The future of Stillwater Cat Haven looks a bit brighter, despite co-founders Joan and Don Neptune, both 83, revealing last week that their rescue had only six months of funding left.
As the Neptunes approach the limits of their capacity to care for nearly 150 cats, a surge of community support has renewed their hope. “This week has been a very fruitful time and it really has been dependent upon the coverage,” said Don Neptune.
For over two decades, the Neptunes have been dedicated to rescuing cats in the Shasta County area. Now, as they enter their twilight years, they aim to find good homes for the many cats in their care. Their struggle to reduce the number of cats has been compounded by ongoing issues with locals not spaying their pets and abandoning them, exacerbating the problem.
“Anderson River Park invariably sees at least one or two parties leaving cats there,” Don noted, referring to the expanding cat colonies. “And what do you do with those cats?”
Recently, there has been a glimmer of progress. Last Saturday, the Neptunes managed to adopt out five cats at Redding PetSmart and an additional seven throughout the week, totaling twelve adoptions. “We’re very happy with the twelve adoptions that occurred,” Don said.
Despite these successes, many more cats still need homes, and with limited support from local governments and national organizations, the risk of closing remains. Their GoFundMe campaign, which raised over $2,000 in a week, has provided some relief but is far from sufficient. Nonetheless, the outpouring of community support has given Don a renewed sense of optimism.
“We’re terrible at trying to promote ourselves and to go online and take advantage of what’s out there,” he admitted. “This week shows that there are people willing to help and support us.”
All cats at Stillwater Cat Haven are spayed and fully vaccinated. For more information on how to reach them, please contact the numbers below.
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