January 7, 2018

January 7, 2018 - Opie's Diary of Daily Doings at Rikki's Refuge

Brrr sun is out and it's time for thorough rounds and it's still below zero !!!

Honors the horse says he's not coming out till we promise no more cold, no more snow, no more sleet, no more .....

Gracie, the white goat, and Milo, the brown and white one, watch the feed truck get back from the co-op ...

Gracie: I'm pretty sure that truck is full of food ....  and the hoomans just walked off ... they just walked off ...  Milo, look innocent till they're out of sight 

Gracie:  Ok, Milo, it's FULL of food ....   how we gonna do this without calling attention to ourselves ....   YOU watch for hoomans while I go first ....

Gracie: Oh yeah Milo !!!  Good stuff ....  keep an eye out for Hoomans, Milo ....   munch, munch, munch .....

Lilith Lori arrived today.... terrified .... terrified of everything .... especially everything hooman .... she's been looking for somebody who'll give her a chance ..... and nobody raised their hand .... poor baby ..... we'll see what she comes to think of us during her quarantine time. If she wants to keep hating hoomans, that's ok, lots of our cats hate hoomans .... but our hoomans love them anyway and let them be loved by other kitties !!!!!

Seems a shame to kill somebody cus they don't like you, doesn't it? Really, cats can read your mind, no wonder they don't want to trust someone who thinks that's an acceptable option, huh?

I'll take real good care of her ... I'm not allowed in quarantine ... but I asked Lauren to take her a can of my favorite fancy feast.

Poor Lilith Lori was trapped with her mom. Mom was friendly so she was taken away and adopted ... poor little baby ... no wonder she hates humans ... catch her .. takes her mom away .... I so wish they'd brought her mom too ... seems so cruel to have separated them ....

You can adopt a friendly mom and a scared kitten and the poor little kitten would almost certainly learn to be friendly too. Maybe our new cat who's in quarantine, Little Girl, will want to adopt a baby !!!!

When will hoomans get it and realize we have families and we love them ... my mama Nellie lives with me and I'm so happy.  I love her and she gives me a bath sometimes. 

Well that's the highlights at Rikki's today !!!! 

I sure hope there's no more snow .. no more cold ... no more sleet ...  they're saying some real icky winter stuff might come tomorrow ... I hope they're wrong !!

--Opie

ps.  If you missed a day of our adventures, you can find all my Diary posts on my blog !!!!   www.RikkisRefuge.blogspot.com/

January 6, 2018

January 6, 2018 - Opie's Diary of Daily Doings at Rikki's Refuge

Early in the morning .... with not much sun ...  Beauty says, "I don't care if you hoomans is already workin ... I'm not ...  I'm stayin in here till the sun comes out nice and strong!"  

You can tell it's real early by the loooong shadows ....   hoomans make really big long shadows when the sun is low.  It's finally warming up enough with the sun to come out and collect a little solar energy!

Even Betty casts a long shadow.  Betty loves the outdoors no matter what.  She says it hasn't been anywhere near cold enough to be forced to stay inside.  A good thick layer of fat .... just like me .... and super thick fur ...  and she really loves it outside. 

Though don't tell I told on her .... last night she did come in for a little while!!!

All faces point towards the sun !

The sun has drawn Beauty out into it's beauty !!!   Oh the SUN out bestest friend on these cold cold days !!

And it's CATURDAY !!!!! 

You know what that means, don't you?

It's Donation Drop off at the Life Center !!!

And look what I got?  Can YOU guess what this is?
 

It's a whole pallet of litter to fill my boxes so I have something to poo in and it will last a whole week !!!!!!

Only $244 a week .... YOU too could support my habit !!!!!

What goes in .... must come out !!!!

Did you know you can do recurring monthly donations?  And that really helps us out.  When we know you're going to help us one day a month, it really means a lot.  Why don't YOU pick a day and sign up so every month day that month you fill our boxes with nice clean fresh litter !!!  

It's only $32 for one day .....  that's a little easier if 30 of you would each chip in every month !!!!  

www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate

And Next !!! 

Somebody brought me a washer and dryer !!!!! So I don't never got to sleep in no dirty bed !!!! Isn't that nice !!!!

 

We run 15-20 loads of laundry a day ....  WOW that's a lot !!!!   But we all like nice clean beds.  That means washers and dryers just don't last so very long.  Even brand new ones wear out pretty quick.  So if you're getting new ones just cus you want to ....  please donate your old ones to us.  We like old things!  You can have the new ones and your old ones can come live with us for the rest of their lives!  Just like us aminals !!

