On the Thirteenth Day of Christmas,
look what came to Rikki’s,

thirteen humans helping, ……

Hoomans come in several breeds around here.

Some have dedicated their lives to the animals and are at Rikki’s Refuge 7 days a week

Some volunteer to fix broken fences, to paint, and to build things at Rikki’s Refuge.

Some volunteer to help with the daily chores, feeding, and endless poop clean up, scrubbing water bowls food platters and litterboxes.

Some come out for a visit.

We’ll be open from noon till 2 pm on Christmas Day if you’d like to come out for a visit, bring donations, and feed the animals (produce only, or commercial treats for that species. No cookies, candy, breads, etc. Our animals are on strict diets.)

Some go to events and festivals, set up a table, and give out literature about Rikki’s Refuge.

Some work on social media and other office chores. I desperately need a web master. The cats just don’t really help!

Who can help fix up our current wordpress web site, or create something better? PLEASE HELP ME !! Can you help post to twitter, instagram and facebook? Can you set up tictok and other social media accounts for us? We’re all old folks here and need some youngsters who are social media savvy! Send me an email if you can help Kerry@RikkisRefuge.org

Some hoomans bring us donations, a case of cat food, or a full truck of feed! Some drive to pick up donations. Pumpkins in the fall. Produce from stores and warehouses. Long trips to Purina when they donate food. Can YOU drive? Are you willing to help fetch donations for the animals?

Some hoomans donate the money that keeps things running. Food, cleaning supplies, bedding, electricity, propane for heat, gas and diesel to keep the vehicles and tractors running, medical bills, flea and tick prevention. We can care for an animal for an average of only $1 a day. Food, housing, love. With 1,287 animals, even that bill adds up. When you donate $1 it helps one animal today. When you can be a $30 a month recurring donor, you support one animal for a year. Of course we love great big huge donations. One thousand people donating only $1 adds up to $1,000 !! So every penny counts !! Make your donations really count by supporting the animals of Rikki’s Refuge.

Some hoomans like to volunteer at our thrift store. Re-Tail, 3503 Lafayette Blvd, Fredericksburg, Virginia, USA. Stop in for fabulous bargains. We have new items out every day. Clothing is only $1 an item!! YES winter jackets too!! And on THURSDAY DECEMBER 14th, tomorrow, everything in the store is 30% off!! Want to volunteer? Just speak to Kim or Kyle at the counter and they’ll get you signed up.

HOW do YOU want to help out? Let us know: Volunteers@RikkisRefuge.org

If you can’t spare the time, a small donation will do !
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

On the Twelfth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

twelve temperamental turkeys,

well … not all of them. But boys usually are. They’re very territorial and ready to fight anybody who comes on their land. Just like roosters. The turkeys will fly up in the air and kick you! A big guy can knock you right over. It’s that male aggression and protection of territory and females. The females are often friendly. But watch out if one of the guys are around! You pat one of his gals, or feed her something special, and he’ll come kicking and beating you with his wings !!!

But their sound is just lovely !! Gobble Gobble Gobble !!

Listen to our turkeys in the video here !

Rikki’s Refuge is supported ONLY by donations from kind individuals just like YOU. Please consider an end of year gift to help the animals at Rikki’s Refuge live in love and peace and always have enough to eat. Thank you.

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

On the Eleventh Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

eleven pouting pussies.

Rikki’s Refuge houses almost 600 cats each and every day … a few pouting, but most are happily playing with their friends.

They’re all gonna pout if they don’t get their dinner tonight !! It takes 80 pounds of dry food a DAY to feed all these kitties. We just ordered 1,056 pounds from Tractor Supply … to last us almost two weeks. $767.76 is the dry cat food bill EVERY TWO WEEKS !!!

HELP !! Would you please buy us one 44# bag for $31.99 or even HALF A BAG for only $16? We rely entirely on private donations, a few bucks at a time, from kind and generous people like YOU! There is no government support, no large grants, no single great big donor. It’s all $25 here or $50 there. And that’s how we keep going!!

THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP TODAY !
Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

I didn’t order this !!!

says Heidi our senior cow.
Yesterday it was sixty.
EWH (evil weather hooman) had said it’d get colder today, but not THIS cold !!

