“Shocking” Discovery Of Cat Fur Being Secretly Used In Clothing By Popular Fashion Brand

You’ve heard of mink, fox, or rabbit fur being used to make jackets and clothing, but what about cats? That’s the fur being used by Australian mega brand Suttons UGG to make some of its latest products.

The fibers from a child’s vest were tested recently and discovered to be made of cat fur despite the label saying it was 100% Australian wool or sheepskin.

Animal rights groups are livid, as are shoppers, who are calling it gross.

Collective Fashion Justice brought the Suttons UGG garments to a lab for testing

Fluffy calico cat sitting outdoors highlighting mass fury over fashion brand using cat fur in vests labeled as wool

Image credits: Ceren Fehime / Pexels (not the actual photo)

Fashion brand store window displaying boots, linked to mass fury over cat fur used despite wool labels controversy.

Image credits: suttonsugg.com.au

It looks like a stylish sleeveless vest. But maybe also it looks like your gran’s calico cat Fred? 

The vest in question is sold by Suttons UGG in its stores in the southeastern Australian state of Victoria.

According to a story from the ABC, the fashion advocacy group Collective Fashion Justice tested the fibers on the vest and a hat because they looked suspicious.  

Woman speaking to press showing fur vest amid mass fury over fashion brand using cat fur despite wool labels

Image credits: georgie.purcell.ajp / hakamme / Instagram

What they found was surprising and upsetting.

The fur on the vest was in fact made from cat hair, and the pompoms on a hat, which were labeled acrylic, were actually made from raccoon dog fur.

“People have a right to know what they’re buying”: Advocacy group condemns the use of cat or other fur

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Collective Fashion Justice (@collectivefashionjustice)

Fur vest with Australian brand label, showing mass fury over cat fur use despite wool claims on tags.

Image credits: Collective Fashion Justice

Speaking to reporters about the matter, representatives of Collective Fashion Justice held up one of the vests and explained how it was “made from one cat skin in the front, one in the back and rabbit fur.”

The group is calling for an immediate and wide covering ban on fur imports, which they call harmful and dishonest.

Close-up of a clothing label claiming Australian wool on a vest, revealing controversy over cat fur use in fashion products.

Image credits: ABC News (Australia) / YouTube

“People have a right to know what they’re buying and to shop in line with their values”, a spokesperson from the group told reporters.

“No express ban on the use, sale of cat, dog fur”: Other advocacy groups are outraged

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Georgie Purcell (@georgie.purcell.ajp)

Other animal welfare groups were sickened to learn the news. According to the group Four Paws, the “importing and exporting of dog and cat fur into and out of Australia is prohibited.”

However, Four Paws’ website states that “there is no express ban on the use and sale of cat and dog fur, and there are also no tracing or testing mechanisms in place.”

Hand touching soft cat fur on vest, highlighting controversy over fashion brand using cat fur instead of wool in garments.

Image credits: ABC News (Australia) / YouTube

Instagram comments discussing potential fines and legal action after fashion brand caught using cat fur in vests labeled as wool

The group says the lack of standards create confusion for consumers who would like to know what kind of product they’re buying, but have no way of finding out.

Suttons UGG supposedly only uses “sheepskin and leather”

A woman holding a fur vest with a label, highlighting controversy over fashion brand using cat fur instead of wool.

Image credits: ABC News (Australia) / YouTube

Instagram comment from user veganspark2013 condemning the use of animal fur in fashion and calling for a ban on fur.

Screenshot of an Instagram comment saying fur belongs on animals, not in fashion, expressing outrage over cat fur use.

So far Suttons UGG has not made an official statement on the matter.

However, in a statement to the ABC, a spokesperson for Suttons UGG said “they had been informed by the manufacturer that the vest was made from a kind of special fur, but that they could not 100 per cent confirm whether that included cat.”

The brand is different from UGG Australia, or simply Ugg, which is now based in the U.S.

White knitted vest with large brown fur pompom, highlighting controversy over cat fur used despite wool labels

Image credits: Collective Fashion Justice

Hands holding a garment tag stating 100% acrylic fabric, linked to mass fury over cat fur used in fashion vests.

