! See his noseprints? They’re as unique as YOUR fingerprints are !!!
This morning, Triangle wanted to investigate Joseph as he broke ice from the water tank, drained it, and while if was filling with nice fresh water ……. Triangle took a taste …..
You should hear the beautiful cooing songs of the pigeons in the morning and evening.
The guineas on the prowl hoping there are still some delicious bugs around.
Quack Quack Honk Honk Quuuuuaccccck
See Poof? The duck with the poofy hairdo …. of featherdo I guess. Yup, that’s natural, not a hat we made for her. Everyone of her breed wears a poofy featherdo !! Isn’t it cute?
Snuggle ME and keep ME warm !!!!
Enjoying the sun.
Cricket and Arlo were just hanging out, soaking up some sun.
When Wanda hollered PLAY TIME and leapt in.
Fun in the sun.
Breakfast is served !!!
Come on Grumpy … come and git it !!!!
Hey !!! The watering hole thawed out !!! Let’s swim !!
Spartan is my bad boy. If the toaster has been ruined or the whole roll of paper towels are wet, I know it was Spartan. I rarely see him “do” it. But when I do, he looks me directly in the eye and sends the telepathic message “p….. on you”.
He’s 15 and he’s a big boy and he’s always had one hip that will bother him a little from time to time. A couple weeks ago he took a bad fall trying to leap up to the sink. He loves to drink out of the faucet in the morning. He must get his water before anyone else gets food, or I know the consequences my shoes or pillow will suffer. He wouldn’t jump for a few days after that, and it was over a week before he was up on the counter.
Yesterday he leapt from the desk to a chair halfway across the room. A chair with wheels. And hit the edge and knocked it the rest of the way across the room. He got up and stomped off. I had to put a chair, without wheels, next to the desk for him to get up the rest of the day.
This morning he was howling and pacing in front of the sink and trying to jump but not getting high off the floor. Part of me was thinking, imagine being able to leave a grocery bag on the counter for 3 minutes and it not getting “wet”. Gee I’d never have to buy a toaster again. I told him maybe his jumping days were over, there was water over there, no need for running sink water.
I thought about all the old kitties I’ve had over the years who loved the sink and who I had a chair or steps or a ramp for. Snowball who lived on the counter the last two years of her life. Yes, even with a litterbox when she couldn’t get up and down the ramp. She lived to 23.
I told Spartan nope, I’m not putting a chair there for you. You’re a bad boy and you do evil things. If you only drank water, that’s be one thing. But you’re a bad boy.
And he paced and he howled. And he hit Nellie across the face. And he paced and he howled. And he slapped Sylly silly and then got chased thru the house and beat to a pulp. And he paced and he howled.
And Sarah the Invisible Siamese Kitty came to head butt him and groom him and tell him it’s ok, and he slapped her silly. And he paced and he howled.
And Timmy had enough and scooted over and cornered Spartan and threatened to beat him up if he didn’t shut up. And Spartan howled and snarled some more. I distracted Timmy with Fancy Feast in the other room. And Spartan paced and he howled in front of the sink.
I fed everyone. I offered Spartan a bowl of nums, he slapped it out of my hand. And he paced and he howled. Tiffany huddled on the dining room table against the window worried about all the angry howling and snarling and growling. She’s my scardy cat. And Spartan paced and he howled.
And I said, get used to it, I think you’re just too old to jump up there, and I’m finally glad, I’m so sick and tired of all your bad behavior. I saved your life, I gave you a home, I put up with you biting me, I put up with all your vile behavior, I’ve run 17,846 additional loads of laundry because of you, I’ve had to get a new toaster every couple years the whole time I’ve known you, I am not going to provide handicap assistance to the counter, no no no, I will not.
And he paced and he howled. And he paced and he howled. And he paced and he howled. And I went and got the three steps step stool and put it in front of the sink ………
They always win …….
Every afternoon the cleaning goes on …. no matter what … no matter how cold. The morning is feed feed feed, the afternoon is clean clean clean, the evening is feed feed feed. Every day, snow, sleet, rain, heat ….. it doesn’t matter. It happens every day. Every single day of the year.
Remember when the sheep were just about naked? Way back in May. Look at how much wool has grown!! Most of it in the last month. Soon as the days start to get shorter and the nights get cooler, that wool starts to grow. By the time it’s really cold, that wool will be really long !!!
