Buy a hat, save a cat: 'Together we can give our feline friends a purrr-fect life, one hat and one cat at a time'

A Co Armagh entrepreneur has launched a heartwarming new venture, aiming to sell 1,000 hats and raise £20,000 for cat shelters across Northern Ireland.

Ben Nelson, who lives in Tandragee, has created Cat & Scarf, a unique fundraising venture designed to benefit cats in need while offering customers a fun and fashionable way to give back.

Cat & Scarf sells human-sized hats, each paired with a small, cat-sized scarf. For every purchase, the proceeds are donated to charities working to rehome cats in need across the province.

Passionate about animal welfare, Ben, who has over 10 rescue animals including cats, hens and ducks, explained: “My heart breaks every time I see a post for a cat that needs a home. I wanted to do something to raise money to support them and this is the best way I could think of.”

With over a decade of business experience, including running a coffee shop, two gyms, and three body piercing studios, Ben has used his business knowledge to bring his idea to life. He collaborated with contacts in China to design the black-and-white knitwear and overcame Brexit-related shipping delays to get the first batch of 1,000 products.

He explained: “My first venture was a coffee shop that I started when I was 23, so that was 16 years ago. I had the coffee shop for 10 years, and then lockdown came along, and somebody made me an offer and bought it.

“I run two gyms, one in Lurgan and one in Lisburn, called Connected Fitness and I have three body piercing studios in Tandragee, Lurgan and Banbridge

“With my background in body piercing, I have an amazing friend in China who has been helping me with design and jewellery for years and years. She’s a cat lover as well and guided me through the whole Cat & Scarf process including importing, design, setting up samples and then making them.

"I committed about £4,000 of my own money to have 1,000 made and shipped over. In June 2024 I went down to Belfast Docks to watch them arrive on a ship. ”

And after only a month in business, the hats and scarfs have proven a massive hit with over 200 sold already.

Ben continued: “I’ve been selling now for four weeks, and the vast majority are in Northern Ireland with a few heading across to England and one to the Orkneys!! Each £20 purchase covers the cost of the hat and scarf, with approximately £15.60 from every sale going directly to charity after shipping and processing fees.

“We’re trying to raise £20,000 and we’ve sold 200 hats so far and collected about £3,400, which is amazing!

“The hats have proven really popular and the little scarves are providing the perfect social media opportunity to pose with your fur babies.”

Ben has also set up a website and Instagram page to help collate pictures of himself and others showing off their new knitwear.

"The best thing customers can do is share photos of themselves and their pets wearing the hats and scarves and tag Cat & Scarf on Instagram,” he urged.

"It’s already collecting a great variety of images from happy customers posing with their furry friends. But it doesn’t have to be a cat, it can be any pet or a favourite cuddly toy, just put the little scarf around them and take a snap. It's all about fun, and the more people who share their photos, the more we raise awareness for the cause."

Looking ahead, Ben has bigger plans, including one day opening his own cat sanctuary, but until then he’s focused on making a difference through his Cat & Scarf project.

He added: “The hats are a great Christmas present, or secret santa idea as they bring smiles to faces especially when you pose with your cat! Everyone loves them and hopefully together we can give our feline friends a purrr-fect life, one hat and one cat at a time.”