 

We even have nice big strong hoomans right here on site to unload heavy things for you !!!

YOU too can bring donations of all sorts to me on Saturdays ... yes that's right, every Saturday ... from noon to 2 pm at the Vincent D. Cat Memorial Life Center !!!!!   The gates are open during Donation Drop off ....   you'll find is right at the corner of Rt 20 (21410 Constitution Hwy) and Quarterhorse Lane !!! 

And while your dropping off donations, you can visit with the kitties in the Life Center and the goats and sheep and horses and cows outside.  Bring apples and carrots too !!!    It's not a full blown tour ...  but you can stop and feed them and pat them over the fence at the Life Center. 

And don't forget some Fancy Feast for me !!

WHAT's that coming?

It's nummy (well I don't think so but them vegavoirs do) hay !!!

Madison and Lucy get to share a bale!

 One big bale is bigger than the goats and sheep ....  but they'll still eat it all gone .... real quick !!

Nobody messes with Freckles' hay !!!

And then we watched the temperatures drop and drop and drop ....   all the way down to 1 degree just about midnight ....   brrrrrr  ....   hurry up warmer weather .... we miss you !!!!

Love, Opie   

January 5, 2018

January 5, 2018 - Opie's Diary of Daily Doings at Rikki's Refuge
  
No matter the weather ..... life goes on as usual at Rikki's. 

As the sun comes up bright and beautiful, everyone vies for the sunniest spot.

Wanda finds a nice pile of straw recently vacated by a warm goat to lie in and soak up the sun. 

Routine work and care doesn't stop for the weather.

The farrier came out so Honors and the other horses got their hooves trimmed.

The young cows wait patiently for their water bowls to be scrubbed out and cleaned and refilled ....  they always like that yummy fresh water.

Bub and Goose come when called for dinner !!!

Love, Opie  

www.RikkisRefuge.org/donate

thank you for making it all possible !

 

January 4, 2018

January 4, 2018 - Opie's Diary of Daily Doings at Rikki's Refuge

If YOU aren't THIS fluffy .... you don't wanna go out there today !!!!! I wish I could figure that one out ..... my fur is all flat .... inside hers is .... she goes out and poof .... it fluffs out into the wonderful cocoon or warmth and protection ..... now why can't I do that ??? My world is all white outside today ..... I think I must eat more Fancy Feast now .... What's your world like today?  Opie

Time for morning rounds.  Hmmmm  is sniffin out all the excitement worth being out in this?   YES ... the smells I'll smell !!!    Buzz

SOOOOOOOooooooo much more food is needed in the super cold.  We're going thru almost 40 cases of canned cat food a day. 

$8.79 will let us buy another case !!!   www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate?purpose=Vittles

I .... don't know about this ......   not sure I'm going out in that snow ...

Oh come on Jack, don't be a chicken !!!  It's really cool out here !!!!  

Heee Heee Heee .....   I told Obie to go pee on a cold fence ....  you think he'll get stuck like hoomans who lick light posts do !?!?!?!?!

NOTHIN but NOTHIN is stoppin ME from coming out for breakfast !!!!    Preston

Good night from the Turkeys   !!!

Love, Opie 

www.RikkisRefuge.org/donate

thank you for making it all possible !

January 3, 2018

January 3, 2018 - Opie's Diary of Daily Doings at Rikki's Refuge 


What the piggies didn't tell you yesterday ....  is that the doc found an icky parasite, and now all the piggies in the quarantine area need to get a shot to get rid of it.  

The first piggy cooperated ....  cus he didn't know what was coming ....  but one he squealed .... they all decided they did not want to be caught !!!   

It sure is funny to watch hoomans trying to catch pigs who don't want to be caught !!!!!   

But the hoomans doing it, don't think it's so funny !!!

 

Just look at all that long bristle on the piggies !!!!   It's really thick this year.  Da hoomans might not have known it was coming ....  but everybody who grows extra thick fur and fat for cold weather knew it was gonna be a cold one this year !

 

The ice is building up !!!!   For every water bowl, swimming pool, and everything we crack the ice out of over and over every day and all thru the night .....  the ice just builds up .....   if a thaw doesn't come soon .....   ohhh and the mud we'll have then .....  we'll all be over our heads in ice !!

Obie and Goliath are best of friends, we think Goliath will be voting for Obie in April .... 

Here they are making exciting plans together for the evening !

 

....... as the sun sets over Bovine Boulevard ....

And then we all got dinner and went nighty .....  cept da hoomans ....  who had to be there to protect us all night long !!!  

