Anyone know anything about exotic furs or know someone who does?

[Myka]

Hey everyone! I have a Queen-size throw made in India in 1982 that is made from something spotted. I'm looking to have the fur identified, but can't find anyone who knows anything about exotic furs. I took it to three different taxidermists, and none of them could identify it. All they commented on was that they didn't think it was dyed and that the stitching it top notch. Any ideas?

[aslan]

Personally i would suggest digging a hole, and giving the poor Murdered animal a decent burial. poor little spotted guys

[onster]

there are a lot of animals that are spotted. maybe you could take a pic?

[Myka]

Originally Posted by aslan

Personally i would suggest digging a hole, and giving the poor Murdered animal a decent burial. poor little spotted guys

Oh I think it is probably several dozen murdered animals that make up this blanket. I didn't kill the animals, I didn't pay for the blanket, but I sure can appreciate the lives of the animals lost in making it so that they have not died in vain.

What about the animals whose lives are lost to make the food your pets eat? Are you vegan yourself?

Originally Posted by onster

there are a lot of animals that are spotted. maybe you could take a pic?

[happycats]

Looks like Lynx fur to me. Poor things
Iberian or Eurasion Lynx.
If it's Iberian, they are an endagered species on the verge of extinction :sad:

If that were mine, I would donate it for edcuational purposes, like the WWF.

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by happycats

Looks like Lynx fur to me. Poor things
Iberian or Eurasion Lynx.
If it's Iberian, they are an endagered species on the verge of extinction :sad:

If that were mine, I would donate it for edcuational purposes, like the WWF.

Good suggestion. I hate seeing things like this. I don't even want to think abut how many animals died just to make that. Fake fur all the way people. You can still appreciate the animal's beauty and they don't have to die for it.

When I was a child, I remember my mother had a rabbit fur coat. She loved it. Back then, I just didn't occur to me these rabbits were killed for this, I just thought they just died naturally and they took their fur then. My father recently gave me the coat, it's in my closet. I can't bring myself to get rid of it because it is something that belonged to my mother, yet I hate having it at the same time.

[onster]

hmmm have to say my best guess would be lynx too.

Quite the unique pattern.

I have to say, even though many people will probably hate me for this, but in one of our closets we have a full length mink fur coat. My late grandfather bought it for my grandmother in the 20's. She gave it to my mother. My mother has never worn it and probably wont. Since im the only daughter it will probably be given to me later. I would never wear it either - however I wouldnt bury it. What's done is done. I cant see myself burying it because I honestly don't see the point. I have things made of leather from cows I have no problem eating and so I dont really have a problem with things that were once living not being in the ground (as a respect thing if you will).

I do have a problem with and why mink/other exotic furs are made. I have a problem that animals are killed brutally and solely for their furs which is not only disrespectful and cruel to them but useless considering we can make furs. That is why I myself will never buy fur of that sort nor will I wear the mink coat if passed on to me. It is however something in our history and 'normal' in the past. It was a very generous gift from my grandfather who knew no better. When I see it I think of my grandfather whom I miss very much and of how well he treated my grandmother and all those around him.

So my point is I can see where Myka is coming from not wanting to bury her blanket for whatever reason.

[onster]

AG i posted without seeing your post....guess we kinda have the same thing going.

I hate the idea behind the coat, how it was made etc...but I cant part with it eitehr.

[Melinda]

I do know the spca or wild animal rescues will accept old fur coats, shawls etc to keep orphaned wildlife or kittens/dogs etc warm. I often purchase them at value village to bring to them.

[ancientgirl]

Originally Posted by onster

AG i posted without seeing your post....guess we kinda have the same thing going.

I hate the idea behind the coat, how it was made etc...but I cant part with it eitehr.

Onster, back when these items were purchased, there really wasn't the awareness or thought about the cruelty that went into them. I can't speak for my mother, I have no idea why she would ever have wanted this coat. She was young, and I can only imagine at the time she just saw it as something pretty. I'd like to think, if she were alive today, she'd think better of it.

I was looking at the coat the other day and can't even bring myself to touch it. I think I'll just buy a garment bag and place it in there. That way I don't have to actually see it.

[BenMax]

Originally Posted by happycats

Looks like Lynx fur to me. Poor things
Iberian or Eurasion Lynx.
If it's Iberian, they are an endagered species on the verge of extinction :sad:

If that were mine, I would donate it for edcuational purposes, like the WWF.

