Try This: Cat Baggage

Stylish, simple, eco-friendly projects for your natural home.

March/April 2008
By Natural Home magazine editorial staff 
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A padded suitcase is the cat's meow -- and just the ticket for a contented kitty.
--SUSAN WASINGER
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Cats are notorious for jumping in suitcases when their people are packing for a trip. Why not give them that chance anytime? This pet bed uses the better half of a junk-store suitcase whose days on the luggage carousel are long gone. Simply remove the top of your vintage valise and tuck a feather pillow inside. An easy-to-remove flannel pillowcase makes laundering a breeze. This perch is the perfect curling-up spot for the discriminating catnapper.

1. Find old suitcases at junk stores, garage sales or in your own attic. The hinges and locks needn’t be functional, but the suitcase should be fairly sturdy and have a flat bottom. A small cat or kitten can comfortably bed down in a large briefcase; a large cat or small dog needs a suitcase at least 18 by 24 inches.

2. Separate the top of the suitcase from the bottom. Vintage suitcases have different hinge mechanisms, so you’ll have to be creative and use a little elbow grease to get them apart. Often hinges are riveted in place and can be popped out with a flathead screwdriver. In some cases, the hinge is held together by a pin that can be removed with a pair of needle-nose pliers.

3. A Bed pillow—either a standard or king size—provides cushy comfort for the pet-bed interior. Feather pillows mold nicely to any size suitcase. Find a nice pillowcase that completely covers the pillow, then tuck it into the suitcase bottom. (A deep suitcase may need two pillows.) If you prefer, a piece of fabric about twice the size of the pet bed can be folded around the pillow and tucked in. Either option is easy to remove and throw into the washer when needed.

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