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estled in Whortonsville nine miles outside of Oriental on the shores of Broad Creek, sits a refuge for cats. Marine Craft Marina and Boatworks, in Merritt, NC is a haven for an international brand of luxury catamaran, and for a Bombay breed of feline that calls the marina flagship home.

Luna, at home on the docks.

Luna, the January Pet of the Month is a short haired and muscular, three-year-old, all black (aka Bombay) cat. With eyes as green as the grassy marina grounds she roams. Her black coat, in certain spots, is starting to toast brown from the endless locations to lay in the sun. Though still lean, her primordial pouch has also begun to form, bouncing ever so slightly as Luna wanders between her preferred sun bathing sites.

Perched on a piling, Luna surveys the water around Marine Craft.

“Luna loves to be scratched and petted on pretty days by the residents and guests at Marine Craft,” said Lisa Spicer, owner and operator of the Marine Craft Supply store on site. “She is cautious of newcomers but quickly warms up. You’ll know when she wants attention because she will sashay over, meowing and head bunting for affection.”

While it was Lisa Spicer who found Luna on land, she says it was Luna who chose the marina as her home. Appearing on Christmas Eve 2022, underneath Lisa’s camper located on a small lot off Trent Road and Highway 55. Lisa was out walking her two mini Yorkshire Terriers, one of which has since passed away, when she heard a soft meow.

On the bow of her chosen home Unwritten Timeline.

All eyes on the creek.

“Out walked this black velvet kitten from under the camper,” Lisa said. “It was the sweetest hello.”

With the temperature starting to dip below freezing, the little kitten gladly accepted her invitation indoors for warmth and a makeshift bed.

“Luna laid in the bed we made her all night,” Lisa said. “She never budged.”

On Christmas Day the newest crew member was brought to the marina for the first time and given her name. Dubbed Luna by yacht broker and owner of on site brokerage Timeless Yacht Sales, Lisa Caudill.

Checking the lines.

Luna quickly found her way aboard Unwritten Timeline, the first Antares Catamarans in a row of Antares Catamarans at the marina, and never left. The boat is home to marine surveyor, owner and operator of Marine Craft, Captain Dave Caudill. With whom Luna has bonded with the most, Lisa Spicer said.

Having spent 20 years in the army Capt. Dave is a man of routine, something that cats thrive on.

“Luna sits with her favorite human, David, every morning at 0500 for her favorite treat of a splash of milk,” Lisa said.

Luna and Dave Caudill.

Like clockwork Luna can be found everyday at 8a and 4:30p on the docks greeting marina guests and employees as the work day starts, and following Dave back to the boat for dinner as the work day ends.

Unwritten Timeline, the early 2000s model 44-foot-Antares that Luna calls home, has plenty of surfaces where she can get comfortable. From the helm station canvas cover in the cockpit, enclosed by clear-soft plastic windows that create a greenhouse effect. To the solar panels mounted on the cockpit hard-top, in direct sunlight.

Luna suns on the steps.

Luna can often be seen lounging on the stairs to the marine clubhouse, the wooden docks or concrete pier. Climbing the trees on the property, hiding in a bush, or just generally gallivanting around the large grassy recreation and work area behind the marina and clubhouse. Dashing underneath the clubhouse, or quickly scampering back to her catamaran and disappearing through her custom cat door, when not feeling social. Stretching, yawning, and rolling on the ground when she wants to be pet.

And that’s only when she’s not out hunting on the property. Her prey is made up of large, nonvenomous black snakes and green tree frogs, among small rodents and birds. She also enjoys watching squirrels.

“She keeps her adventures on the marina property and her evenings on Unwritten Timeline for dinner and rest,” Lisa said.

Keeping night watch.

Luna has free range day and night with her cat door, and though she stays on marina property she often ventures back outside at night. This led to an altercation with another cat that had wandered on the property in December, 2025. A large, male, tabby cat from a neighboring house is the likely suspect.

Luckily, Luna has been fully vetted and all she walked away with was a superficial head wound. After some minor first aid from Capt. Dave and Lisa Spicer, and some extra attention from marina residents, Luna made a full recovery.

“I keep thinking you should see the other cat,” said Katie Ryan, a live aboard and marina resident.

There have been no incidents since, and the marina remains a cat paradise.

Celebrity most resembles: Kristen Stewart

Likes: Dusk and dawn
Wants: To sleep in the cockpit
Secret Talent: Catching snakes, frogs, and mice
Dislikes: Large male neighbor tabby cat
Claim to Fame: Showed up on Christmas Eve
Rule to Live By: A cat on a catamaran just makes sense

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Story & photos by Emily Greenberg.

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Know a pet that is a standout? Send in some details and a photo to info@towndock.net. Tell why that pet deserves the coveted TownDock.net Pet of the Month Prize Package --- accolades, a pat on the head (snakes excluded) and a box of Milk Bones ( or snack suitable for the species). We regret that we cannot offer a college scholarship to Pet Of The Month winners. Animals caught near the HarborCam attempting to suck up to the judges will be disqualified.