Goat-O-Rama Kids of 2023

[Nanno]

Thanks everyone. It's been a sad day around here. I'm still having a hard time believing that Perdy is gone. Pongo spent some time in the house with me today and I didn't want to send him back to his mom.

[Saph]

I'm so sorry Nan & Phil. You give all your goats so much love & attention. Sending you all hugs--Irene

[dragonmaker]

I’m so sorry! How sad!

[Nanno]

Perdy's passing hit me hard and I couldn't sleep for several nights because every time I closed my eyes I'd see that little baby and I could feel her dying in my arms. My brain wouldn't stop going over what went wrong and how I could correct things next time. I'm sure if I'd realized the seriousness of her illness sooner I could have prevented her from dying, but this is the first sick baby I've had in 10 years and hindsight is 20/20. I can't beat myself up over it, but the brain does have to go through that process to make it to the other side. I watched Phil's livestream on Sunday and it was incredibly cathartic to watch little Perdy jumping and playing, so full of life and joy. It brought back all the fun memories to replace the sad ones and I've slept well the last couple of nights since. Pongo is now my sidekick. All the love that I shared between him and Perdy is now being poured into just him, and since there are no other kids this early he's going to be quite the little buddy. I'm reminded very strongly of Finn's early days when he was an only kid for about three weeks before Snickers and Sputnik joined the scene. It's amazing how strongly they bond with humans in that short time when they have no other playmates their own age. I'm going to try to foster this bond because I have a feeling Pongo is going to stay mine forever. I've needed a new special buddy since I lost Sputnik last year. Plus, I've always wanted a Dalmatian dog, but I have no idea what I'd do with a Dalmation dog if I actually had one, so having a Dalmatian-colored goat is a far better prospect. I'm excited to begin this journey with Pongo at my side.

[MellonFriend]

I hope you find more healing in the bond you continue to build with Pongo. 

[Nanno]

It's confirmed. Pongo is my buddy. He follows me everywhere, even to leave all the other goats behind. Yesterday he wouldn't stay with the herd but insisted on following me everywhere. I took him with me when I ran errands and he made a sensation in the hardware store. All the ladies oohed and aahed and they radioed the other employees to come see who was in the store. Then they wanted Pongo to meet their mascot dog, Ace. Ace is a tiny little terrier smaller than Pongo, but Pongo was terrified of the little dog. He ran behind the cash register and promptly peed on the carpet. The ladies didn't care. They grabbed a bunch of paper towels and laughed. Pongo was too cute. He could do no wrong. He spent much of yesterday afternoon in the house. He was Phil's office companion until he got up and started chewing wires. He's a cute little buddy! 
   

[MellonFriend]

Absolutely precious.    

Do you have a recommendation for a cleanup kit for taking goats into buildings?  I'm fixing to take Mr. Moon on an outing to the feedstore and I wondered how one generally handles accidents.

[Charlie Horse]

There's no need for cleanup kits when taking goats to stores. Simply bring an empty box of raisinettes and drop the box on top of any evidence. You're in the clear!

[dragonmaker]

He has such a sweet face!

[Nanno]

I spent time playing with Pongo this evening. What a sweet boy he is! He's so sweet and polite. Usually by this time I've had to reprimand kids for head-butting my legs for attention or for jumping up too violently and demanding to be held or played with. But despite his status as a ridiculously spoiled "only kid," Pongo has stayed completely sweet so far. He politely asks for attention by gently raising one front leg and giving me a melting, puppy-dog look. If I bend down and offer him my hands he carefully stands up and places his front feet in them. He loves to be held and cuddled, and he really loves to run wildly around the goat pen with us, prancing and caprioling and leaping off tires and teeter-totters, but he doesn't demand immediate and undivided attention like many kids his age do. He's as soft as a little bunny rabbit and he's growing like a weed! I weighed him yesterday and he was over 35 lbs. That's huge for a kid only 8 weeks old! I have high hopes that this little guy will one day be a stellar packgoat!