Wrightsville Beach Restaurant Bluewater Mourns Death of House Cat Mascot ‘Molly’

Staff and patrons of Wrightsville Beach’s Bluewater restaurant are saddened over the recent death of the red housecat “Molly” that had become the unofficial mascot of the waterfront grill.

“Molly,” a male cat that was born and lived on the grounds of Bluewater for 17 years, was found dead this week after not being seen for a few days. The cat had been less visible and responsive to restaurant staff during the past few days, general manager Larry Morgan said, adding that respiratory issues are believed to be the cause.

“Molly was iconic. He was a part of the personality of the restaurant,” Morgan said. “There are a lot of sad staff members, there was quite a history surrounding Molly being here.”

Morgan said that for the first few years of Molly being around the restaurant, he was thought to be a female, which is how he got his name. When it was later learned it was a male cat, the name had already stuck.

Molly would regularly rub at the restaurant’s door in the morning, seeking breakfast before later begging for leftovers from patrons who delighted in interacting with the cat, Morgan said.

“He was one of our mascots. He was always there to greet people at the foot of the stairs,” he said.

Patrons would help care for the cat by regularly taking him to the veterinarian or bringing food. And the restaurant helped build a habitat for Molly, who had always lived underneath the building.

“The only thing missing was a TV dish,” Morgan said.  “At one time, we had more cat food in the attic for Molly than there was at Harris Teeter. He was well taken care of.”