GoldHaven Studios

1140 Hurleton Swedes Flat Road
Oroville, CA 95966-8714
kat@goldhavenstudios.com

Meet Our Critters

Our Critter Family Album

We love cute stories and photos of critters! We hope you enjoy meeting our family of critters!

Jolly (RA Samsons Reign), ApHC & FAHR
- Jolly is the only member of the family for whom some money was paid (besides the $1 for Jax). Still he was a rescue case in our eyes as he was under nourished, full of parasites and had horribly neglected hooves. With lots of love, good feed, herbs and regular trimming he soon turned around. So far around in fact that he is quite a handful. It is evident that his former caretakers "easy" temperment description had more to do with ill health than with his horseonality!
- Kat and Jolly enjoying a Spring day on the trail at Lake Oroville. Jolly is now a soft, willing and more confident partner thanks to 60 days with a fantastic local Natural Horsemanship trainer named Jeff Crawford. Kat had lost her confidence with Jolly after being bucked off and having him bolt! see http://www.jeffcrawfordhorsemanship.com/ Photo by Linda Chambers
Jax (White Tie and Tails), ApHC
- Jax is our $1 horse. He was adopted from a kind man who wanted to give him a chance despite his diagnosis as terminally lame with Navicular Syndrome (what we call High Heel Syndrome). While it took some time, he is now gravel crunching sound. Here Jax is giving Gidget some sugar. Gidget was an aged Navicular rescue case and was only with us for a year due to chronic health issues, before moving on to Horse Heaven.
- Before marrying Kat, Gary's last experience with horses was getting his Boy Scout merit badge! He proved to be a natural and relaxed rider. Here he is in the foothills around our home with his trail partner, Jax.
Rufus Pipsqueak
- When our house was completed and we first moved in together as a family Kat told the universe that we would take in any critters who showed up needing a home. Rufus was the first. Kat had grown up always having big dogs, but we all got used to the comfort of a lap dog really quick!
- Rufus gets his Dad up at least once a night to go to the bathroom, barks at the UPS driver even though he gives him a cookie with every package and has taught us to clean out the litter box as soon as it gets used! He is comical and adorable. He loves to be held, wrestle with the big dogs and sleeps with Kat and Gary under the covers!
Jasmine
- Within a month after adopting Rufus, a little calico kitten we named Jasmine made a home in our our woodpile. Soon we were able to coax her into the house.
- Jasmine is a sensitve cat with fur as silky as a rabbit. She will come to you meowing if you are crying and run away if you raise your voice. This keeps family squabbling in check! Jasmine loves a soft cozy spot as these two pictures show. Soft kitty.
Tiger Lily
- Tiger Lily showed up frightened and skinny, on the stoop to our sliding glass door during dinner on Griffin's 7th birthday. She was nothing but a bag of bones as this photo taken that day will attest. Probably due to her tough start she prefers to stay indoors.
- Kat always says that it takes a minute for a dog to open up to you but a lifetime for a cat. It took Tiger Lily 7 years before she was willing to sit on a lap. You still can't touch her on the back end or she will hiss at you like a viper. She snores like a machine and rips around the house when she's in a frisky mood. She also loves to tuck and tumble while grabbing her back feet. It's hilarious! Silly kitty.
Meadow
- Meadow was adopted, as a very sick kitten from a yard sale. She was one of seven litter mates. When Kat cautiously asked Gary if we could take kittens home, he said, "not all seven!" It's something we joke about to this day.
- Though her preference is for outdoor living, come woodstove season, Meadow loves to take a nap in the house. All the cats come inside for the night with a call of "come come kittens, get your din din." Smart kitty.
Marble
- Marble found her way to our property and settled into a tree where she cried all night before we could coax her down. Like the other kitties, she prefers to be near you!
- Marble likes to "help" whether you are wrapping presents, working on the computer, paying bills or dining. Marble loves to talk when you touch her or speak to her. Noisy kitty.