Love, Opie 

www.RikkisRefuge.org/donate

thank you for making it all possible !

January 2, 2018

January 2, 2018 - Opie's Diary of Daily Doings at Rikki's Refuge

  
CONFESSIONS OF A PIG ON TEUTERING DAY

Ohhhh we've had a horrible day !!!!!    You told me if I came to Rikki's Refuge it'd be all peaceful and happy and wonderful.  I wanna take today back .... it's been horrible ....    The sun was hardly there when the hoomans made us wake up.  WHAT ???   Too cold to get out of our straw bed ... way too cold.  But they made us anyway.  They said we gotta get tutered or somethin.  I asked Opie what that was and he said all big boys had to go get tutered.  

 

Then me n my brother Georgy got put in a cage.  We didn't like this at all.  Our little sister didn't get to come and she cried weee weeee weee .....   We oinked as we were driven away. 

Until now, living at Rikki's had been really nice.  Lots of food !!!  Nice warm straw.  And nobody saying mean things about wanting to eat us.  How disgusting.  It had been horrible where we were before. 

And WHAT was going to happen to us now?  Were we going BACK?  Oh no .......    Where was this place for tuter?

We went over the mountains and thru the woods and even over a river ... and then .... kalunk .... and we rolled to a stop.  We peeked out and there was nothing to see.  Hooman Tony, really nice to us every day, said, "Oh no guys!!  My truck is dead!  What are we going to do?  It's like 9 degrees out there.  Without any heat, we're gonna freeze."  Tony tried the talk box but nothing happened .....  he said, dang ... no cell service. 

Tony was real upset.  He said geesh guys, what am I going to do?  We need help.  I can't have you sitting here in this cold like this.  But nobody came along to help us.  Tony said, guys, I can't carry you with me, I've got to go for help, I've got to walk.  I'll run, I'm so sorry, there's no way to leave the heat on.  He stuffed his jacket in with us to try and keep us warm and off he sprinted down the road. 

OH NO ....  now we're all alone ....  with no food .....  wrapped up in a hooman smelling coat .....  in a cold truck ....  luckily in the back seat and not the back back of the truck with wind blowing on us.  But it got colder and colder. 

Is this what teutering is all about ?  I don't think I like teuter ......   me and Georgy, we was scared.

Then another truck stopped ....  and somebody got out ....  uh oh .....  were they going to say, "Ohh look!!!  Nummy nummys ... let's take these little piggies home for breakfast."  I heard some hoomans eat pigs for breakfast.  I don't know why.  Me and Georgy and our sister, we don't eat hoomans.  We like to eat corn and oats and sweet feed and bananas and apples and grapes for breakfast.  Why don't hoomans want to eat that too?

But suddenly there was Tony !!!  Smiling and saying, "ok guys, help is on the way!"  He'd hiked to a high part of the road where he could get his talking box to work and back at the farm, Doug said, "Oh Tony are we glad to hear from you.  How are Tommy and Georgy?  We've been so worried about them.  The doc called and said they weren't there.  I've already sent Lauren out to look for you."

So Tony curled up with us to keep us warm.  All three of us was really shakin. 

Lauren got there with her truck all nice and warm and got all three of us huddled up in there to thaw out.  Then she went to work on Tony's truck.  She figured out it was the battery.  And guess what ?  She fixed it!!  Can you see in the bottom right picture HOW she fixed it ????   

The thing to hold on the battery was loose and no tools to tighten it ....  but she's a genius and she said what can we do here to get this going???   We all put on thinking caps.  Lauren dug around in her truck and found ....  a fence staple ..... and said .... hmmmm......   And sure enough she jammed it in there .... and it worked !!!!!    Tony could start his truck up and get warm. 

I thought we could all just go back to Rikki's, be warm and finally have breakfast .... but oh no ....  the day wasn't about to get any better.

When Lauren got us out of the truck .....  we were somewhere we'd never been before.  Some nice sounding hoomans were talking to us and before I knew it Georgy was sound asleep.  I was kind of worry, cus no matter how loud I oinked, I couldn't wake him up.   After a while I was waking up, and so was Georgy.  Huuuuhhhh  what happened?  Our butts was sore .... and we was hungry.  

Lauren said, "it's ok little guys, we can go home now, and when we get ...... way long after going over the mountains and thru the woods and over a river again ....  THEN you can finally have breakfast.  I hope we can get off these windy roads before dark."