Freckles, and the other cows, coat grow in a little slower. But you can see Freckles bangs already starting to get long. He’ll shed out in the spring so he won’t need to be sheared like most of the sheep do. Not all breeds of sheep get sheared, some shed like most animals do.
The goats are getting wider for the winter !!!! Food consumption is almost double now what it was in the middle of summer. Yikes! And you’ve seen how the price of food is going up up up. Scary times for sure. Everybody eats more when the weather is cold.
Toby showing off his fangs while soaking up some sun. He was a ill tempered feral when he arrived. It took Clarence about a year to make friends and he’s the only one who can touch !!
Goober says HELLO !!!!
5:30 pm and it’s looking like we might get a little more rain. In a few more days it will dark dark dark by 5:30 ….. boooooo. We’d all like the sun to shine for at least 20 hours a day !!!! It sure is easier to do all the necessary work in the light !!
Grumpy gets some lovin before it’s time to go in for the night.
Mammoth enjoying the last of the rays for the day.
The sun is trying to hang on a little longer. So, the sheep are grazing all they can before bedtime. They love fresh grass. Frozen grass and brown grass and hay are like getting just a TV dinner. Fresh grass is like a bountiful buffet !!!!
Everyone lives happily ever after at Rikki’s !!
We provide life long homes to well over 1,000 animals each & every day !!!!
Visit Rikki’s Refuge’s at 21410 Constitution Hwy, Rapidan, corner of rt 20 & Quarterhorse Ln – gates are open every SATURDAY from noon – 3 pm so YOU can visit the animals
mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Rikki’s Refuge, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
YOU are our family !!!
We have updated our DONATION DROP-OFF HOURS for our Re-Tail Thrift Store located at 3503 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg, VA:
DONATIONS ACCEPTED:
WEDNESDAYS & SATURDAYS 10am – 3p
Read more about our store here:
March 17, 2021 Wednesday at Rikki’s Refuge
all in a day’s work …. photos by those caring for the animals
(you can help support those animals at www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate)
Good Mooooorning
Coooockaaadoooodllllllddooooooo
Dark and cloudy day
But look what’s growing !!!
Wooly Hair Day – humidity always makes it stand out !!
We’ve churned all this up and it’s like sand …
Please get us MUD !!!
With a little water, Patrick makes quick work of digging a hole
Thank you !!!
Clean up time
Doug scoops
with helpers
Hay delivery time
Running along side the tractor
Heading into the evening
Because of YOU WE have a happy loving home at Rikki’s Refuge
www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate
Rikki’s Refuge, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733 (shipping address for food, etc)
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960 (secure box for checks, etc)
Thank YOU for making it all possible !!
March 16, 2021 Tuesday at Rikki’s Refuge
all in a day’s work …. photos by those caring for the animals
(you can help support those animals at www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate)
Bella waiting for her morning apple.
Macy and Honors waiting for their’s.
Goats in the dark of early morning
5 am at the Life Center
what are the lights doing on ?
Looks like the cats have fed themselves, gotten fresh water, cleaned up, taken the trash out, and have their dishes in the sink !!!
Looks like we have a stormy day in store for us
Hope we can get lots done before it pours.
Weather never stops us, but it sure makes tasks more difficult.
Look !!! An angel over the 9th Life Retirement, Assisted Living and Psychiatric Center. Can YOU identify her?
It’s Sylvia, one of our guinea hens. They come in many colors, she’s our lightest one. Isn’t she beautiful?
All is well at Feline Fields this morning.
Let’s take a walk down to the creek where the trailcam is.
Ohh look who visited !!! A wild turkey.
Three of them !!
Four !!!
We’ve never had a turkey leave to join a wild flock.
A Mrs. Peacock left once and went wild. She spurned our Mr. Peacocks constantly. Ond day a large flock of wild turkeys were out in the field, and something blue and green was glinting out there. It was a Mrs. Peacock. I’d thought she was investigating, but that night she didn’t come home. A few days later, there was the flock and there she was. I tried to entice her home, but she said, I’m not coming back where those annoying Mr. Peacocks are. Saw her very frequently that spring with her new flock of wild turkeys. I worried about her over the summer, but they were all back that fall. I saw her off and on for several years, living happily ever after with her turkeys !!!!