Hurry up and make it melt, we don’t like cold sleety snow at all.

On the Tenth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

ten crotchety creaking canines,

Did you know most of the dogs at Rikki’s Refuge were given up simply because they got old? They couldn’t keep up on the morning jog, catching the frisbee got harder, those long hikes were just too much, they needed to get outside to pee more often, even waking people up in the night asking, or they had accidents. And they got dumped. The lucky ones ended up at Rikki’s Refuge where they can spend their retirement years with friends and lots of love at Doggy Downs.

Other dogs came to Rikki’s Refuge when their owners felt they needed too much medical care; diabetics, arthritis, seizures, kidney or heart issues. It’s costly, both the medication and the vet visits.

I’ll never understand why so many people don’t love their dogs enough to keep them their whole lives. When I get old and don’t walk so fast or need some medications, I sure hope those who love me don’t throw me out like trash. Don’t you?

Won’t you please help one of the dogs at Rikki’s Refuge today, or donate to help us be able to care for another dog with no safe place to go? Thank you.

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

It’s a wet morning at Rikki’s Refuge.

The horses and other large animals don’t mind. The hoomans bundle up and try to stay dry, but it doesn’t stop the feeding and clean up. It just makes it harder to pooper scoop in the rain. YUCK !!

Pooper scoopers only last so long. And they break. Or an animal wrestles them away and chews them up! We need to buy a few more. The ones we use for large animals are $21.98 each.

Can you spare the change to buy us one?

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

On the Ninth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

nine grumpy geese,

And some of them sure can be! It’s one of the main reason people get rid of geese. They can bite much worse than you’d think. Some like to sneak up on you and nip the back of your knees. Other geese are dumped once they grow up, cus people just don’t think adult animals are as cute as babies. That baby goose swimming in your bathtub and pooping little poops might be fun. But the big goose flying around your apartment, chasing you out of his bathtub and pooping where ever (no, you can’t litterbox train the birds) is no longer so much fun!

The lucky ones end up at Rikki’s Refuge, the others on somebody’s table in a rather unhealthy state.

Geese are very vocal, a lot of the day. Where as the guinea fowl call out alerts over danger and intruders, the geese walk about several times a day just chattering away at each other. And Ohhh they love it when it rains !! They dig holes all over to make little puddle pools. We give them kiddy pools filled with fresh water every day, but they prefer the nice muddy holes they make !

We have dozens and dozens of geese living at Rikki’s Refuge and wondering all around.

And that means a lot of cracked corn, bird pellets, seeds, and fruits when ever they’re donated. They love fruit! And you know what else the birds need every day? Hoomans to scoop the poop, hoomans to hose the poop off the decks, the steps, the walkways. And the hoomans at Rikki’s are happy to clean up after the geese cus they know that’s what taking care of animals is all about. Those little acts of kindness and caring are what allow our geese and other birds, all the animals at Rikki’s Refuge to live long happy lives and never end up on somebody’s table.

Only $12.99 buys a bag of feed for the geese. Can they count on YOU to feed them today?

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

HAPPY CATURDAY

Goliath’s found a cozy place to catnap on this Caturday. His job is to keep an eye on the hoomans while they work to keep everyone at Rikki’s fed and safe!

Goliath was given up to an adoption organization. He’s a big determined boy and if you let him have his way in everything, he’s just the most lovely wonderful friendly guy. But if Goliath doesn’t like your idea of what he should do at the moment, be held, be confined indoors, eat something he doesn’t like, be in his way, or what ever, he chomps you! HARD! After a few chomps and failed adoptions, Goliath came to live at Rikki’s Refuge. Where we love to be bitten! Well maybe not quite. But we do respect the independent minded kitties and love to earn their respect … and avoid being bitten. But we know it’s part of the job. Hooves, horns, fangs and claws – when you work with animals you will have opportunity to experience it all !!!

Can you help us keep the pantries full of Goliath’s favorite foods so we don’t bitten at dinner time?

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

On the Eighth Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

eight kicking kittens,

Rikki’s Refuge is a sanctuary for the animals who are adoption challenged. Usually that means they are older, they have medical or behavioral issues. We reserve our space for those who need a place for life. Adoption to a good home is a wonderful thing and there are so many organizations who specialize in adoptions. But very few have the space to provide homes for the thousands of animals that are adoption challenged.

