Is using mohair fur okay?

Lyme disease's best host in the white-footed mouse. The ticks that are vectors for the disease also use possums, but they are much more efficient at taking off the ticks, so the disease doesn't spread more. So please don't kill possums. Chase them outside. It contributes to the spread of Lyme disease.

 

I just think that people should be aware of the impacts they have on the world when purchasing their luxuries, and try to minimize it as much as they can.

Edit: I think instead of an off-topic rant, I will just summarize what I think on the whole issue.

 

Read ladyiolanthe's post.

 

It's OK as long as the sheep/goat is a by-product of meat production

 

I would NEVER buy a real mohair wig for my bjd
I always make sure that if it is 'fur' that it's synthetic
so yeah it bothers me, being a vegetarian and a total animal-rights freak
that being said i dont go against people who do, it's everyone's own opinion and what they're comfortable with

 

Bull-plop. Do your research before you declare such things; our body design is that of a herbivore/fruitivore.

Well, I'm 100% vegan. No meat, milk, eggs, honey, any products that test on/use animals, leather, fur, silk and so on.
My conscience is clear; I do not partake in the abuse, exploitation and massacre of innocent creatures for my own end.

From my perspective if you continue to use any of the above just because 'you like it' then that is a very very depressing sentiment. You will continue to support the suffering of animals (that you may even be aware of) just because it's convenient or you like the taste/feel?
I'm not saying there may be exceptions; self-defence and so on are acceptable may animals may have to be killed but only if it is absolutely necessary.

As for mohair fur, well, I try and source as best I can and always go with faux-fur. For the most part though, I don't really buy it anymore due to the ethical issues surrounding both.

 

@Akudem: Maybe YOU should do your research. Humans are omnivores. We have teeth designed for both plant and animal consumptions and our intestines our designed to digest meat and lack the necessary adaptations (like partitioned stomachs in cows for regurgitating cud or a rabbit's intestinal sac that uses bacteria to aid in the digestion of cellulose) to be natural herbivores. That is not to say that we cannot be vegetarians or even debate about which is healthier (that is a totally different debate and this is not the place for it). So claiming some moral high ground because you believe human are natural herbivores is completely backwards. Claim moral high ground because you respect the living and do not want to kill, not because you don't eat meat. Claim moral high ground because you eat healthier than your friends. But don't try to put everyone else down using misinformation. Our species are omnivores and have been for millions of years.

There certainly are morals and ethics concerned when raising and killing animals for food. But that has no place here. Keep your conscience clear in regards to mohair fur as far as this topic is concerned. the rest of your conscience you can keep to yourself.

edit: spelling

 

Honestly, there's no one answer as to whether it's 'okay'. It's like asking whether it's okay to eat meat (which this discussion seems to be veering towards anyway - who cares what type of diet humans are 'supposed' to follow?). Everyone is going to have their own personal line when it comes to buying animal products, and neither real nor faux fur are free of controversy.

If you're a vegetarian/vegan who avoids leather products etc. then no you probably shouldn't be buying mohair wigs (at least of the pelt variety - shaved fur is another matter). If you eat meat and wear leather then there's not a lot of difference between that and mohair, although of course it's better to look for products sourced responsibly.

 

I personally don't feel terrible about wearing leather, so I don't really have a problem with fur. I only have a problem with fur that comes from endangered animals. Otherwise, animals live, die, and are consumed. Circle of life man...

 

Actually I have done my research; our teeth and jaw motion are that of herbivores as are our long intestines; these are designed for the long digestion of plants and other vegetation/fruits, not rotting meat; what do you think is responsible for many cases of bowel cancer? Much of our diet has a basis in tradition and convenience and has become a daily habit when it should be something only to be eaten in dire circumstances.

And that is NOT the reason I am 'claiming the moral high ground.' I was responding to a snippet from a previous, quite insensitive, post from someone else.

//Off topic

And now I leave, because this thread hurts my brain.

 

There are going to be people who like using real fur, and then there are people who like man-made fur. I personally like man-made fur better because I own a chinchilla and now shudder when I see chinchilla fur coats only because I know how many of them it took to make it.
Humans were meant to rule over animals and do with them as we will, what some people do with them is moral to them and what others do is so to they.
It's not really animal cruelity, especially if it were a farm. I, personally, would rather the animal die from natural causes if one were to make a pelt of it, at least then it lived it's life. But I do feel people humanize animals too much, I know sometimes I'm bad about it.
It's probably just parenting instincts, especially when they're a small, cute animal. It's like seeing a baby, puppy, or kitten.