Breakfast in the hospital.
This guy is about to go home, he’s been in with a UTI, just a couple more days of meds to make sure all is well. He’s not easy to catch, and would require netting if he knew we were coming at him with a pill !!! Some kitties we can medicate in their homes. Others need to spend some time in our 24 bed hospital. Thankfully there are usually only a few patients in the hospital at a time, though we have had to fill it up and add temporary cages occasionally. Nobody enjoys those times !!
Breakfast at Feline Fields.
Nearing the end of breakfast at Feline Fields.
Marbles heads down to feed the residents at Piggy Paradise.
While you’re filling that water bowl, I’ll just get in some scratching on this here log !
My water full yet? I’ll take a sip and them climb in for a swim.
At Bovine Boulevard, Triangle is holding up the water trough so it can be scrubbed out well.
When everybody’s been fed it time to clean up.
Before
Pooper scooping
After
With pooping and scooping going on in every field and giant trash cans being filled with
it takes the tractor to haul it all
off to the compost pile !
And I bet you complain about disposing of the little bags of poop YOU collect !!!
Thank you so much for sending me nice pressies in the mail, says Panda,
though could you do better than THIS?
Let’s see what YOU sent me today !
Now THIS is more like it !!!!
I can’t wait to eat it ALL, THANK YOU so much !!!!
Let’s play balancing games this afternoon !!!
Sounds like fun !!!
I’m in !!!
You stoopid cats always come up with the stoopidest games !!
Yeah! Don’t they?
I’d play fetch with you Beauty if it wasn’t so much fun nosing around in the mud.
Yeah, I agree, mud’s the place to be.
Parade ! Parade time !!! Line up !!
I’m coming !!
Open the gate and we’ll be there !
I’m exhausted.
Me too.
I just can’t figured out WHERE all these new cats keep coming from ?
Thank you God !!! The rain held off till 6:30 and we’re just about done outside for the day !!
Because of YOU close to 1300 animals have a happy loving home at Rikki’s Refuge
www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate
Rikki’s Refuge, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733 (shipping address for food, etc)
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960 (secure box for checks, etc)
Thank YOU for making it all possible !!
March 15, 2021 Monday at Rikki’s Refuge
all in a day’s work …. photos by those caring for the animals
(you can help support those animals at www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate)
Brrrr it’s chilly this morning, we’re all crowding to the window with the most sunlight
There’s even ice on all the water containers this morning. Booo where did spring go?
Good Morning !
Remember our Wild Friend? He’s back !!
He went away for a few days and we figured he’d headed on to meet his gaggle. He’s back alone. I wonder if he lost his mate and is feeling alone in the world? He’s very welcome here. I just hate seeing him alone all the time. Maybe he’ll eventually make friends with our geese. Or another flock will stop for a visit and he’ll join them. The idea of anyone feeling sad and alone just breaks my hart.
Time to get up you say?
Mmmmm breakfast time !!! Wake me any time for nums !!
Did somebody say BREAKFAST?
We love a great big pile of shredded wheat for breakfast !!!!
One good long drink from a full water tank, and it needs refilling !!! It takes a lot of water to keep a 1,500 pound cow from being thirsty !!!
Breakfast is coming !!!! Breakfast is coming !!!! Breakfast is coming !!!!
How long before the goats will find these?
Soooo many water bowls to scrub and bleach out every day.
It’s a lot of work, and it keeps our residents happy and healthy !
And oh the floors to mop. I wonder how many square feet of flooring there is over the entire refuge? I don’t know, but it takes hours to mop them all clean every single day. If you have a few animals, and you can do the math, you can probably imagine how much icky stuff gets dumped and projected and leaked onto the floors !!!
And don’t forget the litterboxes, they’re VERY important !!!
We’ll never forget your litterboxes, we know how important they are. Good nutrition, fresh air and cleanliness are so important to keeping everybody healthy. And clean litterboxes makes our jobs (da hoomans) easier too. Cus kitties won’t use dirty ones !! So that’s more floor scrubbing.
We use a TON of pellets every week to keep all the kitty’s in nice fresh clean litter. When we used clay, it was several tons, cus it’s so much heavier. The wood is easier to keep clean, easier to clean up with they kick, and so much lighter on the hooman backs, and so much cheaper at the dump since we pay by the pound.
