Taxidermy cat handbag auctioned in New Zealand

Photo from TradeMe

A Kiwi taxidermist has earned both ire and praise from the internet audience after stitching and selling a handbag made from a dead stray cat.

Claire Hobbs from Christchurch, New Zealand, saw the road-killed feline and decided to freeze it for three months, Stuff.co.nz reported. Then, she “reanimated” the deceased kitten into a posh bag and sold the product on New Zealand auction site Trade Me. Although the current minimum bid was 1,400 New Zealand dollars (P48,800), the current bid for the bag stiffened at 545 New Zealand dollars (P 19,000) as of Wednesday.

The bag’s description posted on the site said it was a “very stylish handbag …for the girl that has everything a one off a purse that will grab attention where ever you go.”

“This handbag will last for years and years as long as it is looked after. The purse strap is easily changed to suit your taste,” the caption wrote.

PHOTO from TradeMe

PHOTO from TradeMe

Internet users had mixed reactions to the bizarre furry accessory.

“I think it’s actually very cool in a bizarre way, and hey you didn’t kill it to make the bag,” one user lauded.

Some users blasted Hobbs for her “daunting cruelty” toward the deceased feline. “That is sick! I love animals and you are totally disrespecting them,” one user said.  Gianna Francesca Catolico