Shave Your Cat, Make A Sweater: Sustainable Clothing Gone Too Far? (VIDEO)

Eco-clothing is a tough one. Do you put the emphasis on materials? Distance that the materials travel? Do you go vegan?

Or do you just shave your cat, make some yarn, turn it into a sweater and call it a day?

Oh, you haven't heard of making sweaters from your pets' fur? Let us enlighten you.

This is a clip featuring Danielle German (whose creations are full of purr-zazz).

WATCH:

Hey, maybe I'm being too square here. Or maybe I have friends with cat allergies.

Comments

[Cheesemelt]

And in a related story, the National Association of Bikini Waxers will be offering handbags made from their client's trimmings.

[bbgunn]

And how would you clean THOSE things?

[Cheesemelt]

Presumably the same way a cat cleans his/her fur...

[sailortitan]

I agree with a lot of people posting; making a bag out of the hair of a cat is no different than making a bag out of the hair of a sheep.

As for people who say this "traumatizes" the animal--trust me, shaving persians is a *good* thing for the cat. Their coats are very hot and uncomfortable in warm weather, not to mention the fact that they get matted very easily. Domestic cats do *not* naturally have short hair, this was an bred-in trait from people who liked their cats extra-snuggly. If anything, it could be argued leaving their hair on is more inhumane than shaving it--though personally, I feel as long as you keep it in good condition, it's fine. (Long haired cats also have to groom far more often, which can cause long-haired cats to have far more hairballs--so shaving them is a boon to them for that reason as well.)

For people talking about animal allergies, it is possible but unlikely that a cat-hair bag will cause your allergies to act up because what causes an allergic reaction is not the fur of the cat (or even the dander) but the saliva. Cats lick their fur to clean it = saliva all over their fur = fur falls off on your carpet, etc = allergic reaction. A cat that has been thoroughly bathed and then had it's hair removed before cleaning themselves again shouldn't cause allergies.

[thepoliticalcat]

I would love to have a sweater made of my cats' fur. The little buggers have way more fur than they can use, and they repay me for my kindness in feeding them and putting up with their shenanigans by shedding bucketfuls of it. Plus, grooming them is a pain because (1) they're longhairs, and (2) they play outdoors (they're in no danger, well away from cars) and have naturally piggish tendencies like preferring to lie in wet or damp soil, napping among the slugs, playing in pine pitch, "helping" to dig in the garden, etc. Periodically I cut their fur short, but shaving would mean a battle to the death and my money's on them to win. Maybe I'll just keep the next 20 lb. of mats and try to weave them into thread.

[MNinWI]

You spin the fur into yarn then weave that finish product. Keep in mind the cost of a spinning wheel (not cheap!) and even a small loom is expensive. Then there is the time & patience to learn these arts. Might be better to send the fur to someone who already has the skills & equipment.

[terzip]

There are a number of web-based sites that will take your cat or dog hair (usually from brushing) and spin it into yarn. Prices vary, and some will spin it with wool to make it go further. I've used VIPFibers.com for the hair I brush off our Husky and have gotten some wonderfully soft yarn.

[rucognizant]

I guess you don't have burdocks in your neighborhood. Thats real fun.......­....the hair weaves itself around the prickery seed pod, Almost impossible to cut out. I enticed a feral long haired cat into moving into my warm house with 3 squares a day. ( Once I won her trust, she did NOT go out again. If I opened the door she would run into the other room!) She'd been on her own for several years, so it took me about 5 months to clip off the tangles.

[thepoliticalcat]

I hate to tell you this, but those little piglets were hand-reared indoor cats from day one. They figured out how to get outdoors, and that was it as far as they were concerned. They yowl to be let out and if you still refuse, they piss all over your books, clothes, shoes, and anything else they can get on. Yes, we have burdocks. I spend forever clipping them out. Also, the fattest of the monsters likes to entice baby slugs into his belly fur, where they quickly get lost, dessicate, and die. If you've ever cut a dead baby slug out of cat belly fur -- just ew. But they really are safe from any outdoor dangers. We don't see coyotes here too often (maybe one sighting every 5 years) and they have plenty of hillside to roam with no roads to worry about. I'm in admiration with your feral cat story. Mine run over me if I happen to be between them and an open door. At a combined total weight of 45 lb. it's not fun.

[bbgunn]

I'm wondering if those cat sweaters would shrink in a washing machine. Or would you have to have them dry cleaned? Or would you just lick them clean?

