Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Lafontaine

Dawn, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?

I’m not your typical entrepreneur. I’m a middle-aged, former stay-at-home mom who hadn’t held a traditional job in 23 years when I took this leap. I like to think my unusual background has actually helped me in my journey. I have experience problem-solving in a non-digital age. I have a perspective that helps me persevere in a way my younger self might not have done.

I started this business when my husband was laid off from job he’d held for 15 years. In a corporation with more 25,000 employees, he’d received the CEO Award, the highest possible honor for performance, just 9 months earlier.

To help our family make ends meet, I applied for several positions that I knew I was overqualified for. I didn’t get any of them. His experience in the traditional working world, and mine, made me realize that I needed to take control over my own working future if I was to have one.

The idea for this business came to me during a visit with my mother to her cat sitter. This woman had a beautifully appointed home, but on this day, her living room was filled with cardboard boxes. She saw me looking around and sheepishly explained, “They’re for the cats.”

I already knew that cats loved cardboard boxes. And serious scientific research suggests that cats actually need access to a cardboard box to be happy. But it got me wondering: why do their guardians put up with dirty, ugly Amazon boxes in their homes? Why not something clean, cat-dedicated, and attractive?

My company, Cat in the Box, was born.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?

The biggest challenge I had to overcome was self-doubt.

Self-doubt is insidious. There may be external factors, like family members who are shocked when you tell them you’ve decided to start business, and who recommend, oh-so-gently, that maybe you’d be better off in more traditional employment. Afterall, most businesses, they tell you, fail.

The seeds of self-doubt grow from within, too. What if I can’t figure this out? Other entrepreneurs seem so much savvier/experienced/smarter/luckier than me. What if I lose a lot of money? What if I make a big mistake? Won’t it be embarrassing to tell others if I fail?

I used the term “overcome” – past tense – in my opening sentence. But self-doubt is never really gone.

I’ve jumped over so many hurdles in this business so far – from multiple product design and manufacturing issues, to technical issues, to manpower issues, to sales platform issues, to sales issues – and I’ve watched myself, as if from afar, solve them, one by one.

These small successes eat away at the self-doubt. They make the self-doubt smaller. Afterall, if I can solve ABC, certainly I’m capable of solving XYZ? Right?

But the tiny seed of self-doubt is always trying to germinate.

I believe it’s the work of life not to water it.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?

Cat in the Box designs and sells pet products that meet cats’ biological needs and the desire of cat guardians for attractive cat items that add, rather than detract from the décor of the home.

Many domestic cats live indoors today, and suffer from boredom and lack of exercise. They need access to interesting products that can help meet their biological need to hunt, play, and hide.

Cat guardians need appealing products, too. Unlike dog products, which are often used outdoors, cat products are enjoyed in the home. Cat guardians are looking for attractive products they can be proud to display.

My hope is that Cat in the Box can achieve these goals while contributing to the world we all live in. For example, my latest product, a wool mouse with a six-foot-long tail that cats find irresistible, is handmade in Nepal. It’s made from 100% New Zealand wool, a natural, renewable, organic material, sourced from a country known for strict laws that protect the well-being of sheep.

My partner in Nepal is a World Fair Trade-certified organization that pays felt artisans a living wage, provides health and retirement benefits, and even incentives for workers who keep their daughters in school.

These are the kind of win-win-win products that I hope to be able to continue developing.

What are your plans for the future?

My short-term goal is to develop my newest product idea, which is a unique treat item for cats.

Cat biology is unique, especially regarding nutrition. Unlike dogs who are omnivorous, cats are obligate carnivores, meaning they were designed to eat only meat. Unfortunately, most current cat-treat products on the market contain carbohydrates.

My product would be a pure-protein product that is very healthful for cats. It would be made from an invasive fish species that is destroying the ecosystem in nearly all major riverways in the U.S. This fish has more Omega 6 fatty acids than salmon, but has the unfortunate quality of being difficult to filet for humans.

My longer-term goal and strategic vision is to build a brand around meeting the needs of indoor cats. Pet products are a $295 billion industry and growing. Although there are currently more cats than dogs in the U.S., most of products in pet stores were designed for dogs.

I believe that cat guardians are thoughtful consumers who respond to well-designed products that meet the needs of their pets.

Pricing:

• Catch a Mouse by the Tail – $16.99
• Ink Floyd – an octopus toy for kitties – $24.99
• Gingerloaf House – a cardboard gingerbread house for cats – $38.99
• Spooky Cat Haunted House – a Halloween playhouse for cats – $36.99
• Mega Milk Carton – $38.99

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thecatisinthebox.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/the.cat.is.in.the.box/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecatisinthebox
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/CatintheBoxTV/videos
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thecatisinthebox.com