Is using mohair fur okay?

Same here. After I found out about it I've checked all mohair wigs to see if there is skin attached. I was happy to see that all my wigs are from sheered animals.

 

I've been looking more into the processes involved in creation of leather and fur products and was shocked to see that some of the chemicals that are used in the processing of fur and leather included arsenic, sulfuric acid, sodium sulfide (reacts with oxygen to produce hydrogen sulfide) and chromium. All which are highly hazardous.

Looking into resins many of them are now made in a way that expose both workers and the environment to less chemicals.

 

But the way she is referrencing it is making the assumption that animals are killed to make plastic. Because that is what the rest of her post is about. Which is wrong.

 

If the animals the skins come from were eaten, I'm fine with it. If it's making struggling people money, I'm even happier.

I personally choose not to eat mammal meat, but I know that in remote Mongolian villages people need to!

OT question, is there a word for my dietary habits of not eating mammals, but eating birds and fish?

 

I think its pescetarian, that covers fish. Although, not sure about the birds part.

I'm vegetarian, so I wouldn't buy a fur wig. If I don't believe in eating it, I wouldn't believe in putting it on my dolls head. I don't use leather either.
If you do thats your business, am I right? No one needs to be calling each others beliefs ridiculous.

I also had the impression that some mohair wigs are just sheared. Otherwise the skin is attached. Sure I read that somewhere else on this forum awhile ago. So anyone thats worried can just check with the seller.

On a side note, as has already been mentioned, animals killed for fur & animals killed for meat are often different. It is not always the case of every part of the animal being used.

 

It really surprised me that there are a lot of people who still think fur is a by-product! This is mostly propaganda! Fur comes from animals from fur-farms. It's trully a horror world! They live a horrible short life, with a lot of pain and most of the animals are skinned while they still alive! (Imagine that, your skin pulled of your body! And you see your family and friends being skinned!) Most fur comes from China, and believe me, it's 100% cruelty. Beaten to death, or beaten almost to death and skinned alive. (it's cheap, right?)
The animals (raccoons, dogs, cats, rabbits, mink) have to see how the other animals are killed.
So, that's my reason I'll never buy and wear fur. Because it's not a by-product and the animals are tortured. Even if the animals are not beaten they still live a horrible life. Always in a small cage, they chew their own paws caused by stress and fear.
I think people who still use fur even when they know the horrible truth behind it are really respectless towards living beings.

I think Peta does a good job, but just like others have said, they did some things in a bad way. They made some big mistakes, but I still think they also have done good things.

I don't know much about mohair though. When it's skin with mohair, I guess it's the same as fur. Unless it's a by-product, but that's probably not the case. I think it's okay to use mohair attached on synthetic fabric. But it will always be difficult to know where the products come from, unless you actually saw the sheep/goat being shaved! The same with fur, it's not a written rule to put a description on fur-products.
It's a personally matter, how much do you care about the animals, and how much do you want that specific wig, will you be comfortable with it?

I use synthetic wigs and pluche wigs.

Just to explain something off-topic: I am not against eating meat, I don't eat it myself, but I think eating meat is natural, I am against the way the animals are threatend. I like people who eat meat from farmers who keep their animals outside and not in small cages.

 

Please lets not bring mink and rabbit fun into it, unless there are doll products made from it. The fur trade is fairly unsavoury, but the mohair skins are a different thing because they are, as far as we know, a by-product of meat consumption in deprived/remote areas.

I just cannot believe a word PETA says after their Sea Kittens campaign. I have no problem with a campaign which bring facts to light but the way PETA twists things, makes things up, and fantasises animal suffering does no service to genuine and fair animal rights campaigners.

I believe my being able to choose NOT to eat mammal meat is a luxury. I have a plentiful supply of other proteins so I won't be malnourished without it. However being able to buy a mohair wig is a luxury which, if sourced from Tinybear at least, relies on villagers who don't have the luxury to go veggie. Therefore although I won't eat a goat myself, I'll buy the pelts of one killed for meat.

I do think it's a complicated issue.

 

I agreed with Babytarragon.

I personally don't trust PETA because on the way that they handle things. Also, I heard a lot of horror stories about them as well, so they are as innocent and they want people to think.

If an animal is killed for food I believe that the entire animal should be used an none of it go to waste. I know the Native Americans used animal by products for food, shelter, clothing and medicine. And I'm pretty sure today that are various other cultures that do the same thing. And if a community is poor and they know that selling the mohair will bring money to their families and neighbours I don't see the problem.

Now I do have a problem with people who kill animals for sport, but that's another topic.

 

I don't know about other countries, but in Brazil we would call you a "semi-vegetarian".
But that term makes no sense to me at all, since you either are a vegetarian, or you aren't.

 

Actually, I've seen a lot doll products made of Rabbit fur. Like jackets, wigs, shoes with some fur... Most common fur is rabbit fur, many people think it's by-product, it's not, these animals are specifically breed for the fur industry, they lived a horrible life...

About PETA. So they made some mistakes, it doesn't mean the whole organization is wrong.

