by John Dowd
Heidi’s Kittens has had some big changes over the last year. Namely, the organization has been granted its own 501(c)3 nonprofit status. According to Heidi Schnarr, founder of the cat rescue, the rescue split from All Hearts Rescue in June of 2023. In September, they became their own stand-alone nonprofit.
This change is most important because it will now allow them to receive direct donations to help them rescue, rehabilitate and rehome cats and kittens. They also held adoption events throughout the summer, including one on Main Street, in Stevensville, one in Missoula called PetFest and one in Hamilton called WoofFest. They also now hold adoption events several times a month and work with organizations like Tractor Supply and PTSA, in Lolo.
The rescue has also received donations from the Rapp Family Foundation and from Stevensville High School. After all this growth, Schnarr said, “We feel better positioned this year for emergencies and to continue to support our local needs.”
Schnarr said she’s been networking with other rescuers. Now, her rescue group has 16 foster homes and more people volunteering all the time. “People know that our cats are happy and healthy,” said Schnarr. When speaking on the growth, she added, “It just hasn’t stopped and I foresee it growing and growing.”
The rescue has four board members and has connected to a statewide transport network to help get cats to homes in Montana, and beyond.
According to Schnarr, “We have had kittens adopted to all over the state; in December kittens traveled to Billings, Belgrade, Butte and Kalispell, to name a few destinations. We think we have an adopter in Alaska flying down this month as well!”
When asked why she does what she does, Schnarr said, “It’s just important to me to minimize the suffering.” According to her, there are many cats being euthanized every day, and only more since the pandemic, which is when she started her rescue. Schnarr expressed the importance of getting cats spayed or neutered and adopted, speaking about people who may have pets and not be able to afford to have them altered or cared for. She is hoping to get the word out for people to seek help if they need it. “We’d rather that than something awful happening to the animals,” added Schnarr.
For people interested in Heidi’s Kittens, more information can be found on the website, heidiskittens.com. However, Schnarr said that their Facebook page is more up to date with information and photos. She also wanted to update readers that the cat in the lead photo for the original article that ran in the Bitterroot Star, Lucy, has since been adopted.