# Is a catskin rug more "wrong" than a bearskin rug? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [March 24, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826 "2013-03-24T17:52:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/1 "2013-03-24T17:52:09Z")
Is what he is doing any different ethically or morally than selling a bearskin rug? [Andrew Lancaster, Taxidermist, Sells Cat Skin Rug On ‘Trade Me’ Auction Site (PHOTOS)](http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/03/21/andrew-lancaster-cat-skin-rug-auction_n_2925875.html) ---
**Author:** ![ZenBeam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/3ab097/32.png) [@ZenBeam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZenBeam)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/2 "2013-03-24T18:16:22Z")
What a waste of a perfectly good [helicopter](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154283/Cats-away-Artist-turns-dead-pet-flying-helicopter-killed-car.html)… The problem I see is that it could have been someone else’s pet. If it was feral, I’d say it was OK (although I can also see other people getting upset). ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/3 "2013-03-24T18:47:42Z")
I think the “wrongness” is that the rug would be too small to be useful. ---
**Author:** ![appleciders](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85f322/32.png) [@appleciders](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/appleciders)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 6:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/4 "2013-03-24T18:51:55Z")
Meh. It would weird me out to have one because my cats would sleep on it and that’s odd, but I don’t see any intrinsic reason not to do it. EDIT: And upon reading the link, oh hell no, that can’t go in my house. It’s still got its cute little face. Way creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/5 "2013-03-24T19:15:38Z")
Not a problem, as long as the animal was disposed of humanely. Hell, 'd not say no to a furry cat-quilt, and 've got two feline babies at home… ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/6 "2013-03-24T19:15:42Z")
The catskin rug pictures made me laugh my ass off - I don’t know why. No, I can’t see any real difference between a catskin rug and a bearskin rug, except bearskin rugs aren’t nearly as funny. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/7 "2013-03-24T20:07:22Z")
Your typical housecat wouldn’t make a sturdy enough rug. Now for a sporran, that’s different… I’ve also known people to use cat fur to trim collars and such in period garments. ---
**Author:** ![Beastly\_Rotter](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/45deac/32.png) [@Beastly\_Rotter](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beastly_Rotter)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/8 "2013-03-24T20:15:59Z")
God I love Trade Me, it’s the best online auction site in the world. ---
**Author:** ![Fretful\_Porpentine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fretful_porpentine/32/2873_2.png) [@Fretful\_Porpentine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fretful_Porpentine)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/9 "2013-03-24T20:16:15Z")
Since the cat was roadkill, I don’t see anything ethically wrong with _this_ rug, but if $1,000 catskin rugs become a trend, I’d be a little worried about what somebody else might do to increase the supply :eek: ---
**Author:** ![EmilyG](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/emilyg/32/364_2.png) [@EmilyG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EmilyG)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/10 "2013-03-24T20:17:16Z")
I love cats, and I wouldn’t want a catskin rug, but is it wrong that I find that rug somewhat amusing? And I agree with **Dewey** , it does seem too small to be useful. ---
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/11 "2013-03-24T21:13:40Z")
I don’t think it’s _wrong_, just sort of creepy. I think the same thing of bearskin rugs, though. And I agree with it being too small to be useful. I’d rather he had stuffed and posed the cat. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/12 "2013-03-24T23:06:52Z")
I’m not a fan of bearskin rugs either, but bears are generally wild animals, occassionally killed for their meat. Whereas cats are seen as companions, so they’re more like killing your friend. In this case, it was already dead, so it’s not wrong. It is, however, roadkill. Which makes it disgusting. Eeeew. ---
**Author:** ![Jragon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e19b73/32.png) [@Jragon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jragon)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/13 "2013-03-24T23:13:35Z")
Eh, as long as nobody is abducting anybody’s pet, and a specific breed isn’t endangered, I don’t see anything wrong with eating cats (or dogs etc), making rugs out of them, or stuffing them. Hell, we have way more cats and dogs in shelters than will ever be adopted. Humanely disposing of them and using them might actually be good. I agree that this rug was funny. Knick knacks made out of dead animals aren’t my thing, but if there’s a market, go for it! ---
**Author:** ![Enkel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/df705f/32.png) [@Enkel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enkel)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2013, 11:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/14 "2013-03-24T23:26:00Z")
> [@ZenBeam](#): > > What a waste of a perfectly good [helicopter](http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2154283/Cats-away-Artist-turns-dead-pet-flying-helicopter-killed-car.html)… +1 I’ve been waiting for one of my smaller critters to kick off so I could start my own fleet of helicopters. I just know that my Jack Russel Terrier would love to be able to buzz ground hogs from the air. I’d even find a way to wire in speakers and her bark! ---
**Author:** ![InternetLegend](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/internetlegend/32/13154_2.png) [@InternetLegend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/InternetLegend)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/15 "2013-03-25T00:23:43Z")
I wouldn’t want to hang out with someone who had it in their house (or, for that matter, with someone who’d make the rug), but I think it’s creepy rather than unethical or immoral. It’s kind of like the horsemeat vs. beef controversy - I don’t see a moral difference between the two. Of course, I think all animal skin furnishings are at least a little creepy, even those expensive leather sofas. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/16 "2013-03-25T00:24:26Z")
Both are equally disturbing to me. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/17 "2013-03-25T01:03:21Z")
Cat lover all my life and I want one. Bonus that the one in the link looks exactly like one of my cats. Now, if only I could communicate to my cats: “This is what happened to the _last_ cat that tore up my furniture!” ---
**Author:** ![Phnord\_Prephect](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/df705f/32.png) [@Phnord\_Prephect](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Phnord_Prephect)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/18 "2013-03-25T01:17:48Z")
That’s 1000 ways of hilari-wrong! Although, without the head, it’s really not that bad. I wouldn’t have much of a problem with, say, a fur coat or a blanket made of cat skins, but if it’s looking at me? Kinda creepy. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/19 "2013-03-25T01:42:52Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > I think the “wrongness” is that the rug would be too small to be useful. How about rugs made of big cats? The real problem with a cat skin rug? Taking photos of your naked new-born baby laying on one just sort of . . . misses the point. ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2013, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826/20 "2013-03-25T02:41:28Z")
Stick a bottle opener in it’s mouth it would make a nice bar mat. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-catskin-rug-more-wrong-than-a-bearskin-rug/653826.md?page=2)