A lot of people talked about fur, so it was already brought into it.

 

I personally don't like mohair wigs on the skin because I do not like the way they fit and over time the leather does stretch and warp. I much prefer a synthetic, elastic wig cap.

I have no moral issue with the use of these wigs, however. I am not a vegetarian, but when I can, I buy cruelty free meat. I do not consume certain seafood because there are less endangered, less harmful options. It's a personal decision, and I believe that no matter what a person's stance is, they should research it so they can make an informed decision as to what they are buying or whatever cause they are supporting. And if they do eat meat, stand by that decision. If you're a vegetarian, stand by that decision. I have to admit that I have always found issue with people who consider themselves vegetarians and yet eat fish and poultry. I understand making a choice to eat fish and poultry only for health reasons, but not for the moral, vegetarian ones. Fish and birds are living animals as well, and creatures that feel pain. Why are they somehow less important than your standard mammal meat animals?

 

Here's something from the Wikipedia
"A semi-vegetarian diet consists largely of vegetarian foods, but may include fish and sometimes poultry, as well as dairy products and eggs. A pescetarian diet, for example, includes fish but no meat.[4] The association of semi-vegetarianism with vegetarianism in common use[5] has led vegetarian groups such as the Vegetarian Society to note these diets are not vegetarian.[6]"

I dunno semi-vegetarian sounds like a type of omnivore to me ^^;

I'm with a lot of folks about the "not killing for just the fur" deal. If when you're going to eat the animal, you may as well not waste anything. I don't like the idea of wasting good parts for use nor like the idea of hunting for just fun and for just the fur/horns/specific parts. I'm also in agreement with others about how the animals are treated before they are killed. Considering they are "giving" their lives up for us (or more like we're taking it), you'd think we'd practically shower them with at least a decent bit of respect. I understand we don't want to get attached to the animals that will be our food, but still, we can at least respect them.
Me and my mother once watched this documentary on Animal Planet once showing how humans treat animals from one extreme to the other. They showed the bad parts first, like how livestock gets treated before they are slaughtered or how some people in foreign countries treat animals (even ones that are considered domestic here) and it made me and her cry. Thankfully they shown the more positive stuff afterwards like how people spoil their animals etc., if it weren't for that part of the show, we would have been upset for the rest of the day ><;;

 

As a pescatarian, i can tell you that i do not eat any flesh other than fish.

i do not use any fur/leather products, as a personal choice, because im not really interested enough in the product to do research and find which companies i could feel comfortable using. to each their own.

 

I'm sorry if my comment sounded like I was singling you out, I meant in the thread in general, lets keep the conversation to mohair ^^;

I hadn't seen rabbit fur on doll things, and I personally wouldn't like to buy something with rabbit on, since there's no guarantee that the rabbit was wild and not factory farmed.

I personally disagree that PETA made one mistake, I find their entire militant, propaganda based approach unhelpful to those who are working hard in legitimate ways for better treatment of animals. They often serve only to discredit the whole argument. I feel the same way about any extremist.

Thanks to everyone who tried to answer my question, seems there is no proper term. Using "semi-vegetarian" wouldn't really be fair on real vegetarians. I guess I'll call myself a bird-and-fish-but-not-mammal-eater.

 

I think the rabbit topic is relevant, in all hoesnty - it's different certainly in that some of the furs used for wigs come from uber-sustainable, animal-friendly sources, wheras rabbit was likely factory farmed, but it's still a fur used on a doll. Regardless of my own opinion that fur-farming is wrong, I think my view on using farmed fur for dolls is definitley a negative one. It's not necessary for your doll to have a fur-lined hood, so why should you support the suffering of an animal by paying for one?

 

Ok so I know a lot of people out there are probably shocked by the stance of many that is not anti fur, like myself, particularly since I AM a vegetarian, but I think if you look at my earlier post you will see this is not a black and white issue.

Fur can and often is a byproduct. New Zealand does not farm rabbit or possum, in fact the breeding or attempt to sustain them in the sense of a resource is illegal. Australia makes it illegal for ANYONE to own rabbits except for educational and special entertainment purposes (school education systems, educational facilities, occasionally magicians) In Australia and New Zealand Possum and Rabbit fur, along with pig, sheep, goat and cow leather are common. All are byproducts and NOT farmed species. The politics involved in fur trade depend on the animal, and its source country.

For the record I am an Australian vegetarian who happily and proudly wears leather jeans and jackets, akubra hats and rabbit fur coats and possum fur hats in winter (Australian/NewZealand possum is completely different to US possum). I am ecologically, morally and economically responsible in my hide and flesh consumption choices. I do not think anyone else should have to subscribe to my choices, however I think that blanket statements of "fur is wrong" are simplistic views

So it was put above why should we support the suffering of animals by paying for it? Well because sometimes the issue is not that simple. I have doll outfits made of rabbit fur, I am happy to have them wear it. I like the opulent look of the fur. I am also very responsible about my sources. I also make skin on fur wigs. Again I am responsible in selecting my sources.