Excellent suggestion. Hopefully something good could come out of a tragedy.

[happycats]

Originally Posted by Melinda

I do know the spca or wild animal rescues will accept old fur coats, shawls etc to keep orphaned wildlife or kittens/dogs etc warm. I often purchase them at value village to bring to them.

Good suggestion!

It looks like just one certain part of the pelt to make this pattern, so it looks like hundreds of them were killed.

[Jim Hall]

maybe hyena is it more like cat or dog fur ?

[badger]

Notice that it's 'dyed' - which means it could be any kind of fur. Looks like thousands of leopard paws :sad:

[onster]

i think the dyed part is just the backing?

[onster]

Originally Posted by ancientgirl

I was looking at the coat the other day and can't even bring myself to touch it. I think I'll just buy a garment bag and place it in there. That way I don't have to actually see it.

Ours is in a garment bag too.

[onster]

Originally Posted by Melinda

I do know the spca or wild animal rescues will accept old fur coats, shawls etc to keep orphaned wildlife or kittens/dogs etc warm. I often purchase them at value village to bring to them.

That is a very good use for those furs indeed.

[luckypenny]

Maybe it's just me but why would someone come to a pet forum to find out from what animal her fur blanket is made of ?

Try a fur coat manufacturer or store...I'm sure you'd get the answer you're looking for there.

[cell]

Don't give the blanket to the SPCA, if it can't be washed and sterilized it will be tossed after 1 use. I don't know how wildlife organizations deal with their sterilization of bedding but they probably won't cross contaminate with it either.

[happycats]

Originally Posted by luckypenny

Maybe it's just me but why would someone come to a pet forum to find out from what animal her fur blanket is made of ?

Try a fur coat manufacturer or store...I'm sure you'd get the answer you're looking for there.

Good point!

And why would it matter "what" animals were killed for this blanket ?
Unless your trying to sell it for profit :sad:

I still say donate to WWF for educational purposes.
Or maybe a museum, as this species my become extinct, and this will be the only way we can ever see one again.

[BenMax]

Great points Happycats and Luckypenny. I was a little baffled myself. Fact is the animal(s) are dead in one of the most horrific and dispicable ways.

One would wonder what animal it is as it is not divulged by the manufacturer - very suspicous!!

[onster]

maybe she was just curious how did u get it myka?

I have to say its odd that they didnt say what animal it is also

i saw this yesterday and was going to reply but was reluctant, it certainly isnt the best idea to post this Q here. I hope I didnt offend anyone when I mentioned the coat ...I just wanted to say that sometimes it is easier said than done, especially when there is strong sentimental value/ these things were bought before there was awareness. Certaintly if my mom bought somethin fur now (which she wouldnt) and then tried to give it to me i would not take it because sentimental value or not she knows better.

[BenMax]

[QUOTE=Myka;758053]

What about the animals whose lives are lost to make the food your pets eat? Are you vegan yourself?

Sorry Myka - no offence to be taken, but why would you ask this question? It has nothing to do with your inquiry. You asked the question and people are offering you their opinion. Take it or leave it - it is totally up to you.

Understand that this is definately an unusual post and really is not the forum to ask this question. I believe a member did say go to a fur manufacturer which may be the only ones that can answer this question.

But since you are asking - I say cat or dog. Regardless of whatever it is, it should be laid to rest or used in an educational way.

[Myka]

I came here to ask the question because the fur is an animal and this is an animal forum. Iberian Lynx or Eurasion Lynx is the best answer I have received for the fur, so I believe it was wise to ask here. I was doing all my fur search in India, and couldn't find any animals with pelts of the right pattern, but I suppose it is well possible that only the textile was from India. Thank you for your answers!!

The fur is definately cat. The "dyed" is for the backing.

The weird thing about this blanket is that all the pieces are very small, smaller than the pattern. Some pieces are only the size of a loonie. Some are maybe a couple inches by an inch. I'm very interested to learn about the blanket. Why it was made the way it was made? My uneducated guess is maybe someone worked in a factory, and kept the scraps to make this piece? I think that there are probably hundreds of individual animals represented on this blanket, but by the size of the pieces it really seems like someone put together "scraps" with quite an amount of talent.

I personally do not agree with butchering animals for their fur alone. I would never BUY new or old fur from these animals. I do NOT however, have any problems wearing leather or wearing fur from those animals whose primary reason for slaughter is meat. I can't eat meat, and be against the practise of butchering animals for meat. I will even go as far to say that if the animal is being butchered for its meat, its coat along with every other useful piece of its body should be used. I have several leather and fur jackets from meat animals.