Image credits: ABC News (Australia) / YouTube

In the 1990’s, UGG Australia was acquired by the American company Deckers Outdoor Corp., and today bills itself as a “neither Australian owned nor Australian made” with “products mostly mass produced in countries throughout Asia such as China, Vietnam and the Philippines.”

Suttons UGG, meanwhile, is an Australian company “that emphasizes the use of Australian materials, particularly sheepskin and leather,” and with a “focus on local manufacturing.”

Considering their claim that they use sheepskin and leather sourced from Australia, the revelation about the cat fur was disheartening and disappointing to fans of the brand. 

This year’s Australia Fashion Week was ‘wildlife-free’ as a result of new animal rights policies 

Crowded street market scene with shoppers amid city skyscrapers, illustrating mass fury over cat fur used in fashion vests.

Image credits: independentcollection.com.au

In previous years, Collective Fashion Justice have found additional items made with cat fur. In 2021 the group say they “found cat fur in glove being sold in Melbourne back in 2021. Neither product had a country of origin label (which is also illegal).”

News reports from the time say the fur was found on a pair of unlabelled fur gloves sold at a stall in Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market for $20.

Comments on social media revealing outrage after fashion brand caught using cat fur in vests labeled as wool.

The use of fur, feathers and leather in fashion remains an issue in the industry.

Earlier this year in a joint effort between Collective Fashion Justice and World Animal Protection, a ‘wildlife-free’ policy was created for the country’s fashion industry.

In a win for the measure, it was adopted by the Australian Fashion Council which banned the use of crocodiles, foxes, and exotic birds from the runways during Australian Fashion Week this year.

 “Time to get my red spray paint out”: Netizens react to Suttons Ugg using cat fur

Close-up view of cat fur texture highlighting the controversy over fashion brand using fur instead of wool in vests.

Image credits: Collective Fashion Justice

Fur vest and boots with fur trim laid out on table, highlighting controversy over cat fur use in fashion products.

Image credits: Collective Fashion Justice

Netizens reacted with outrage and disgust that Suttons UGG would use cat fur to produce their products. 

Some people questioned the use of fur at all with today’s advancements in synthetic materials, suggesting it was completely unnecessary.

Other people joked about their missing cat: “So this is what is happening to your pets when u cannot find them.”

Animal rights supporters online were quick to criticize the discovery, with one saying it was:  

“Time to get my red spray paint out again,” referring to protests in which animal rights activists use red spray paint to vandalize fur coats in various stores and shops.

Online comments about Suttons UGG using cat fur for a piece of children’s clothing ranged from disgust to outrage

Social media comment reacting to cruelty in the fashion industry after cat fur found in vests labeled as wool.

Social media comment expressing disgust and gratitude for speaking out about fashion brand using cat fur instead of wool.

Screenshot of a social media comment criticizing the use of real cat fur in fashion vests labeled as wool.

Comment on social media reading all fur should be banned with a crying emoji, highlighting mass fury over cat fur in fashion vests.

Comment expressing sadness over cats sacrificed for fur vests amid mass fury over fashion brand using cat fur.

Social media comment condemning fur use in fashion vests after cat fur found despite labels claiming wool.

Social media comment expressing anger over fashion brand using cat fur in vests labeled as wool.

Social media comment expressing heartbreak over fashion brand using cat fur in vests labeled as wool.

Social media comment emphasizing saving all animals, highlighting concern over cat fur use in fashion brand vests labeled as wool.

Social media comment expressing disgust and anger over fashion brand caught using cat fur instead of wool in vests.

A social media comment urging to name and shame stores selling vests falsely labeled as wool containing cat fur.

Screenshot of a social media comment condemning animal fur and leather use in fashion despite misleading labels.

User comment expressing disgust at fashion brand using real cat fur instead of wool, highlighting outrage and fur sourcing concerns.

Social media comment condemning fashion brand for using cat fur in vests despite labels claiming wool.

Poll Question

Total votes ·

Thanks! Check out the results:

Total votes ·

Newsletter

Subscribe to Access
Exclusive Polls

Subscribe

By entering your email and clicking Subscribe, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. You are also agreeing to our Privacy Policy.

Thank you! You've successfully subscribed to newsletters!

Anyone can write on Bored Panda. Start writing!

Follow Bored Panda on Google News!

Follow us on Flipboard.com/@boredpanda!