Retired school teacher, Marilyn Hilliard of Butler Township, has donated $100,000 to the Butler County Humane Society to build a “catio” allowing felines to roam freely in a 20 x 28 enclosure.

Marilyn Hilliard will have quite a “tail” to tell for her 90th birthday.

Hilliard, a lifelong Butler County resident who continues to singlehandedly maintain her Butler Township house and property, has no descendants and only one brother.

So, she decided to donate $100,000 to the Butler County Humane Society.

On Oct. 22, her 90th birthday, the spry former athlete will attend a party at the Humane Society where ground will be broken for a “catio.”

The 20-by-28 foot addition with an enclosed patio feel and lots of windows will provide an outdoor-like experience for the society’s many shelter cats.

Michelle Edinger, director of development at the Humane Society, said Hilliard originally planned to make the gift in her will.

“She’ll see her gift in action,” Edinger said of Hilliard’s donation. “That’s the cool part.”

Read more in Thursday's Butler Eagle.