I've never liked these moral debates, people always get side-tracked, many feelings get hurt, and it's all just a excuse to argue :\

 

My only reason for not buying mohair wigs is because I hate their texture. I really didn't know that they were made from animals until today. Honestly, though, knowing that the animal was used for other things (food and such) would be better than killing it "just for wigs" which I would find incredibly disrespectful.

One can only hope that research is put into where the fur is coming from- responsible places that treat their animals with respect and don't abuse them.

That said, I can't help but think I'd feel differently if it was made from, say, a dog or a cat- because these animals have become so domesticated and aren't seen (at least where I'm from) as food sources, they've earned a status akin to human as far as I'm concerned. So yeah, I'd have to be a hypocrite and say then I wouldn't support it based on whatever supposed morals I have. Now that kind of sucks to think about. I guess I'm not that good of a person after all. ._.

 

I am completely against the use of any sort of such product. My motto is --If you aren't part of the solution, you're part of the problem. By buying the fur/skin of a butchered animal, one is directly supporting that industry, which I am passionately opposed to. And then there are people who feel fine with buying sheered fur, but little do they know what really happens--just an excerpt:

In Australia, the most commonly raised sheep are merinos, specifically bred to have wrinkly skin, which means more wool per animal. This unnatural overload of wool causes animals to die of heat exhaustion during hot months, and the wrinkles also collect urine and moisture. Attracted to the moisture, flies lay eggs in the folds of skin, and the hatched maggots can eat the sheep alive. To prevent this so-called "flystrike," Australian ranchers perform a barbaric operation—mulesing—or carving huge strips of flesh off the backs of lambs' legs and around their tails. This is done to cause smooth, scarred skin that won't harbor fly eggs, yet the bloody wounds often get flystrike before they heal. Every year, hundreds of lambs die before the age of 8 weeks from exposure or starvation, and mature sheep die every year from disease, lack of shelter, and neglect.

So in short, sorry, you can't rationalize it from a moral standpoint if you value the wellfare of animals.

 

Unless you PERSONALLY check out the source, a certificate 'ain't worth squat.' Everyone knows the USDA, for example, issues inspections and hands out A's to all the big, horrific meat industries, and this case is no different. I respect that you looked into the wellfare of the animals in question, but to be honest, I thinnk we all know that the likelihood is it isn't as cruelty-free as it is made to appear.

And if, by killing two dogs prevents the death of a thousand, is that not a sound argument? Yup, it's pretty sad that it needs to get to that point, but by this point, no other method of reaching out to people is getting anyone's attention. Their goal is to minimize animal suffering worldwide...if they did kill two dogs and got thousands of people's attention by doing so, and some of those people in turn refused to buy animal tested products, that could possibly save or improve the lives of THOUSANDS of dogs. So it makes sense.

And for the record, I'm not a PETA member because of people's veiws on PETA radicals. It's sad that a few ruin it for the rest of us, because I think it does a lot of good if it were easier to see past the radicals.

 

I am a vegetarian and I try not to use fur and skin animals for clothing, but it is not always possible, and for the dolls can be used cropped fur, not skin.

 

How do you feel about using a mohair wig on your doll?

I don't think there is anything wrong with this.

Does it go against what you believe?

No not at all, i don't think it should for anyone. Some people are in the fur industry to make a living. Yes i do love animals, but at the same time, i can understand someone who is just trying to support themselves. There is nothing unatural about using fur.

 

it is possible, and quite common to make mohair wigs out of the hair that is shaved off the goat. it is sold both wefted and loose. not all mohair wigs are on the hide.

 

Is it really any different from butchering an animal for its meat?

 

I, on impulse, bought 3 mohair wigs without thinking till a few days later. Then I felt bad when I realized they were actually on the skin but then I read further into the 3 wigs I bought and saw the animals hadn't been killed for their skin, rather, other causes and the whole of their body (even the bones) got used.
I felt a little better I guess...not really. But I'll keep the wigs.

 

I think mohair- in some cases- is actually a label slapped on fur whether it's real or not. The real stuff is from animals like goats, but others are actually synthetic. The part that REALLY freaks me out is when the hair/fur is attached to the skin as the wig. I shudder just thinking about it.

I buy fake fur- and I make sure it's fake/synthetic fibers (usually polyester/nylon blend). I don't like the idea of using fur from an animal. It gives me the creeps, and then there's the guilt, of course.

In my opinion, real fur for anything is bad.