Geesh .... and now we're home at Rikki's, we've had good warm oatmeal, we have nice fresh cozy straw, and Opie came out with the puter so we could tell you our story of this awful day.  Opie says this is part of being allowed to live at Rikki's.  But it's only this once our butts will be sore, never again.  I guess that's a small price to pay to live in peace and happiness where we don't have to listen to hoomans talk about eating us.  That's so gross ....  I don't think they really would ....  but Georgy said he's heard hoomans can be pretty creepy.  I'm so glad there's no creepy ones here at Rikki's. 

BUT Opie says we got one more thing we have to do now before we can get back to a life of leisure and eating.  He says WE ... me n Georgy ... have to PAY for this day !!!   WHAT???   It's been horrible and now we owe hooman green stuff too?  How can this be?

Opie says our teuterin cost $150 each .....  and we have to pay Lauren back for the 29 cent staple to fix the truck ......  

That comes to $300 green papers ....  and 29 copper pennies ....  hoomans trade with such weird stuff ....   I don't understand all this.  But it's the price we have to pay to live and be happy.  Opie says we can go look for a job ....  or we can ask you if you have a job ....  and maybe a few spare pennies that you'd help us pay off this debt.   Either that or convince Opie we shouldn't have to pay for such an icky day?

www.RikkisRefuge.org/donate?purpose=Vet

Thank you for saving us and not makin us leave Rikki's to go to work ....

Love,

     Tommy

January 1, 2018

January 1, 2018 -  Opie's Diary of Daily Doings at Rikki's Refuge

 
Happy New Year from Rikki's Refuge



















Thank you for your generosity, kindness, and for loving all our animals here at Rikki's Refuge.  They love and appreciate YOU in return!  Your support truly means the world to them.  And to us.  We're happy to partner with you.  Thank you for supplying the funds to buy the feed, the litter, the straw.  We'll happily bundle up, go out there in the cold, and scoop that poop !!!!  

YOU have made our wonderful huge thrift store in Fredericksburg a great success!!!   Keep those donations coming in 2018!!  Time to clean out with all your new Christmas things and let us convert your used items into needs for the animals. 

Looking for great sales today?  Re-Tail is THE place to start.  Come out and visit us today.  Fine jewelry is 33% off, and we get some amazing donations.  Everything else in the store ... yes, EVERYTHING else is 50% off TODAY ONLY.

10 am - 5:30 pm
3503 Lafayette Blvd
Fredericksburg VA 22408

All of us at Rikki's Refuge wish you a most wonderful, happy and prosperous 2018 !!  

I hope you have the chance to visit us this year and see the wonderful work you support and meet the grateful animals you have given a happy home to.

Kerry and Opie

GMGN Double your Karma

GOOD MORNING  GOOD NEWS - Double your Karma

My friends ... we are so CLOSE ... and yet so FAR away ......   with hours to go .... we're still a little over $17,467 behind .... Please please SPREAD THE WORD .... we promise you

DOUBLE YOUR KARMA POINTS

for your doubled donations ..... just a few hours  .... spread the word .... QUICK ....   we CAN do it ... $1 at a time !!!!!   YOU and me .... if we work together we CAN make this happen ....  we CAN safely carry Rikki's Refuge in to 2018 !!!    

We can PROMISE life and to 1,297 animals EVERY DAY of 2018 .....   we can PROMISE help and homes even more .......

Won't YOU be a part of the team that makes Rikki's happen ?

Check those pockets .... dang I don't have any .... checking mom's ....

OHHH Look $3.57 ... well you know where THAT is going !!!!!! What can YOU come up with ?

Don't let me down !!!

YOU saved us from MARKET in 2017 ....  we just know YOU will let us LIVE to grow up in 2018 .... Won't YOU ??

YOU aren't really sitting on the fence about making a year end donation, are YOU?  YOU saved me from being killed for being an independent kind of guy.  YOU thought I was worth bringing to Rikki's Refuge.  Now I give tours, come and SEE ME !!  I might let YOU pat me ...  but I'm not big on snuggling.  YOU don't think I should have been killed for THAT ... do YOU?   DOUBLE the number of lives YOU save NOW with YOUR end of year donation.  We are worth it?  Aren't we?

Peek a Boo .....    we see you thinking about making a donation ......  wondering why YOU really need to donate now?  ....   Don't let anybody pull the wool over your eyes !!!!   All of us count on your support for our lives.  And so many more, just like us, are begging to be saved.  ONLY YOUR DONATION can make that HAPPEN !!!!   Please, help us TODAY, while your good is DOUBLE GOOD !!!

