What are your thoughts on fur coats/jackets/clothing?

[eakers]

Originally posted by: MrsBugi
I recently received a gift from a girlfriend who is quite well-off. She gave me a 100% rabbit fur coat by Sherri Bodell, which is lovely and soft but... made from the fur/skin of dead animals.

I have never purchased or owned a piece of fur clothing in my life, and my husband is also vehemently against the fur business/fur trade. He has asked me to either give the coat back to her or to give it away to someone else, as it is completely against what he believes in.

I'm having mixed feelings about it. One one hand, it is a very nice, warm, lovely coat, plus it was received as a gift. On the other hand, if I ever wear it I may feel like a huge hypocrite (and also upset my husband) since I am completely against everything that it stands for (the senseless killing animals for their fur).

What are your thoughts on the usage of animal fur in clothing?

Poll included on what I should do about the coat.

I don't see it as being much worse than leather except that bunnies are "oh so cute". Those animals are bred to become a coat and they wouldn't have existed otherwise.

I think it is unfair/hypocritical to be against the fur trade and still eat meat from factory farms because the animals are just as mistreated and disrepected.

edit: that is one hot coat. if you have to give it away SEND IT TO ME. i will give it a good home!!!

 

[A1CSpence]

I'm not an animal activist by any means, but I find it hard to believe that reasonable intelligent people don't understand the horror of the fur trade. Yes animals are bred for meat and kept in similar small cages. They probably suffer immensely. But there's a difference between killing an animal for food and attaching electrodes to it's testicles and ears (so as not to damage the fur).

 

[Shame]

Originally posted by: A1CSpence
I'm not an animal activist by any means, but I find it hard to believe that reasonable intelligent people don't understand the horror of the fur trade. Yes animals are bred for meat and kept in similar small cages. They probably suffer immensely. But there's a difference between killing an animal for food and attaching electrodes to it's testicles and ears (so as not to damage the fur).

This is why I only support the liquid nitrogen/chipper shreader method of fur removal.

 

[vi edit]

There are two sides to the fur industry. On one side you have the fur farms that are pretty savage and brutal. It's the same as the "puppy mills" that pump out pets to pet stores. You have a terrible environment pumping out sub-par products and charging ridiculous prices to lemming idiots that buy them.

On the other hand, you have people like my father that have farmers and landowners approach come to him and ask him to trap animals that are causing problems on the land. That could be beavers damning up the creeks and flooding out fields or it could be coons that are raiding the feed bins in barns.

Whatever the case may be, he goes in, traps the animals, skins them himself and then has a friend do the curing/tanning. From there he sends the pelts up to a coating firm in Canada that turns them into very elegant coats.

He does the dirty work as a service to a local farmer and winds up with a beautiful coat for my Mother.

I liken this to the small, private breeders that are the antihesis of the puppy mills.

I can understand some peoples aversion to it, but you have to understand that there are some very quality articles out there that weren't churned out from a slaughter mill.

 

[SagaLore]

Does you or your husband own anything made out of leather?

 

[Chaotic42]

What makes you have concern for the rabbit? How cute or intelligent does an animal have to be for you to care about its death? Would you feel bad about a snake? A guinea pig? Any insects?

I'm not trolling, I'm genuinely curious.

 

[Mo0o]

I think it looks gaudy but i dont really have anything against the act since we eat animals all the time.

 

[Corporate Thug]

thats a freakin nice coat

 

[Excelsior]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42
What makes you have concern for the rabbit? How cute or intelligent does an animal have to be for you to care about its death? Would you feel bad about a snake? A guinea pig? Any insects?

I'm not trolling, I'm genuinely curious.

I think its more of the industry itself rather than the animal, that causes concern. Thats not to say that the entire industry is horrible, because I have no clue.

I remember watching some thing on 20/20 (or another one of those shows) about a fur trade where they actually kill pregnant sheep just to get the fur from the fetus, which is softer and worth a lot more.

Here is a link.

Of course most of you will probably dismiss this because of the source, but whatever.

 

[shadow9d9]

Low morals and intelligence is shown brightly in the poll results...

Burn it and return it to that sicko imo.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: shadow9d9
Low morals and intelligence is shown brightly in the poll results...

Burn it and return it to that sicko imo.

What a great way to win an argument. Insult people who disagree with you. That will win converts...

 

[MillionaireNextDoor]

Cotton plants have 'rights' too...

 

[Compton]

Originally posted by: FoBoT
:thumbsup:
animals != humans

You do realize that humans are animals, right?

 

[mwtgg]

Originally posted by: MrsBugi

Originally posted by: spidey07
What is the problem?

We use animals for our needs. Keep it, wear it and love it. Oh, and dump the controlling husband. bad mojo.

