July 13,  2009



I have often noted that the feral cats living on the islands have a pretty good deal.  

They can hang around the docks and enjoy fresh seafood much of the year with no great effort on their part.

Now, with the launch of Hatteras Cat Fresh Fish for Felines, your beloved landlocked and housebound critters can enjoy the same privilege.

The idea was spawned here on the docks of the Albatross Fleet in Hatteras village where Capt. Bryan Mattingly runs the Albatross II.  Most of the raw product comes off its boats.  All of it is locally caught in the ocean and the sound.

(Disclosure:  I am a partner in the Albatross Fleet but have no partnership in the cat food company, and I am sorry to say I can claim no credit for this wonderful product.)

While watching the fish scraps being loaded onto a boat and taken out to be dumped into the sound, the regular practice here after the fish are cleaned, Capt. Bryan and his wife Antoinette started to wonder: “How can we use the scraps for Sparky, our dog?”

From the onset this was a project of “Waste not. Want not.”  The Mattinglys are concerned that we live in a world and a culture of waste and did not want to contribute to that way of life.

While they recognized that these scraps were not really being wasted but rather returned to the water to feed the sea creatures, they also began to realize the potential for using the scraps for another purpose -- one that would “eliminate the need to harvest more; to do more with what we have.”  

Their “goofy inventor friend” Abe Lindsey of Asheville, N.C., was consulted, and all he could think about was cat food.  It just seemed so obvious.

His wife, jewelry designer Q. Evon, was brought into the conversation and soon the four found themselves dreaming and scheming of a new business that would be fun and also do some good on several levels.  That was an important factor to all of them.

Lindsey and Evon have experience creating and marketing new products and taking them national, so they were the ideal partners for this venture.

All four partners are creative and have a lot of fun working together.  As they say, “We are not stuck in a box.” 

Hatteras Cat was about to be born and “It quickly became obvious how valuable it is.”  

Bryan built a production facility they call the “foodio” near Antoinette’s art studio in Kinnakeet and processing got underway.

They first considered a dry product but following discussions with Dr. Kathryn Ramsberg of the Cat Care Clinic in Asheville, who did the clinicals for them, the team decided to make a super nutritious cat treat rather than a food.

Dr. Ramsberg explained that cats are obligate carnivores with a low thirst drive.  They must eat protein and need a lot of fluid, so they made a moist version that can be scooped out by the recommended teaspoonful and mixed with the cat’s dinner.

The result is a rich pate of pure fresh fish in a golden fish broth that cats can’t resist.  

There are five delicious varieties to choose from:

•    Tidewater Gumbo- Albacore blend
•    Kinnakeet Treat – Mahi blend
•    Frisco Fish Feast – Wahoo blend
•    Harbor Chowder – Tuna blend
•    Fish House Medley – King Mackerel blend

Hatteras Cat was test marketed in Asheville, where it immediately sold better than they had dared to hope and customers are now purchasing Hatteras Cat by the case at Dr. Ramsberg’s clinic.

The local launch is low key to ensure quality and volume control as the company begins to grow.

We have been selling it at our dock for a few months and customers say, “Our cats would love this.  We should take some home to them.”  So it is a unique souvenir as well as a nutritious treat.

The 8-ounce jar will keep your pet happy for three weeks at a cost of $8, and a 10-ounce frozen version is coming soon.  The logo is really cute and Antoinette, a potter, makes little furbles -- or cat face medallions -- for each jar.  She plans to introduce furble necklaces soon.

Hatteras Cat has a social conscience.  The owners are exploring working with non-profit cat organizations on a scheme that would allow the non-profits to sell their product to benefit no-kill shelters, Friends of Felines, and other cat-friendly organizations.  A portion of the sales income will go to such non-profits in the local areas in which the product is sold.

Visit the Web site www.hatterascat.com where you can learn more about these innovative local products and their benefit for your cat.

By the way, our dog loves it too, and it seems perfectly reasonable to us that our pet should enjoy the same taste treats and healthy benefits of local seafood as we do.  So should yours!


FOR MORE INFORMATION

Hatteras Cat Fresh Fish for Felines is now available on Hatteras Island at:

•    Island Convenience in Rodanthe
•    Village Grocery in Avon
•    The Gaskins Gallery in Avon
•    Foster’s Quay, The Albatross Fleet in Hatteras
•    Lee Robinson’s General Store in Hatteras

You can order by calling 828-242-0101 or 828-242-474
Email hatterascat@ymail.com and they will return your call.

For veterinarian, wholesale, and no-kill shelter pricing call, 828-242-0101.

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