Recycling Your Pet's Fur

With the 'Green Revolution' taking hold, everyone is trying to live by the mantra of 'Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle'. One of the ways in which a few pet-friendly people are doing this is by making clothing and accessories, such as purses and jerseys, using yarn spun from their pet's unwanted fur.

The concept is not unlike using natural animal fibers from Llamas, Alpacas, and Angoras; or wearing jerseys, sweaters and scarves made from sheeps wool.

One such person is Danelle German who lives in Simpsonville, South Carolina. Ms German has the brave profession of being a professional cat groomer. After a client friend asked Ms German to clip her Angoran rabbit's fur so that her friend could spin it into yarn, Ms German had the idea of doing the same with cat fur! Ms German spent a few hours experimenting with her friend's spinning wheel and combined with her felting and knitting experience, she was able to recycle the leftover, and unwanted, cat hair into a unique product.

Ms German opened her own business, 'Catty Shack Creations', whereby she reuses the cat fur, which she calls 'Chatangora', that is left over after a cat has been groomed, rather than throwing it away. Most of the hair comes from Ms German's Persian and Angoran cat clientele.

The first step Ms German takes is to gently wash the cats to make sure that their fur is not only clean, but that it also does not have any tangles in it. Next, the cat's hair is shaved according to their owner's desire. (Most cats have their coats shaved during the summer to help keep them cool and their coats groomed.)

The fur is then gathered up and left to cure for a few days, before being carded and spun into yarn which Ms German uses to knit one-of-a-kind handbags and purses.

"Each handbag is embellished to reflect the natural beauty and personality of your pet", says Ms German.

Even if you love pets but don't have your own, Catty Shack Creations can still craft you a unique purse.

Ms German and her Catty Shack Creations loves dogs too! She also creates her own line of Dog Hair Handbags ranging in price from $45 to $300.

Other online companies are offering similar services such as Pet Yarn Chic. Simply join their website, pay a small fee and then mail them your pet's fur for them to turn into yarn for you. Another great online company is VIP Fibers. Here they encourage you to send in your pet's so that they can spin into yarn for you as a keepsake memento.

Sweaters and jerseys that are made from yarn taken from a double coated animal are 80% warmer than sheep's wool. This is because the hairs that make up the undercoat of most double-coated pets actually have a hollow core. These very small hairs work as little insulators, absorbing and trapping the pet's body heat. When their hair is spun into yarn, it does not lose its insulating properties and will actually continue to perform their natural duty of absorbing and trapping your body's heat.

Spinning dog hair into yarn is not something that is so relatively new. Our ancestors used to do it too! In fact, centuries ago, people considered it to be good luck for anyone who wore a garment that had been spun from dog hair.

Handspun dog yarn is referred to as "Chiengora". Chien is the French word for dog, whilst gora is a derivative of the word angora, which is the soft fur of a rabbit.

However, unlike our ancestors, pet owners today take better care of their pets, treating them like a real member of the family. Because of their better nutritional diet, routine medical care, and oh-so comfortable surroundings, their fur has evolved so much that it produces a healthier, and therefore softer, fiber.