The Cat House

No, not that kind of cat house.  Sorry.  I'm talking about a house... for my cat. 

Winter's a comin'.  What's a poor outside kitty to do?  Dog houses are way too big.  How's a little cat supposed to generate enough body heat to keep one of those suckers warm?  And then there's also the issue of limited outdoor space.  Besides, what self-respecting cat is going to sleep in a dog house?  Really.  Max hates dogs.  The shame alone would drive him away.

What's a girl to do?

Ingenuity, thou arest my savior.  (Arest?  Are-ist?  Whatever.  Go with me here.)  I actually was playing with the idea of building him a little home out of wood.  But, umm, I'm not exactly handy.  And I'm thinking a hammer and limb saw wouldn't cut it.  (Pardon the pun.)  I needed something...  some box of some sort...  easy to clean...  water-resistant...  a plastic box about yay big...

Enter the department store sale flyer.  Plastic tubs of all sizes on sale.  I could take a tub, cut a hole and line it with soft towels.  Voila!  Thank you, plastic tote manufacturing company!  Oh, and thanks also to Stanley for their lovely box cutter - that also cuts plastic.  (Of course, ours is brown.  More outdoorsy, doncha think?  Oh, and the one I bought had the perfect little notchy-thingie I cut use as a template for the door.) 

When winter arrives, Max will be sleeping in style.  I even bought some velcro and burlap to make a little door-flap for him.  He's spoiled, but after all he's been through, he deserves it.

Max wasn't too sure about it at first.  For a while he was sleeping in his empty cardboard box and looking a little put-out about the fact that his beddie-bye blankies were in the other place, but he got over it.  I went outside a couple minutes ago, and he's all curled up, sleeping in his new home. 

All together now... Awwwww.

Any flashes of ingenuity you've had to make something you needed?  I'm pretty proud of myself.  (And yes, I know they make smaller houses, but why pay $60+shipping when I made this myself and it only cost me $6 for the tub and $4 for the supplies?)