Thinking outside the (litter) box

A misplaced mail package has turned up in the right place for people who adopt shelter cats this month.

Companions Animal Center (formerly the Kootenai Humane Society) is hosting a drawing for a Hillpig self-cleaning cat litter box, valued at nearly $600, and all someone needs to enter is to bring home a new feline family member. The no-kill nonprofit has about 20 cats of all ages available at this time.

"Whoever wins this will be ecstatic," Companions Animal Center development director Vicky Nelson said Friday.

The prize came to the shelter after Hayden residents Steve and Lisa Honig bought one online for their son and daughter-in-law, who have two much-loved cats, but the Christmas present never arrived.

"The online company sent another one and all was good," Steve Honig said. "Then a few weeks ago I get a notice from the post office that I had a very large package waiting for me and that I had so many days to pick it up. It was the lost machine."

The retailer didn't want it back, so the Honigs decided to donate it.

"We don't have any cats, so why not donate it to the humane society and encourage people to enter the raffle and adopt a cat?" Steve said. "If you adopt two cats, you'll get two entries. I didn't even realize something like that existed. We’re just amazed at some of the technology that's out there today even for our furbabies."

Nelson said the shelter has more cats than dogs at this time, and kitten season is just around the corner, so it's great timing for such an incentive.

“It is amazing to see how the community supports the shelter," she said. "It’s so generous for them to do this. I love it when people think outside of the box."

Entries will be submitted through Feb. 28. The winner will be drawn and announced March 1.