Fur trade can be done in an economical, moral and socially viable way, with minimal damage and maximum assistance to ecology. There is SOME fur I get up in arms about, but pest species? well what can I say, if we are gonna kill em we may as well use em. Anything else is wasteful. Just because many people choose to go about business in an unconsciable way does not mean blanket statements should be made.

 

The issue of mohair is a hot topic in the knitting world as well. I came across a post from a knitting forum that I am a part of, and (with permission from its author) I though it might be helpful to the discussion:

Issues with shorn mohair
- Mulesing: the practice in which a portion of the sheep's buttocks are carved off, in order to prevent flyswell disease. Although being phased out, many farms still perform this "surgery" without any anesthesia or painkillers. (If you've seen some of those awful bloody PETA anti-wool banners, this is the practice that they're depicting.)
- Factory farming: Some mohair comes from factory farms, in which the animals are caged and not provided with proper nutrition or space to move around.
-Transport: After sheep/goats are no longer profitable for their wool, they are shipped to Asian and Middle Eastern nations for consumption, as most "western" nations (for lack of a better word) do not have a particularly large market for this type of meat. The animals are crammed into ship holds without proper food, water, or space to move around for several weeks until they reach their destination, where they are then sold at market for slaughter. By the end of their journey, many of the animals have starved to death or succumbed to disease.

This is not to say, of course, that this is the case with all farms! But these are still very, very common practices in a large portion of the wool/mohair industry.

Issues with Tibetan mohair
- Sheep raised in Tibet and Nepal tend to have a higher quality of life than those in the U.S. and Australia, as families are generally too poor to practice factory farming. However, as these animals are primarily raised for food, Nepali and Tibetan mohair comes as a byproduct of the animal's slaughter.

Sorry if I'm repeating myself--I just thought this was a good rundown of some of the issues Again, it's up to everyone to make a choice that feels right to them, but I also think it's important to be educated about the choices you make.

And as far as PETA goes...I think it's important for people to know that not all vegans or animal welfare advocates (myself included) condone their practices. Believe me, they're public enemy no. 1 among the more rational members of the veggie community, because they make the rest of us look like lunatics.

 

I'll add another wierd, contradictory post to this thread.

I'm a strict vegetarian, formerly vegan (And would still be if it wasn't for my utter inability to plan meals outside the home), replete with all that entails.

I am also involved in animal experimentation, at the benchtop level. As a result, my dolls often wear items of fur, bone or leather clothing, and I myself have an ever-increasing collection of animal furs, from species both common (Rat, fox, rabbit, sheep) and somewhat exotic (Flying squirrel, wallaby, coypu, lion).

Why do I think it's all right? (and I can hear people limbering up to call me a hypocrite and a butcher and worse) Simply put, it can't be done any other way. If we want to teach veterinary students (Which is a large part of what I do) about the inside of animals, we have to give them animals. Human-oriented medics train on the donated cadavers of dead scientists, to the same ends. Of course, veterinary students have the upper hand in this - Where we rely on car crashes and SIDS to give the medics their young, healthy specimens, we can simply select the appropriate type and quantity of animal to serve the purpose. It's unfortunate, but would you rather that the vet doing your pet's surgery had trained on the dead, and knew their way around the inside of an animal, or that they were relying on pictures in textbooks and vague hope?

The exotic animals we work with are from zoos and culls - Too many wallabies? We'll use the bodies once you're done. Tiger died of gastric torsion and the body would just go to waste otherwise? Of course we'll take it off your hands.

And after all this, when the students have gone home and all that's left is a pile of bloodied bones and tattered fur, it makes perfect sense to pick up the pieces and render from them whatever you can. A few technicians regularly dine on pheasant and venison, others hang antlers and trophy heads in their hallways, and I make clothes. It's the circle of life.

 

Very informative post (although sad )! And I totally agree with the last paragraph.

 

How do you feel about using a mohair wig on your doll?
I have mohair wigs. Doesn't bother me at all. But if it bothers you, then don't buy them. You might also stop eating meat and stop wearing leather, too. People who are inconsistent about such things make no sense to me! But, eh, it's up to the individual, isn't it?!?

Does it go against what you believe?
No. I eat meat, I wear leather. Unless I hear that mohair is gathered in an unnecessarily cruel manner that leads to lots of waste and is endangering a species (and so far, I haven't heard anything of the sort, or at least, not any more than anything to do with domesticated animals--we often don't treat them well enough in many cases), I won't worry about it.

Better to look into how our food animals are treated (it's not pretty), and at least try to do the right thing in making their lives less miserable if you're a meat eater. Or think about pigs, who are supposedly highly intelligent. Do something for endangered species. Or to help stop global warming (entire species are at risk). Look into things that might actually make a difference in an area that is actually a big problem, rather than worry about just about buying mohair. Or, if you do discover there's a big scandal with mohair, then start a campaign... but it's best to truly research all the details, rather than read a flier from PETA (not the most rational folks around! I think animals need to be treated better in many cases, but PETA, I despise).