When Girl Scouts Rylee P., Reagan P., June T., Kiera G., and Avalynn R. from Girl Scouts of Gulfcoast Florida Troop 348 noticed how shy some of the cats were at their local humane society, they knew they wanted to make a difference. But instead of a typical volunteer project, they took a creative approach—recycling one of their favorite things: Girl Scout Cookie boxes.

The girls project earned them the Girl Scout Bronze Award, which is the highest award a Girl Scout Junior can earn. The girls worked as a team to design and build cat scratchers and hideout towers from recycled Cookie boxes to enrich the lives of animals awaiting adoption.

Turning Cookie Cases into Cat Castles

“Our troop wanted to help enrich the lives of animals awaiting adoption. We decided that upcycling the cookie boxes to make scratchers and towers for the cats at the humane society was the best way for all the girls to help,” shared the team.

Over the course of a month, the girls devoted 20 hours each to creating 10 cat scratchers and 7 hideout towers. They used colorful duct tape and glue to hold everything together. Every step—from cutting the boxes to assembling towers—was a chance for creativity, teamwork, and problem-solving.

Challenges and Teamwork

Earning the Bronze Award wasn’t without its hurdles.

The girls were required to learn a new skill, precision cutting. “It was difficult for the girls to cut the scratchers into equal strips. One mom donated a special tool for the project.” The older girls in the troop helped the younger girls learn how to use the tool properly.

Designing towers that were structurally sound so the cats could play safely was also a challenge.

“We figured it out together, testing and adjusting until they were perfect.”

Through collaboration and ingenuity, the troop turned these challenges into opportunities to learn and grow.

Delivering Joy to Shelter Cats

The best part of the project? According to the girls it’s seeing their work in action.

“The girls enjoyed delivering the cat towers to the humane society the most. They were able to see how much the cats enjoyed playing and hiding in the towers. It was fun for everyone,” said the troop.

Making an Impact Last Year After Year

This project is sustainable and replicable. Troop 348 hopes that other Girl Scouts will continue the tradition of turning Cookie boxes into toys for shelter cats.

The girls plan to share their project and tower designs with friends, other troops, and the community, encouraging everyone to create cat towers and scratchers from home and deliver them to local shelters.

Troop 348’s Cookies for a Cause: Building with Love for Shelter Cats shows that creativity, teamwork, and heart can make a lasting difference—one recycled cookie box at a time.