If you can help, you can call and order for Rikki’s Refuge directly from:
Deep Roots Home and Garden Center
28284 Constitution Hwy, Rhoadesville, VA 22542
540-854-5093
Order Hardwood Heat Pellet Fuel (cheapest when they have it in) or Pelletized Horse Bedding (a few cents more per bag) for ~$5.99 (market price fluctuates about 50¢ a bag week to week
Just tell them it’s for Rikki’s Refuge.
They’ll contact us to come and get it !!!
Their hours are Tuesday – Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 3 pm, closed Sunday and Monday.
Play Time !!!!
Follow the leader
Let’s sliiiiide …..
Hey Marbles !!! What you wanna play while dem hoomans clean up?
Over here Panda !! Over here!! I found toys !!
Oh cool !!!!
I think I smell a puddy tat …….
Panda Panda come here !!! I found a great rolling spot !!!
Mmmmmmmm … Yeahhhhhhh
I’m just going to take a nap if you don’t mind
King of the MOUNTAIN !!!
I’m goin for a swim
On the count of ten, we fly out, and see who can get home quickest …. one … two… three
Anybody up for a game of head butt ?
I just wanna be wif my bestest friend ever
I want a hair cut
I’ll close my eyes while you go hide …..
I’ve searched everywhere … she’s no where out here
… meanwhile back at the barn
Mr Peacock roams the refuge far and wide looking for SOMEONE to admire him
Because of YOU we live at Rikki’s Refuge
www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate
Rikki’s Refuge, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733 (shipping address for food, etc)
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960 (secure box for checks, etc)
Thank YOU for not letting us end up in an oven !!
March 14, 2021 Sunday at Rikki’s Refuge
all in a day’s work …. photos by those caring for the animals
(you can help support those animals at www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate)
Cock-a-doodle-do rise and shine !!!!!
Let’s go down to the creek and see who came by in the night !!!
Sure hope the freezing nights we’re supposed to have the next few days don’t kill the flowers that have come up.
Good Morning Isabella? Breakfast?
Did I hear THE word !!
Kaywood snoozes in an empty litter box !!!
Hoping there will be enough to fill them all up !!
Keeping our kitties in fresh litter takes a pallet, 2,000 pounds, of wood pellets.
We use 50 bags a week. Really, not that bad for over 500 cats !!!
If you can help, you can call and order for Rikki’s Refuge directly from:
Deep Roots Home and Garden Center
28284 Constitution Hwy, Rhoadesville, VA 22542
540-854-5093
Order Hardwood Heat Pellet Fuel (cheapest when they have it in) or Pelletized Horse Bedding (a few cents more per bag) for ~$5.99 (market price fluctuates about 50¢ a bag week to week
Just tell them it’s for Rikki’s Refuge.
They’ll contact us to come and get it !!!
Their hours are Tuesday – Friday 9 am to 5 pm, Saturday 9 am to 3 pm, closed Sunday and Monday.
Thank you !! Meow !!
Breakfast for the birds !!
Ohhh look at that sky, and it’s warm, what a beautiful spring day !!!
Doug knows just where Lucky’s sweet spot is !!
Clarence cleaned and scrubbed and bleached out Patrick’s water bowl, and before he could fill it, Patrick has mud in it again. Clean, and repeat !!
But it’s a wooly caterpillar, not a bird, I no canz eatz it?
Nope Marbles, ALL species sanctuary means just that. We protect everybody.
Goat and cat
Goat and dog
Sunny and warm enough to seek shade in the middle of the afternoon.
It’s been a wonderful day. Warm and dry. So many extra chores for done. And with the sun staying up longer, there’s more time to get work done without having to work only by the light of a headlamp. A wonderful invention, but does make it more difficult to do a lot of things than doing them in sunlight.
Everyone will need new hay bales tomorrow. And it’s supposed to rain. It’ll be much more pleasant to do that work as the sun goes down and it’s dry, than to do it in a cold rain tomorrow.
It will take almost a dozen trips back and froth to the hay barn, loading up, driving to several stops in Bovine Boulevard, to Piggy Paradise, two trips to Horsey Haven, 2 more to Ramsey Residence and several to Capri Corners.
Nobody could resist their late night fresh hay !!
