Two by Two Ranch brings the adorable
CHICO >> I love any story involving animals or children. I’ve always loved animals: My parents tell me as a child I used to chase pigeons around and loved going to petting zoos.
So it was an incredibly special treat to visit Two by Two Ranch & Petting Zoo on Thursday. The owner, Tina Cardin, owns a house with a huge petting zoo in back with mud and green lawns for the animals to play in. She has a menagerie of animals, including goats, ponies, an emu, a tortoise, dogs, cats, chickens, turkeys, pheasants and geese. (I’m probably leaving out some.)
Cardin provides entertainment for birthday parties and anniversaries and other special occasions — and delivers goat grams, where she brings a baby goat, often wearing a party hat or fun scarf, to a school or workplace. The goats I saw were two weeks old and just adorable. I actually got to hold a couple of the babies. My heart just melted.
Cardin says children like the animals but adults get the most enjoyment out of holding the babies.
“It fills your heart,” she said.
Cardin brought baby goats to an office for a team-building exercise. There are Nigerian dwarf goats and others to cuddle.
“It allows you to connect and releases oxytocin,” she said.
Grams cost $50. The goats can be brought inside or outside.
Cardin started the petting zoo many years ago and lives in a house on the property. She attended Chico State and likes to educate people about animals. She also brings the baby goats to retirement homes, preschools medical facilities and counseling centers. She also brought them to COVID-19 nurses during the pandemic.
Cardin has two adult children, a 17-year-old son and 21-year-old daughter, who help her out around the ranch and she found some high school students who help her clean pens and such. She also delivers Valentine grams and Easter grams. Valentine grams are still available this year. The babies are born year round.
“We all need a goat gram,” Cardin said.
Cardin is the sole caretaker of the animals and provides healthcare. What an amazing lady she is.
She has a great veterinarian she trusts for emergencies.
“Having a relationship with the vet is important for animals,” she said. Cardin also teaches how to raise chickens.
More information can be found at twobytworanch.com. Cardin can be reached at 570-7143.
She only accepts appointments for visiting the petting zoo and giving tours, but held an open tour Friday and Saturday. She also will take calls regarding goat grams. She sometimes holds goat education days to teach how to care for them.
The zoo is open all year. The business also can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/twobytworanch.
“It’s an outdoor farm experience but it started in the Chico Marketplace,” Cardin said. “There was a petting zoo there.”
Cardin loves her job “sharing animals,” she said. “If people desire an education, I show them. The more people I see, the happier I am. This is the healthiest environment for the the animals.”
Cardin’s husband serves as her handyman, so the whole family is involved. I was so impressed by everything Cardin and her brood do, and I definitely want to visit again!