what do we do with a lonely goat

fillymum

synful soul
Sadly when we got home from work yesterday our baby, Baby B had died. Baby B was a 12 year old goat.

She was delightful.

Today we have the problem of a very lonely, brother goat, Leo. He is crying, refuses to go in his stable, is outside our kitchen window and making us feel so bad.
He is 14 years old and has never spent a minute of his life without goat company. I have put him with the horses and can only hope he will settle with them.

The poor, poor boy.
 
Oh the poor love. :(

Can't you bring him indoors for a cwtch?
 
Sorry to hear about your goat passing away :( I think he is just mourning the loss of her. I agree with Allie that it might not be the best idea to another goat unless it's another older one.

I've got very little experience of goats, so I'm not sure how a goat would react to a strange goat arriving on 'his' territory?

Hopefully the horses will provide enough company for the next few days and he will settle down - otherwise you may need to look to introducing a new goat to keep him company.

PS - I now have the song 'The Lonely Goatherd' in my head lol
 
(((Sue))).
I know how hard this will have hit you and hubby, you take your animals and their welfare so seriously.
I'm no vet but I can't help but think that he's a bit long in the tooth to cope with the introduction of a new friend, and that you have done the right thing by putting him in with the horses - he has company of a sort that at least he is familiar with. He must be feeling pretty lost right now. Is he still eating? Keep a close eye on him of course and call the vet if he seems to be deteriorating.
 
How many animals do you have?!? :p

A lot !!! We have less now than we have ever had............... we just have 2 horses at home, 1 goat, 7 dogs and 4 cats.

Oh poor Leo will you be getting another goat friend to help him with his loss

No, as has already been said on here it would be unfair to introduce a younger animal to him.

Oh the poor love. :(

Can't you bring him indoors for a cwtch?

I would love to. It was my first thought but there are 7 reasons why we can not and I think the bigger ones, the Great Danes might think he is meals on the hoof !

Is there anyone locally in the same situation where you can give both single goats and nice retirement? xxx

He is very, very sad. A friend of ours locally has his brother and a few other goats. We are speaking to her today to see if she will "lend" us his brother or if he can be integrated into her small herd. We would miss him terribly if he went but as we love him we would do what is best for him and not best for us.

(((Sue))).
I know how hard this will have hit you and hubby, you take your animals and their welfare so seriously.
I'm no vet but I can't help but think that he's a bit long in the tooth to cope with the introduction of a new friend, and that you have done the right thing by putting him in with the horses - he has company of a sort that at least he is familiar with. He must be feeling pretty lost right now. Is he still eating? Keep a close eye on him of course and call the vet if he seems to be deteriorating.

Thanks Gill. He is eating. We are hoping that he settles with the horses because as you said he is familiar with them and they accept him without a problem. If we can borrow his brother that would be almost ideal but then there is the problem that his brother might be unhappy with what he is taken from.

He was under the kitchen window again this morning when we got up but has now gone into the paddock with the horses. Poor baby,his world has fallen apart, his mum died last month and now is sister. Both mum and sister died peacefully and were not ill. We are so grateful for that. Mum had lived to an amazingly old age for a goat ,17 years old.
 
Wow, that's a whole lotta animals :O
Poor Leo - hoping the situation will be resolved soon xx
 
Awww bless him, poor lonely goat (and yes, I have the song in my head too!). I hope he gets used to the horse's company soon xxx
 
Just to let you know that our friend has said if he does not settle within the next few days we can borrow his brother Bill.

He refuses to go in at night and spends all his time outside the kitchen window crying to us. He even sleeps there. Yesterday I had a tear in my eye, next doors little cat who is also very lonely, we feed the poor mite, came and lay next to him.

Will post some pictures when I get a sec.
 
Leo is a lot more settled today. He slept in his stable last night and is in his stable tonight and has decided that food is a good idea,

Thank you all for your kind thoughts.
 
Aw I'm so glad. Poor thing. Did he settle down with the horses then or on his own?
 
He is still on his own but is still like a lost soul. He managed to get into the garden yesterday and stood gazing through the glass door at us. It was really sad.

If he doesn't settle this weekend we will "borrow" his brother.

We really thought he was getting better but yesterday he was very unhappy again
 
How's your old boy doing today Filly?
 
How's your old boy doing today Filly?

Thanks for asking.

He is still lonely and is hanging around the house all the time. He wants our company.

We will bring his bro' here if the situation is not better by Monday.
 
Thanks for asking.

He is still lonely and is hanging around the house all the time. He wants our company.

We will bring his bro' here if the situation is not better by Monday.

Oh poor thing, they really do feel it as much as we do, they just can't express it in the same way! I hope he perks up soon xxx
 
Poor babe is still sad , though a little more settled.

When we get home from work he is waiting for us on our lane ( we own the lane and he is a *free range goat*). He runs to the car with the little dogs,wagging his tail and calling to us. He has never done that before...bless him !!!
 
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