Looking ahead to 2018 ....  I'm wishing for ....  WAIT ....  I WILL have a 2018, won't I?  I'm shy and it takes me a long time to warm up to humans, and even still ......   I've only met nice ones since I've been at Rikki's .....    But those other ones .... from back then ....  they wanted to kill me ....  YOU won't let that happen in 2018, will YOU?   Opie says YOUR year end donation is what saves us all for 2018.  Please help us  be saved.

LOOK at all these WONDERFUL people who helped us .....   and we're so close ....   won't YOU add YOUR name to the pile of PEOPLE WHO CARE ?  Join the wonderful people, who care about wonderful animals, and who make wonderful donations so they may live !!!!  

It's NOT just a number ....  our Double Your Donation Challenge represents what Rikki's Refuge needs to continue the work of saving lives in 2018 ......    Be a part of the dream .... MAKE IT HAPPEN !!!

OK ... Opie says I have to tell you why I'm here .... why those of us with embarrassing problems NEED YOU to support our right to life.  I have a spinal injury that affects my hind legs.  But maybe somebody would still have loved me.  Maybe everyone wouldn't have wanted to kill me.  The hard part ... is ... well ... I can't pee by myself ....  if you left me alone .... I'd just fill up till I died .... and it'd be really painful and horrible .....  And they said no one would love me enough to always be there when I had to pee ....  and to do what they gotta do to express me and help me pee.  It's not hard.  Anybody can learn.  They said the hard part .... and the reason I should die .... is that no one would ever love me enough to be there for me every few hours every day and every night forever and ever.  No one.  That made me so sad.  I can love somebody ....  why couldn't they love me?  But YOU loved me enough to save me and send me to Rikki's !!!!   And now lots of folks love me and make sure I get to pee and I'm so HAPPY !!!!  

If YOU think MY life was worth saving ....  won't YOU donate RIGHT NOW so others like me can live and be happy and enjoy life .... and not have to die, sad and alone in some awful place ? 

ONLY YOU CAN SAVE LIVES .....  click it now

www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate?purpose=Double

or mail your check - DATED 2017 - to

Rikki's Refuge

PO Box 1357

Orange VA 22960

ENOUGH ....  let's STOP horsing around !!!

Make 2018 HAPPEN for Rikki's Refuge !!!

YOU are our FAMILY !!!

We TRUST YOU !!!

We RELY on YOU !!!

YOU know what to DO !!!

THANK  YOU  FOR  LOVING  ALL  OF  US  AND

    TAKING  THE  TIME  TO  SAVE  A  LIFE  TODAY

          CUZ  EVERY  ONE  OF  US  MATTER S

                       DON'T  YOU  THINK ?

                www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate?purpose=Double

Love,

  Opie

I can count on YOU to keep my bowl FULL in 2018 ....  can't I ?

Don’t forget to SAVE A LIFE TODAY !

www.RikkisRefuge.org/Donate

Rikki’s Refuge

PO Box 1357

Orange VA 22960

And please come see me soon !!

In the mean time, Keep up with us on Facebook and you'll get the minute to minute details about what's going on at Rikki's Refuge .... you'll be the first to see the new residents .... and the first to know about up coming events !!!

Rikki's Refuge

https://www.facebook.com/RikkisRefuge/

Opie and Vincent's Page

https://www.facebook.com/vincent.cat

Duke's Page

https://www.facebook.com/DukeThomasPeabody

Re-Tail Thrift Store in Fredericksburg

https://www.facebook.com/ReTail.org

The Duke Thomas Peabody Antique and Collectables Shoppe in Culpeper

https://www.facebook.com/DTPShoppe

Opie's and Mom's Purrsonal Profile

https://www.facebook.com/Kerry.Hilliard

Opie's Edibles for Fun Animal Friendly Recipes and Cooking Tips: https://www.facebook.com/OpiesEdibles

Vincent D. Cat's Gathering Place, a place to hang out, chat, and have fun

https://www.facebook.com/groups/VincentCat

Kitty Litter-Ature

https://www.facebook.com/RikkisReadingProgram

Rikki's Crazy Cat Person Club

https://www.facebook.com/CrazyCatPersonClub

For the Love of Black Cats

https://www.facebook.com/BlackCatAppreciationPage/

Our Website

www.RikkisRefuge.org

which needs help getting up to date .... if you "do" WordPress and would like to help, let us know Volunteers@RikkisRefuge.org

Rikki's Refuge is owned and operated by Life Unlimited of Virginia, Inc., an IRS 501(c)(3) not-for-profit Virginia Corporation. Federal Tax-ID 54-1911042. Your donations provide direct support. A financial statement is available upon written request from the Virginia State Office of Consumer Affairs.