This blanket was made in 1982, or at least the textile on the back of it was. I believe the fur is probably older than that.

"The Iberian lynx (Lynx pardinus), sometimes referred to as the Spanish lynx, is a critically endangered feline mammal native to the Iberian Peninsula in Southern Europe, being the most endangered feline species in the world."

I love this blanket and the animals that make it up, I treat it very well, I appreciate it, and am aware of what it took to make it. I did not buy it, and will not sell it. I think the animals would have died in vain if they weren't loved at least for what little they have become especially if it is indeed Iberian lynx, which I believe is probably right. This blanket will stay on my couch where it can be loved, appreciated, and can be an educational conversation piece when friends come over and ask about it. I will not be giving away or selling this blanket.

Originally Posted by onster

maybe she was just curious how did u get it myka?

An older lady neighbour gave it to me years ago. She said she traveled to India where her husband bought it for her. She didn't say what year that was, but I assume it was before import of exotic furs became illegal. I'm not sure what year that was.

[happycats]

Interesting, about fur from endangerd species, this is from the US, I'm sure Canada must have some sort of law......I'm still searching

is the only option available for old leopard, ocelot, sea otter and monkey coats and any other fur that's currently considered endangered or threatened. In general, IT IS ILLEGAL TO BUY OR SELL GARMENTS MADE FROM ENDANGERED SPECIES, EVEN IF THEY ARE OLD AND USED.

Kennedy-era leopard coats have regained popularity on the used fur market right now, but beware: in the U.S., if you are caught knowingly selling them in a transaction that crosses state lines, you could be punished with FIVE YEARS IN PRISON and a $250,000 FINE. If you are a business or organization, the maximum fine doubles.

No wonder no reputable furrier deals in endangered species today.

That goes for any garment made from furs listed on the Endangered Species Act, even if the garment was originally purchased before the law went into effect in 1970. If you are not sure if your garment is made from furbearing animals now considered endangered, contact the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service at www.fws.gov or check out the list at the Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) at http://international.fws.gov/global/citesoma.pdf. The majority of countries in the world are signatories to CITES, which means the U.S. isn't the only country to outlaw the sale of such coats. To find a list of countries that comply with the CITES treaty, go to http://international.fws.gov/global/cites.html.

According to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, if you can prove that your leopard or ocelot or other such coat was purchased before the law went into effect in 1970, it is legal to sell it within your own state, but it cannot cross state lines. That means, if you have held onto the original receipt from pre-1970 (in a shoe box somewhere?), you could probably sell it to someone within your own state. But, if you're selling it at a flea market in Manhattan, for example, and the purchaser travels from New Jersey or Connecticut to buy it, you're breaking the law. If you're selling it online to someone in another state, you're breaking the law.

In case that's not enough of a deterrent, some state laws are stricter about selling endangered species than the federal laws.

Just don't do it.

And don't travel out of the country wearing an old or new garment made from endangered species, because you're guaranteed to get stopped at Customs.

[BenMax]

[QUOTE=Myka;758172]I came here to ask the question because the fur is an animal and this is an animal forum. QUOTE]

Indeed it is an animal forum for people who love their pets and not their fur blanket or wardobe.

It is a forum that helps people with pet behavioural problems, questions and answers about their dogs/breed of dog. Food information, the importance of neutering, training tips, medical information, and to help those that are losing a family pet. Actually, there are many reasons why people come here but the main one is about their domestic pets and the love they have for them.

Enjoy your clothing and please tell us about what is really important - your pets.

[happycats]

Check out Ebays rules on endangerd species furs.

http://reviews.ebay.ca/Leopard-ocelo...00000002806090

[BenMax]

Originally Posted by happycats

Check out Ebays rules on endangerd species furs.

http://reviews.ebay.ca/Leopard-ocelo...00000002806090

Thank you happycats! This is very useful information.

[happycats]

Originally Posted by BenMax

Thank you happycats! This is very useful information.

Thank dog that ebay takes selling endangered species fur seriously!

I don't know, but wouldn't want a dead cat blanket on my sofa and what a "wierd" conversation piece.......Yeah that's my Iberian Lynx blanket...they are an endangered species don't you know?......I think that would be a very depressing conversation for guests....i know I would probably cry if I went to someones house and they had that and told me that ...... I don't think I would return either. JMO

[BenMax]

I am miffed.