Because of YOU we live in peace knowing we are loved at Rikki’s Refuge
www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate
Rikki’s Refuge, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733 (shipping address for food, etc)
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960 (secure box for checks, etc)
Thank YOU for making our lives possible !!
March 13, 2021 Saturday at Rikki’s Refuge
all in a day’s work …. photos by those caring for the animals
(you can help support those animals at www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate)
Caturday !!!
Dedicated to out Platter Puss today !!!
Looks like it will be another beautiful day … just waiting for the sun to be fully up
When noon comes round … it’s DONATION DROP OFF TIME
and that means time to head up to the life center to get ready to welcome visitors !!
Do YOUR blinds look like ours? Compliment of Kitty Decor !
We have wall and door trim decorators too.
The Life Center has the worst drywall I’ve ever seen. The cats just scratch and rips the cardboard stuff off from the drywall and leave great hunks out of the walls. A volunteer once accused the humans of constantly destroying the walls she was trying to paint !!! But nope, these Kitty Decorators do all the destructive work on their own !!!
As we head to open the gate …. the sun is high and bright
And We’re OPEN
DONATION DROP OFF AT RIKKI’S REFUGE’S LIFE CENTER
21410 CONSTITUTION HWY, RAPIDAN, VA
EVERY SATURDAY FROM NOON TO 3 PM
Please stop by with food. It’s the purple gate at the end of the rainbow fence at the corner of route 20 and Quarterhorse Ln. The gate will be open, come on in, follow the signs and drive up to the Life Center. After dropping off your donations we invite you to walk around in the beautiful fresh country air while visiting with some of the larger animals. We’re still not allowed to invite you inside, or do full tours of the refuge, but bring apples and carrots to hand out to the goats, sheep, horses, cows, alpacas and pigs. We have a porta potty on site for your necessities.
You can always drop food and supplies off for Rikki’s at our Thrift Store in Fredericksburg too.
Re-Tail, 3503 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg, VA
Bring donations and then visit with the larger animals on a safe outdoor self guided tour !!
Meanwhile, down at the refuge, a mile further back than the Life Center, and critters are missing visitors. They long for the time full tours with folks walking all over, and bringing treats, will come back. So they plan a contest for the afternoon to keep busy.
Today will be Turkeys vs Peacocks
The contestants are rounded up
Seriously? Why not a contest of strength instead of show?
We want to play Head Butt !!!
The contestants square off
The Emcee climbs to the top of podium
The crowds gather to watch
Some of the contestants aren’t playing fair and trying to buy votes with the promise of Double Your Dinner !!!!
As the show begins
The judges watch with rapt attention
The displaying and posturing continue
Until a winner is chosen !!!
We really need to get him a white or a black backdrop so he stands out better, he’s always washed out with all the green grass and trees around him.
While most of the animals are entertained by the visitors down at the Life Center, or by the contest at the refuge, the hoomans toil on. Never a moment to rest, for if you sit down, someone instantly jumps in your lap, and someone on your shoulders and you must start patting and snuggling.
Ivan The Great hitches a ride to help deliver hay to the big critters
Getting ready to roll and head to the dump ….
what do YOU see wrong with this picture?
Yup a resident will be in trouble is the hoomans don’t take some evasive actions !!!
Before any vehicle can roll out … or roll at all … it’s down on all four and check thoroughly underneath, walk around and check on top of every tire… whack on the hood, especially in winter if the vehicle has been sitting …. then if the windows were open, totally search the interior for stowaways, under the seats and all …. check the bed of pick ups for anybody in, under, or between any of the cargo. All non-hooman stowaways must be evicted before leaving the property !!!
These are the kind of things you learn in volunteer training. How to be safe, how to, at least pretty much, avoid being stomped, smashed against barn walls, horned, clawed and bitten, and how to make sure every resident is safe and secure.
Welcome to Piggy Paradise !!!
Where we’re suffering horrible with our mud drying up.
Look hooman! Our pond is drying up!
Pleaz… Hooman … you can bring that hose over here
and make my life just heaven !!!!!
THANK YOU !!!!! Come on in, I’ll share !!!
Because of YOU we live in bliss at Rikki’s Refuge
www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate
Rikki’s Refuge, 10910 Barr Ln, Rapidan VA 22733 (shipping address for food, etc)
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960 (secure box for checks, etc)
Thank YOU for our wonderful home !!