So we don’t see many kittens at Rikki’s Refuge. The ones that do come to us often have feline leukemia, which will likely shorten their natural lives. Though with the right care, many can live long healthy lives, especially if they caught it later in life. Kittens born with feline leukemia, because their mother was infected, often don’t live long, sometimes only months. But is it better to spend maybe 6 or 18 months happy, loved, playing with friends …. or to just be murdered because it’s likely your natural life wouldn’t have been long? There is no suffering, no pain, just a poor immune system and often sudden organ failure. No one lives forever. We never know how long any one of us will live. But is it better to live a short life happy than to be murdered early?

At Rikki’s Refuge we sure think being given the chance of life is the best option. That’s why we’re here. To allow everyone, no matter their species, to live a full natural life in peace and happiness, loved and surrounded by friends. What more could anyone want?

In addition to cats/kittens with feline leukemia, we have with FIV, feral cats who for what ever reason could not be part of a TNR colony, elderly cats, cats with diabetes, kidney disease, other medical issues, cats who are handicapped, blind, deaf, and on and on. And they all are loved and cared for at Rikki’s Refuge. All 587 of them !!! And YES, we are at capacity! We can only accept new residents when one passes on. Unlike most shelters, we don’t kill to make room for more.

And caring for them for life can be quite expensive. Won’t you help out with a gift of some cat food, or the cost of a vet visit? Thank you for supporting the adoption challenged cats at Rikki’s Refuge www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate or see other options for donating below.

The kittens featured today were known as the Three Musketeers. They were brothers. One was blind. He was going to be killed for his handicap. His two brothers were always by his side. One on each side. Protecting him, heading him around while they played, helping him to the litterbox and food dish. Rikki’s was asked if they could take the blind kitten, and then they told us how they didn’t know if he’d do well without his brothers. We said they all have to come, you cannot separate that family. That poor little blind kitten needed his brothers. And so all three joined us at Rikki’s Refuge.

We advertised them for adoption, as a group only. Someone called and really wanted the blind kitten. She’d had a blind cat before and he’s recently passed on, and he was orange too. She came out to meet them, and loved them all, but was hesitant to adopt the whole package. But she began to volunteer and every day she played with the Three Musketeers and before long her heart grew big enough to adopt all three !!!

Everybody has a happy ending at Rikki’s Refuge!

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary

On the Seventh Day of Christmas, look what came to Rikki’s,

seven guinea fowl freeloading,

Guinea Fowl are amazing birds. They are the peace keepers at Rikki’s Refuge. If a cat thinks about chasing a songbird, the guinea scream and circle the cat and chase it away. If a dog gets mad at another dog and fight starts, the guineas run screaming and jump on the dogs to break it up. When a rooster gets aggressive, the guineas are there to protect the hens. Boats butting heads? The guineas are right there breaking it up !!!

They are fabulous guard dogs too. Nobody but nobody will ever sneak up on you with guineas around. They can out scream anybody with their gooo-baaaack-goooo-baaaack-gooo-baaaack screeching. They are also wonderful for tick control, yummy ticks are their favorite snack. And we all appreciate.

With the tick supply down for the winter, the guineas need chicken crumbles, bird seed and corn for a good healthy diet. It’s $12.99 for sack big enough to feed all the guineas for a week. Will YOU help them eat?

six lizards a lazing,
five guinea pigs a gnawing,
four elderly equines,
three burly bossy bovines,
two rabbits a mating,
and a chukar in a cherry tree.

Please make your tax deductible contribution by going to our website
https://RikkisRefuge.org/donate
or by mailing a check
Rikki’s Refuge, PO Box 1357, Orange VA 22960
or the site of your choice
Paypal https://paypal.me/RikkisRefuge
Paypal mail@RikkisRefuge.org
Square https://RR-square.shorturl.com
Venmo Rikki’s Refuge
Zelle mail@RikkisRefuge.org

THANK YOU FOR HELPING US!!!

#RikkisRefuge
#RikkisRefugeAnimalSanctuary