For Sale: Cat Toy Made From Dead Cats
PAULINE Burgess, aged 53, of Cotswold Road, Malvern, is “disgusted to discover that toy mice she bought for her pet cat were made of real cat hair.”
Those mice the cat, a feline called Mimi, was to toy with and tease and practice her torture methods on is made from cat fur. Oh, the irony.
The toy features three spring-mounted mice attached to a board. The mice are not believed to be real live mice, although the Halesowen News is unspecific.
Pauline Burgess is billed as an “animal rights campaigner”. She buys the cat toy with the lifelike mice and the furry covering.
But the texture of the fur on the product made her suspect that it was real cat hair and she sent it to Worcestershire County Council trading standards and then to campaigning organisation Respect for Animals, which analysed it…
She said: “I am horrified. Some of these cats and dogs are skinned alive in countries like China. I would never knowingly buy any sort of real fur. I was assured when I bought it that it was fake fur and I am concerned other people may be buying items like this for Christmas.”
Miss Burgess did not get satisfaction from the county council, but did get a result from Respect For Animals, which found the toys were made of artificial materials and real animal fur.
The organisation then alerted her of its findings so she could challenge trading standards over the decision not to pursue the matter.
Trading standards had an independent analysis conducted, which also showed it was cat hair.
In a letter to Miss Burgess earlier this month, Mark Strain, principal trading standards officer for the county council, wrote: “Examination of the fibres by light microscopy showed the fibres to be consistent with fine cat hairs.”
The upshot is that nothing further can be done. Cat fur is banned. The product is off the shelves. And a few cats gave up their skins needlessly for a toy that won’t be played with…
Posted: 19th, December 2009 | In: The Consumer Comments (3) | TrackBack | Permalink
