Dorothy Chapman sells cat grass gardens through Mom’s Indoor Cat and has grown the company by building relationships with independent pet stores across the country.
Chapman first came across indoor cat grass when she and her son were looking to help their 17-year-old cat feel better. Cat grass helped, and after reading product labels, Chapman decided that she could make a better product.
“We talked to a lot of pet store owners about what cat people were looking for, what they liked and didn’t like about cat grass that they shelved as it was, and we really truly just set out to solve all those problems and then educate people about cat grass,” she says.
Chapman wanted to offer cat grass that had healthier ingredients and was more durable than current offerings. Mom’s Indoor Cat offers cat grass garden kits and refills, all organic, food grade and non-GMO. Her products are available both at her website and at independent pet shops.
It is her ability to talk and connect with people that has allowed Chapman to grow her business. She founded Mom’s Indoor Cat in 2023 and grew the business by going door-to-door to NH pet stores to talk to them about her product. Now, Mom’s Indoor Cat products are in 1,200 brick and mortar stores across the country.
“I found those mostly by contacting people and saying, ‘Hey, I have this product, would you like a sample’” she says. “That’s pretty much all I do right now and it’s fun, it’s interesting, and you get to talk to a lot of people. The nicest part about running a cat company versus anything else I ever ran [is] people love to talk about their animals.”
Chapman had other entrepreneurial ventures in the past, but Mom’s Indoor Cat is the one that’s clicked. Chapman realized that the push toward more organic food for both people and dogs was an untapped market for cats.
“People love their animals, and this is a healthy treat,” she says. “This isn’t just another catnip toy, and that’s something that’s so important to me.”
Chapman spends her days reaching out to potential customers and attending trade shows. Her advice for others considering starting a business? Go for it.
“I would say do a lot of research, know what your market is, and then just take the leap because people are very very helpful. And listen. Listen to what people say, and take advice, but stay true to what you want to do.”
