Why This Matters
Where This Started
From the early days of Hide & Scratch, having a social purpose has always been really important to me. I wanted the business to do more than just sell products — I wanted it to give back where it could. That's why I've been partnering with Mission Meow for years, and why I've always loved hearing from their grant recipients how much their cats loved Hide & Scratch boxes.
And the more I heard that, the more I kept thinking... I want to get more boxes to more cats.
Especially since every cat in rescue is waiting. Waiting for a home, waiting to feel safe, waiting for the world to feel a little less scary.
Enrichment — a sturdy box to hide in, a toy that smells like catnip, a surface to scratch — makes that wait healthier and happier. It reduces stress, encourages play, and helps cats become more adoptable.
Sadly, most rescues operate on razor-thin budgets and Enrichment is always the first thing cut — it's not critical like food and litter, but it DOES serve a very important purpose.
But here's the thing — I can't afford to just give away product. As much as I wish I could, I'm a one-woman business, and the margins aren't there.
So I've kept coming back to this question: what if there was a way to make it easier for people who want to help rescues actually get more supplies to the cats who need them?
The Lightbulb Moment
Then I started noticing that rescues were putting Hide & Scratch boxes on their Amazon Wish Lists. That was amazing — it meant people wanted to help. But it also made me realize how inefficient Amazon wishlists are for donations.
Three problems that needed fixing:
1. Shipping eats half the donation — When someone buys a single box, shipping costs account for over 50% of the price. The box is $20, shipping is close to $10. Very little value actually reaches the rescue.
2. Amazon pockets the shipping savings — When someone donates multiple boxes through Amazon, they ship them together — but Amazon still charges ~$10 per box in shipping fees. So for two boxes, that's $20 in shipping charges when it actually only costs ~$12 to ship them together. And guess who keeps that extra $8? Amazon!
3. Anonymous donations — Rescues never know who donated, so they can't say thank you, provide donation receipts, or keep supporters engaged.
Give a Cat a Box fixes all three.
Hide & Scratch ships donations directly. Everything is specially priced. And the more you donate, the lower the cost per box — because shipping spreads across more units instead of being charged per item.
A single box is $20. A full case of 15 boxes is $150 — just $10 per box.
That's real impact.
This program also connects donors with the rescues they support. You'll get a tax receipt. The rescue will know who you are so they can thank you and keep you updated on the cats you helped.
This is a sustainable program. Hide & Scratch makes a modest profit to keep it running long-term. But by shipping directly and pricing to reflect real shipping costs, donor dollars go much further than buying from a wishlist.
I hope you'll join me in this. Whether you're a donor looking to make your dollars go further, or a rescue looking for a better way to get supplies to your cats — this program was built for you. Every box that reaches a rescue means one more cat with a cozy place to hide, scratch, and feel safe.
Carin
Chief (and lone) Cat Lady
Hide & Scratch
Questions? Contact giveacatabox@hideandscratch.com