[JSky]

Im the owner of a large, long haired cat. I get her a "lion cut" every year to control her mats, she absolutely LOVES it. As I probably would not wear a sweater or bag made of cat hair, if others want to put the otherwise unused shaved cat hair to good use, why not?

[rbryanh]

This is one of those ideas that reaffirms my faith in the basic goodness of human beings.

Especially since there's no reason to distress a pet by shaving it. Just empty the vacuum cleaner next to the spinning wheel and sort out the crumbs and errant toenail clippings. But that's just the beginning.­..

Think of the enormous sentimental value of a sweater made from the first 10 haircuts of a child... A nice vest made from the pubic hair of past lovers... With a little foresight, chemotherapy patients could wear clever hats crocheted from their own hair. And how about belly button lint?

This concept could also provide an important economic boost for the death industry in a time when people are cutting back on funerals. Just think... Funeral homes could provide members of a bereaved family lustrous silver pot holders woven from grandma's hair. Surviving spouses could wear their loved ones as a scarf. And surely there's enough fur on a dead cocker spaniel to make a pair of mittens?

What a comfort.

[thepoliticalcat]

Why stop there? In the interest of total recycling, one could have the next X books in one's collection bound in Grandma or Grandpa. Perhaps the ex would make a nice valise. And if you glued toenail clippings in an overlapping pattern, a charming tray for the crudites?

[Kula]

Please stop the insanity! Ever see those old 1950's movies where they predict the world of the future? The people in those movies were nuts. The embedded video is what they will show in 50 years. "Environmental kooks of the past" will be the headline. That headline will precede "Cooling world causes massive crop failure".

Keep 'em coming, you're killing me. lol

[rbarry647]

She is welcome to all of the fur under my sofa and beds - she just has to come get it

[bayside]

Recycling.­....I am one of those ahhh people..Re­using refurbish, recycle..G­ood idea..

[QueenCeleste]

Let's just leave the cats alone, why don't we? They were born with their luxurious coats, and they need them. Cats are very easily traumatized and this is so unnecessary.

[LooseEnds]

For once, I can speak with some expertise on a topic. My 16-year-old Persian, Monkey Boy, cannot maintain his coat like a normal cat, due to the combination of luxuriously long hair and smooshed face. (He was a rescue from a bad breeder and is my first and ONLY Persian.) The matted fur can lead to skin troubles and sores; in the summer heat, it's much kinder to shave the whole mess off. Trust me, he loves it. And frankly, I'd prefer to use the money I've spent over the years at the vet's (he has to be sedated) on margaritas and cute shoes. He's also very crabby; you can hear him yodeling over 3 counties when I brush him. We've been doing this for years; his fur is luxuriously soft, and I thought the cat sweaters were MY idea. I had the slogan, if not the technology: "Persh-mere sweaters--more than a wardrobe necessity, it's a low-maintenance pet." And thanks to Monkey Boy, I'm now a dog person.

[lisakaz2]

I saw the clip before and have used animal hair on a sweater before (and wool of course), so there's that link. I never heard of shaving a longhair cat before. I thought ppl liked 'em for their coats? My first cat was a longhair. I gotta say I wish I had a keepsake from her magnificent coat that I could treasure. I only have pics. I'd hate to have shaved her in life or in death but I so wish I could touch something of her again (it's been 18 yrs since she died).

[MNinWI]

I know what you mean but I am lucky in that I did save my Angel's fur from brushings and I did spin it & made some beautiful yarn with it which I plan to weave into a something-have not yet decided so I have that from her besides the pics & memories.

[jetgirl]

As long as the cat actually needs shaving I think it's a cool idea.

[alvdh1]

My Ex is allergic to cats in a big way. I am ordering her a new sweater to go with her poor attitude toward me.

[robertny49]

I have a better idea. Lets shave the heads of these idiots who are abusing their cats and make pillows for the cats out of their human hair.

[alguien]

first you gotta tell us how shaving a cat in the summer equals abuse.

seems like a sensible thing to do.

[mayrose]

Sorry-won't work-human hair doesn't spin unless you add wool to it.
And the cat isn't being abused when it is getting clipped watch the whole video.
However, the fur or combings from one cat won't make a sweater-it takes a lot more to spin up that much yarn.
Still it's fun to see the different colors and textures of the different animals since most shed or blow their coats at some time in the year.

[Melizzy]

That cat in the blow dryer is all WTFFFFFFFF­FFFFFFFFFF­FFFFFFFF?