This amazing cat condo was created by my sister, Jackie, for my “fur niece.” It has provided hours of entertainment for a very wild and crazy cat. How amazing is it that Jackie not only built this, but did it for free?!

In addition to my chihuahuas, I have a cat named Fury. She is an indoor cat and like all indoor animals, she gets very bored! I’m always trying to entertain her, but sometimes she needs her own space to relax—especially when she’s grouchy! For a while, I wanted to buy a cat condo. The price, however, was always way too high.

One night, I was out shopping and I saw a huge display for coconut water. I got an idea that this could be the base for Fury’s cat condo.

I asked the folks working my local pharmacy if they would be kind enough to donate their display after the promotion ended. The manager agreed to give it to me and I was ecstatic to bring this home soon after!

Turning it into a kitty palace from a basic display was a cinch! I peeled the smooth logo off the sides and top front of the display. To encourage Fury to scratch and climb, I removed the outer layer of cardboard on these areas to expose vertical corrugation. (I slice downwards with a small crochet hook in the grooves to remove paper layer.)

This display is perfect and includes 4 shelves! The bottom is used for toy storage, shelf 2 has a small cut off corner for scratching, a climb-thru shelf 3, and the top self with circle cutout. (I used a dull X-Acto knife, but a friend suggested a jigsaw which would have saved a lot of time creating the holes!)

To jazz it up a bit, I took some leftover hemp cord from old jewelry projects and attached a ball to one end. You can add any toys your cat enjoys. Sometimes I stick a kitty “fishing pole” in the top hole or let her feather boa dangle down for a little rope swinging action.

My kitty likes a nice high place to escape from her brother chihuahuas and prefers to nap somewhere other than the windowsill when it gets too hot outside.

I had an foam neck pillow in my stash of camping gear and she sleeps perched in luxury. (Ok, the pillow was getting a bit ratty, but it’s clean and she still feels like a queen!)

If you would like one of these, try leaving a friendly note with your contact info for the store manager when you see a cardboard display! These displays are provided by product distributors and are brand specific, so they will only be used one or two times before the product they are removed from the store. Other stores toss these out completely. If you know someone who works in retail, find out when they will be done with their display.

Miss Fury LOVES her free cat condo! With a little bit of labor, you can modify a similar display to fit your cat’s needs. Fury is only about a year old, so she happily jumps up to the top level, but an older cat may need a laundry hamper as a step. Safe, fun, and free—what could be better than that…

Jackie, I have only one question: Will you please build another one for Pumpkin?

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