My husband does feel very strongly about this particular topic. His rationale is that "this isn't the year 500, we no longer need to wear animal fur."

"This isn't the year 1800, we no longer need to own firearms."

Use his faulty logic against him... then sell the coat.

 

[Chaotic42]

Originally posted by: Compton

Originally posted by: FoBoT
:thumbsup:
animals != humans

You do realize that humans are animals, right?

He didn't say that they weren't. All humans are animals, but not all animals are humans.

 

[cavemanmoron]

Originally posted by: MrsBugi

Originally posted by: Kelvrick
I don't really like it, but then I guess I can't complain since I know some cows and kangaroos died to make my motorcycle suit, boots, gloves, jacket.

Kangaroos? :Q

That's a good point, I have a pair of leather gloves and my husband has several pairs of leather shoes that he doesn't seem to mind wearing around. I guess the plight of soft, furry animals receives more pity and concern.

I would wear the coat, pretend its polyester.
{Unless it makes you sneeze, which would be an excuse to trade it away }

I am not a vegan/vegatarian, yeah Rabbits do look cute,
but, they also make a good stew.

I like Wool blend clothing in the winter, Sheep don't have to die,
to "donate" their wool.

 

[Lola]

i love fur.

 

[pontifex]

what if it was made from roadkill? it wouldn't have been through senseless killing of animals for their fur then.

Sell it unless your friend might excpet to see you wearing it. otherwise, tell her you can't accept it.

 

[vi edit]

Originally posted by: pontifex
what if it was made from roadkill? it wouldn't have been through senseless killing of animals for their fur then.

Sell it unless your friend might excpet to see you wearing it. otherwise, tell her you can't accept it.

Heh. My Dad picks up road kill coons if they didn't get banged up too bad. Depending on the market that could be anywhere from $10-$20 depending on the time of the year and condition. It only takes him about 10 minutes to clean and skin it. Not a bad ROI.

Do that 4 or 5 times a month and it pays for his fishing/hunting gadgets and supplies.

 

[Geekbabe]

Originally posted by: MrsBugi
I recently received a gift from a girlfriend who is quite well-off. She gave me a 100% rabbit fur coat by Sherri Bodell, which is lovely and soft but... made from the fur/skin of dead animals.

I have never purchased or owned a piece of fur clothing in my life, and my husband is also vehemently against the fur business/fur trade. He has asked me to either give the coat back to her or to give it away to someone else, as it is completely against what he believes in.

I'm having mixed feelings about it. One one hand, it is a very nice, warm, lovely coat, plus it was received as a gift. On the other hand, if I ever wear it I may feel like a huge hypocrite (and also upset my husband) since I am completely against everything that it stands for (the senseless killing animals for their fur).

What are your thoughts on the usage of animal fur in clothing?

Poll included on what I should do about the coat.

What size ? pic ? perhaps you can list it on ebay, donate the money to animal rescue.

 

[shadow9d9]

Originally posted by: Chaotic42

Originally posted by: shadow9d9
Low morals and intelligence is shown brightly in the poll results...

Burn it and return it to that sicko imo.

What a great way to win an argument. Insult people who disagree with you. That will win converts...

There is no argument.. this is an opinion thread... I have no need to "win converts." Sometimes it is ok to just have your own opinion.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Originally posted by: MrsBugi
I recently received a gift from a girlfriend who is quite well-off. She gave me a 100% rabbit fur coat by Sherri Bodell, which is lovely and soft but... made from the fur/skin of dead animals.

I have never purchased or owned a piece of fur clothing in my life, and my husband is also vehemently against the fur business/fur trade. He has asked me to either give the coat back to her or to give it away to someone else, as it is completely against what he believes in.

I'm having mixed feelings about it. One one hand, it is a very nice, warm, lovely coat, plus it was received as a gift. On the other hand, if I ever wear it I may feel like a huge hypocrite (and also upset my husband) since I am completely against everything that it stands for (the senseless killing animals for their fur).

What are your thoughts on the usage of animal fur in clothing?

Poll included on what I should do about the coat.

Keep it and wear it. It's not like you're going to give those animals back their lives at this point anyway.

I probably wouldn't buy a fur coat but since this was a gift I don't see the big deal. You didn't buy it.

Do you wear any leather products?

 

[BoomerD]

If man wasn't meant to use fur, it wouldn't have been made so "furry" , soft, and comfortable...

As many others have mentioned, there's really little difference between fur and leather, except usually leather bearing animals are also used as food sources, where few fur animals are...Cute little bunnies being one exception...they actually taste pretty good...not sure I'd want to eat a mink or some other "fur-bearing rat"...I mean rodent...