The Scoop

The Cat Hair Handbag Lady

By Karen Nichols

, December 10, 2008

Make It Work! This Week In Fashion…

If you watched Cats 101 on Animal Planet last Saturday, you probably saw the segment on the Cat Groomer who makes purses from the fur she removes from her clients — usually done during the course of giving Persians the coveted Lion Cut.

She cards and felts the fur and makes “yarn” from it using a loom. Then she knits handbags with it. And those handbags sell for up to $300.

Now, making kitty toupees from cat hair is one thing, but handbags? Hubby and I kinda looked at each other and went, “Eeeuuw!” just before she pointed out that there are two responses to cat hair handbags: Eeeuuw! and Ahhhh! Obviously, the second group is the target market.

In trying to convert the “Eeeuuw”s to “Ahhhh”s, she points out the following:

All pets are washed and groomed PRIOR to collecting their hair. The hair fibers we use are cleaner than your dog or cat that is currently running around your house and sleeping on your bed. Unless it has been bathed within the last 2 minutes.
Felting requires running the product through a washing process anywhere from 2-6 times. The pet hair handbag is generally cleaner than your own clothing. Unless, of course, you have just washed it 6 times in a row and not worn it yet.
Do you ever wear wool? Dog and cat hair fibers are no different from sheep hair fibers. Except that dog hair and cat hair fibers are much cleaner. After all, sheep do not usually visit their groomer once a month for a nice bath and blow dry after rolling around in the mud, muck and sheep pie (is that what its called?).
Alpaca, Angora, Llama, Camel – are just a few examples of other natural animal fibers that are spun into yarn and used to create sweaters, purses, scarves, blankets, socks, etc. Many of the yarns made from these animal fibers can be very expensive and are quite beautiful.

One of her clients was thrilled, and said she would especially cherish the bag once her cat was gone, because she’d always have a little piece of Fluffy with her. Others said the concept, “kinda creeps me out.”

So what camp do you fall into? Eeeuuws or Aahhhs?