# But WHY would anyone want to skin a cat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 18, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161 "2012-10-18T20:18:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/1 "2012-10-18T20:18:55Z")
We all know there’s more than one way to do it, but why would someone actually do it? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/2 "2012-10-18T20:19:35Z")
Easier to declaw them that way. d&r ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/3 "2012-10-18T20:21:28Z")
Are the cats used for biology labs pre-skinned? If not, that would be a logical first step for dissection. ---
**Author:** ![Shagnasty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9dc877/32.png) [@Shagnasty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shagnasty)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/4 "2012-10-18T20:24:21Z")
I always told myself the saying used ‘cat’ as a short form of ‘catfish’. It makes more sense that way anyway. You can skin real cats too of course, especially wild cats for their pelts, but I didn’t think that was common enough among most people to deserve a saying. ---
**Author:** ![sidecar\_jon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a5b964/32.png) [@sidecar\_jon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sidecar_jon)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/5 "2012-10-18T20:36:22Z")
Make good gloves apparently. " on her hands she wore gloves of cat skin…" Norse saga of Eric The Red. > **[Seeress (Germanic)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%B6lva)** > > In Germanic paganism, a seeress is a woman said to have the ability to foretell future events and perform sorcery. They are also referred to with many other names meaning "prophetess", "staff bearer", "wise woman" and "sorceress", and they are frequently called witches or priestesses both in early sources and in modern scholarship. In Norse mythology the seeress is usually referred to as völva or vala. > Seeresses were an expression of the pre-Christian shamanic traditions of Europe, and they held... ---
**Author:** ![A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a87d85/32.png) [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/A_Dodgy_Dude)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/6 "2012-10-18T20:37:52Z")
> [@Shagnasty](#): > > You can skin real cats too of course, especially wild cats for their pelts,. I hadn’t thought of the wildcat angle. I always assumed the saying was about house cats. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/7 "2012-10-18T20:41:08Z")
If you HAVE to do it, isn’t it better to know more than one way? ---
**Author:** ![ArmenE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e9bcb4/32.png) [@ArmenE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ArmenE)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/8 "2012-10-18T20:44:49Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > Are the cats used for biology labs pre-skinned? If not, that would be a logical first step for dissection. they aren’t. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/9 "2012-10-18T20:45:58Z")
Some details on the[various methods](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=576567)for those interested. I presume the reason is to find the optimal way to do it. ---
**Author:** ![Omar\_Little](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omar_little/32/269_2.png) [@Omar\_Little](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omar_Little)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/10 "2012-10-18T20:48:53Z")
How else do you make sutures, musical instrument strings, etc. from catgut? ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/11 "2012-10-18T20:52:47Z")
Hey, do I make fun of your hobbies? ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/12 "2012-10-18T20:54:53Z")
> [@Omar\_Little](#): > > How else do you make sutures, musical instrument strings, etc. from catgut? You use a cow, pig, sheep, horse or donkey. You never use a cat. ---
**Author:** ![XT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xt/32/456_2.png) [@XT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/XT)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/13 "2012-10-18T21:00:04Z")
Some people just like the bald, streamlined look I guess… ---
**Author:** ![RedSwinglineOne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a9adbd/32.png) [@RedSwinglineOne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RedSwinglineOne)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/14 "2012-10-18T21:21:15Z")
Its the first step in making a Persian rug. ---
**Author:** ![WotNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e19b73/32.png) [@WotNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WotNot)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/15 "2012-10-18T21:32:26Z")
> [@A\_Dodgy\_Dude](#): > > I hadn’t thought of the wildcat angle. I always assumed the saying was about house cats. I’m pretty sure it is. People like fur – it’s useful and attractive. Cats have fur, and they’re cheap, plentiful and readily available. Why would people _not_ skin cats? Because they’re cute? So are bunny rabbits, and they’re a lot harder to catch. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/16 "2012-10-18T21:35:09Z")
I’ll mention that I’ve seen cat skins formed into the shape of jackets and coats that sell for thousands of dollars. ---
**Author:** ![Szlater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/90ced4/32.png) [@Szlater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Szlater)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/17 "2012-10-18T22:11:35Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > I’ll mention that I’ve seen cat skins formed into the shape of jackets and coats that sell for thousands of dollars. In the US? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 10:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/18 "2012-10-18T22:19:15Z")
> [@Szlater](#): > > In the US? Not recently in the US. ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/19 "2012-10-18T22:22:41Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Not recently in the US. So then those might not have been U.S. dollars they sold for… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [October 18, 2012, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161/20 "2012-10-18T22:33:06Z")
> [@tracer](#): > > So then those might not have been U.S. dollars they sold for… Well they were once upon a time. I don’t know of any restrictions on the sale of cat skin coats in this country though it’s no longer popular. I assume existing skins can be resold even if there are restrictions on new ones. I’ve also seen cat skin rugs, and trim on other items. The point being, someone needed to know how to get those skins off. I’m really interested in finding out if any used the Max Torque Inversion method. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/but-why-would-anyone-want-to-skin-a-cat/638161.md?page=2)