How to ethically pass on vintage ocelot fur?

[resisterpersister]

Helping my DM sort through some stuff. She has my grandmother's vintage ocelot coat. (1950s I think).

It's illegal to sell furs from big cats (quite rightly so), and my mum's not interested in making money out of it anyway. Neither of us wear fur or support the fur trade.

But she'd like to pass it on to someone who'd make good use out of it. Could we give it to a museum or something? Or some other org who'd make good use out of it?

WWYD?

(Neither of us want to wear it or give it to anyone who'd wear it as a fur).

@CatMomma

You could try local animal rescues. Old furs are supposed to be good for hand rearing kittens and probably other furry animals like puppies and foxes etc. A heat pad plus the fur simulates the mum and is comforting apparently.

Speaking as someone who works in an animal rescue this is not a good idea. Apart from the animal lovers there being horrified by the very sight of the thing, it would be immensely impractical. Rescues need bedding that can be washed and reused. Anything that can only be used once, and then would need to be thrown away, causes an even greater mountain of rubbish that costs money to be disposed of.

I think I'd bury it.

I do hope everyone here outraged at fur doesn't wear leather either. We will be thinking back on 2021 in horror that people wore leather.

I know you don't want to give it someone who would wear it but to my mind, that's the most ethical thing to do.

🤷🏻‍♀️

@Hanllanpan

If it’s a beautiful fur, let someone else enjoy it and wear it and provide the animal that was sacrificed with the true dignity it deserves. But protest against buying of any new fur. We can’t undo our history but we can make amends with our future

So wearing the animals' skins is ''providing them with dignity"? You are fucking insane.

Would bury it.

Actually, landfill or whatever.

PPs suggestions seem unlikely to be feasible. Most drama organisations won’t want real fur, for example.

@Hanllanpan

If it’s a beautiful fur, let someone else enjoy it and wear it and provide the animal that was sacrificed with the true dignity it deserves. But protest against buying of any new fur. We can’t undo our history but we can make amends with our future

@Hanllanpan

Wearing fur does not provide dignity for the animal that was killed for it. Letting the animal keep its fur and live its natural life in peace is what provides the animal with dignity.

@Hanllanpan

That is without a doubt the stupid answer ever, have you actually read that article you have linked?

Without a doubt, the stupidest thing was RESURRECTING A ZOMBIE THREAD

Thanks for the PETA link. We have a mink coat and a jacket, formerly belonging to deceased relatives, that have been hanging in a cupboard for years, because we didn’t know what to do with them.

Talking of fur, I don’t suppose I’m the only one who was revolted to read that 17 million mink were slaughtered at Danish farms last year because of COVID. Most of the skins had apparently been destined for China.

I think I'd give it to someone who'd wear it too if you can't give it to a theatre company to use - who'd still be wearing it