Goats need friends too

Press, 2 June 1981, Page 18

Goats need friends too

Gee, I feel sorry for goats! Not the wild ones that roam the alps, nor the ones that are in paddocks, free to run and have friends. •• I feel sorry for goats that are tied to posts on the sides of dusty country roads. Wherever we drive we see goats tied up, all alone, sometimes without even a shelter for shade or warmth, let alone a rope long enough to let them get some exercise. Goats ae intelligent animals. They ae fun-loving and playful. They like to run in a group and nimbly leap from rock to rock. In their natural state they live in large families and though they appear io be hardy animals they rave very thin skins and lave to shelter from rain or very hot sun. Goats are found all over lhe world and are very useful to man. Their skins make soft , leather, their horns are

used for knife handles and most important their milk is very nourishing. In some countries their meat is eaten fresh or cured. If you have a goat for a pet make sure it has' a long running chain. A kennel or large box is important and it should be able to be moved from place to place. Skids on the bottom, would be ideal. Make sure the roof is flat as goats should be able to jump up and down oh something. At least once a day a goat should have the freedom of

being let off for a run. They also need friendship and if you have a chat with your pet once a day he or she won’t be so lonely. An ideal solution would be to have a mother and her kid or two young females for pets. Goats make lovable pets but not if they are bored, lonely, cold, thirsty or forgotten on the side of the road, iffy ween Coupes