When kittens and adult cats are rescued by the Michigan Humane Society, they usually spend days cooped up in a metal cage, waiting for a loving family to adopt them.
Now, with help from four Oxford Girl Scout troops, those kittens and adult cats will have a fun and special place to chill inside their cold, dreary cages.
Junior scouts from Troop 1419, cadet scouts from Troops 006 and 768 and senior scouts from Troop 364 spent Monday at Oxford United Methodist Church creating about 20 ‘kitty forts? for the Humane Society in Rochester as a community service project.
Made from cardboard boxes covered in paper, the forts are open on one side. Inside the forts are colorful pieces of yarn or cat toys for the felines to play with.
Each scout decorated the outside of the box as well.
Troop leader Toni Ufolla said the forts create a ‘cozy? spot for the cats to relax while they’re in their cages.
‘They take their kitty forts to the new home when they’re adopted out,? she said. ‘They provide a good transition to the new home.?
Another part of the project was to get the four different troops, comprised of girls ages 11 to 16, to gain leadership skills from their elder members.
Throughout the service project, the younger troop members would ask the older girls questions about their time as Girl Scouts. They also played games to help form their leadership skills.
Ufolla delivered the ‘kitty forts? to the Rochester Humane Society on Tuesday, and said the project wasn’t an unusual task for the local troops. ‘Girl Scouts make the world a better place,? she said. ‘That’s what we’re supposed to do.?