My cat has the softest fur and I’d always thought I’d like to save it somehow when he died. The day has come. 
Has anyone done anything like I’m thinking? Have a maybe 12x12 inch section of his hide processed, then… made into one side of a pillow, or maybe made into a stuffed cat that is obviously not a real cat form?
If anyone has, were you happy with it 2 years down the road or did you regret it? (I somewhat regret having my horse cremated and having the ashes.) Did everyone think you were nuts for doing it? I feel like this shouldn’t be different from having a cow hide as home decor. Is it a taxidermist who would do this?
You should do what makes you happy. But not gonna lie, I’d think it was really odd if I visited someone who had something on display that was made from their cat’s fur. If you’re feeling a little sensitive about that, just keep it in a private room where it’s just for you, not for your guests.
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It’s a little bizarre to me, but if it makes you happy do it. I’d be worried the processing (and the fact that its not on a warm body) will make it not feel the same.
I thought of that. Not like I have lots of visitors.
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That’s a question I could ask if I find someone who might do it.
the guys who do taxidermy probably don’t give a fig. they tan the fur for you and you get to worry about making a pillow from it.
If you are not going to sew yourself, tell the tailor that it’s bunny fur…
Other than that, I am thinking of an Alan Alda Memoir: Don’t stuff your dog…
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Freeze drying is a big thing. It’s in Australia now so the article is a bit out of date, and more people are offering it.
“Might be in the freezer for months”.
How can this guy make money?
Neat concept, though it squicks me out a bit. Different strokes for different folks.
So sorry for your loss. I think you should do whatever you want to honor your pet and your memory of them.
I know someone who had their cat’s hide tanned and the fur converted into fur liner for house slippers. I actually thought that was such a cool way to honor their pet and keep a little bit of them living with them.
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The freezer or the drier?
Some folks take a few months to come to grips with what they want, and their pet sits in their freezer until then (apparently)
The process can take over a month depending on the size of the animal.
Apparently there was a reality tv show about it
Freeze drier. From the article
Oh yes! I think some folks have an industrial set up, others do it as a niche market for one or two at a time I guess.
I can’t imagine the purchase price and operating cost of the freeze drier. The guy has two. If each animal cost 2k, and took one month… that’s 24k a year. Even if they only took two weeks - it sounds like a lot of work, and capital, for the money.
Like you said, niche market for sure!
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I wonder if he doesn’t have another job in addition to this. That 24K seems like it would be good money for probably not a ton of effort. You have to prep them, but then for the month they are in the freeze dryer you aren’t really doing much of anything. That could be a very lucrative side gig.
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I think he fits more than one animal per drier, it has shelves. I think you can stop/start the driers without affecting the process, unlike … bread for example.
The second article I read, the main income was traditional taxidermy with freeze drying as a niche side hustle.
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ljnTwF64_y0
American Stuffers is the show. Here’s a snippet. I got to the unveiling of the pet dog and nope’ed out.
Thanks for posting. I’d had a thought of glove lining or something like that. Probably wouldn’t want a wear n tear situation though. I still have to see if a taxidermist will do this for me.
End result: I couldn’t find anyone who would do any part of it. They only work on deer here.
Well, that’s a drag. Can you branch out a little further, and ship to them? It shouldn’t be too hard to ship something frozen, it’s done frequently.
I apologize if my tone is brash, I do recognize that I am speaking of your beloved kitty. I don’t know how to discuss gently.
