Cat fur

Even in ancient times, cat fur was used for various purposes. In Egypt, cats held special significance and were revered as sacred animals. Their fur was used for clothing, blankets, and other textiles. Similarly, in other ancient civilizations such as ancient Rome and Greece, cat fur was used for clothing and as a status symbol. During the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, cat fur was popular in Europe. The fur was processed into pelts and worn as a luxury item by wealthy individuals. In England, in particular, cat fur was highly sought after as a symbol of wealth and prestige.

Cat leather and cat fur mainly come from East Asia nowadays and are used for fur collars on clothing or for stuffed animals. Up until the 1970s, pharmacies in Europe sold cat skins as a protection against rheumatism.

According to estimates, two million cats and dogs are processed worldwide this way every year.

The sale of cat fur is banned in a lot of countries. According to REGULATION (EC) No 1523/2007 and by the German Animal Products Trading Act (TierErzHaVerbG), it is generally forbidden to sell cat fur and dog fur, as well as products containing such fur, in the EU or from the EU to other destinations. But, transporting these across borders for non-business reasons is permitted.

However, these regulations relate only to the fur of cats and dogs. There are no restrictions on sales of hairless leather from dogs and cats or animal hair without skin. Teeth, claws or bones are also not subject to any restrictions. There is no explanation for this.

The consumption of cat or dog meat is regulated in Germany. This is prohibited in Germany according to § 22 of the Food Hygiene Ordinance.

In order to avoid the word "cat", which sounds unpleasant to the western customer, traders often use names such as "Lipi", "Genotte", "mountain cat", "wild cat" or just "orthopaedic leather". End consumers never know that usually all these items are made using domestic cats.

Even for professionals, it is difficult to recognize which animal a fur is from. Therefore, it cannot be excluded that such furs or leather are processed in Asia and imported into Europe.