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?

I had such a good response to my post on 20 Surprising Uses For Hydrogen Peroxide that I wanted to duplicate it, this time with petroleum jelly. Why petroleum jelly? Because I found a bunch for $0.11!

1. Homemade Exfoliator (Mix jelly with Epsom salt or sugar to make a cheap, effective skin scrubber.)

2. Back Soother  (Warm jelly in the microwave, let cool until it’s safe to touch, then massage into a sore back. Can also be frozen if you prefer cold relief, or mix the two for homemade Icy-Hot!)

3. Eye brow tamer  (Control unruly brow hairs with a dab of jelly. Can also be mixed with brown shadow to make eye brow color.)

4. Hydrate Elbows  (Apply a small amount to soften dry/cracked/ashy skin.)

5. Jack ‘O Lantern Extender  (Apply jelly to the pumpkin’s cut surface. Will extend the life of your Jack ‘O Lantern well beyond Halloween.)

6. Hair Dye Helper  (Apply jelly to forehead before dyeing to prevent discolored skin.)

7. Homemade Vick’s Vapor-Rub  (Mix jelly with Eucalyptus or Peppermint oil.)

8. Chewing Gum Remover  (If gum get stuck in hair or on a surface, use jelly to soften. Much easier removal.)

9. Heal Wind Burn  (Apply a small amount to affected area and watch the healing begin.

10. Zipper Mender  (Apply jelly to a stuck zipper. Should get it working again fast.)

11. Makeup Remover  (Even heavy-duty waterproof makeup will wipe off easily with jelly and a tissue. If you wear contact lens, make sure you take them out first!)

12. Fridge/Freezer Helper  (Apply jelly to the seals of your fridge/freezer to keep them soft and pliable.)

13. Shower Curtain Saver  (Extender the life of a plastic shower curtain by applying jelly to the ring holes. Will prevent tearing.)

14. Faucet Fixer  (A dripping faucet can be stemmed with jelly.)

15. Homemade lip balm/gloss  (Mix it with a lipstick you own to make custom lip gloss or use plain as Chapstick replacement.)

16. Soothe Blisters  (Dab jelly on blister and cover with a Band-Aid until it heals fully.)

17. Birdfeed Protector (If animals are sneaking into the bird food, apply a little jelly to the pole.)

18. Split End Mender  (Fuse raggedy hair back together. Not to be used on roots/cowlicks—too greasy.)

19. Ear Helper  (Apply jelly to ears before swimming to keep the water out.)

20. PCV Pipe Helper  (Works well when coating pipe fitting threads.)

21. Diaper Rash Preventer  (Can be used plain or mixed with essential oils. Not all babies can tolerate it, but it’s worth experimenting.)

22. Furniture Polisher  (Jelly can be used to polish wood furniture.)

23. Soften Feet  (Apply to feet before bed and cover with socks. Wake up to super soft skin.)

24. Fire Starter  (Rub jelly on cotton balls, then put in plastic bag. Place on top of food or charcoal. Outside use only!)

25. Hinge Helper  (Take the squeak out of a door or cabinet with some jelly.)

26. Ring Remover  (Ring stuck on your finger? Ease it off gently with some jelly. Use on plain metal only, never on stones.)

27. Paint Protector  (Use a Q-tip to apply jelly around the edges of whatever surface you’re painting. Any spills with wipe off without problems.)

28. Dashboard Reviver  (Jelly can revive old, fade dashboards. Wipe on, then buff off.)

29. Fly Trapper  (Warm jelly and pour into jar. Add 2 drops of perfume. Will attract and kill pesky flies.)

30. Coat Eyelashes  (Use as a clear, homemade mascara during the day or as a hydrating treatment at night.)

31. Crafter’s Helper  (To make cement stepping stones with glass inserts, nothing works better for holding the contact paper to the bottom of a mold.)

32. Homemade Eye Makeup  (Mix with powder eye shadow. Can be used as liner or cream shadow.)

33. Car Door Helper  (Use jelly on car door sealers. Especially helpful in the wintertime.)

34. Razor-Burn Reliever (Take the agony out of razor burn with some refrigerated jelly.)

35. Homemade Blush  (Mix with lipstick and apply to cheeks as cream blush.)

36. Cuticle Healer  (Have ragged nails and cuticles? Apply jelly every night before bed. Pair with cotton gloves for an extra boost.)

37. Super-charge Perfume  (Apply jelly on skin, then spray with perfume to increase staying power of the fragrance.)

38. Paw Healer  (If your cat or dog has dry or sore paws, try some jelly. Pumpkin loves this!)

39. Shoe Shine  (Restore luster to leather. Use a very small amount.)

40. Allergy Relief  (Nose cracked and burning from allergies? Apply jelly to nostrils.)

41. Hemorrhoid Helper  (Can be used to ease symptoms whenever needed.)

42. Chain Coater  (Apply jelly to any metal chain.)

43. Scar Relief  (Apply a bit of jelly to a new scar. Will help prevent scarring.)

And the most surprising tip of all?

44. Chicken Combs Cure  (If you keep live chickens, putting jelly on their combs will prevent frostbite.)

 

What’s your favorite way to use petroleum jelly?

Target is offering free samples of Weleda Skin Food—an organic skincare lotion! Sign up here while supplies last!

I love healthy products that don’t use nasty chemicals.

MS Active Source is offering free fitness DVDs when you register on their site! You can get a free copy of Fitness With Katrina and My MS Yoga.

These DVDs look like a lot of fun. I signed up for both. I love to find low-cost ways to work out.