
We’ve all seen pictures of monkeys grooming each other. At first glance, it appears that it’s a tradeoff -you groom me, I’ll groom you. But monkeys will groom cats, pigs, deer, all kinds of fur! It may be a habit, or maybe the monkeys are looking for delicious parasite snacks. See a collection of different species willing to sit through a monkey treatment at Environmental Graffiti. Link
You should know by now that we love cats here at Neatorama. We love crafts, too! So when we heard about the new book Crafting With Cat Hair (subtitled Cute Handicrafts to Make With Your Cat), we knew it was a natural for us. Originally published in Japan as Nekoke ferutono han in 2009, this book by Kaori Tsutaya has now been translated into English by Amy Hirschman and hits bookstores today.

KAORI TSUTAYA is a Japanese writer obsessed with cats. She exhibits her craftwork and runs kitty craft workshops to inspire other cat owners. AMY HIRSCHMAN is a translator, crafter, and pop-culture enthusiast. She lives in Los Angeles.
We’ve posted before about people who knit sweaters out of their dog’s hair. This isn’t like that. And it’s not about recycling hair for the sake of recycling. Crafting with Cat Hair has small, yet very personal projects that celebrate your cat and they look as cute as can be! If you’ve got a cat and a cat brush, you have the raw materials to make several projects. Unless you have one of those hairless cats.

Craft projects are not all that’s in this book. Tsutaya gives you plenty of pictures of her cats, some cat humor, and practical tips on caring for your cat, from proper brushing techniques to pest control.
more …

chivvy, furcoat-recycling, Paris 2010
Urban art collective Neozoon turn old fur coats into silhouettes of animals roaming Paris and Berlin. I’ll leave the interpretation of the political message of fur coats and the place of wild animals in modern society to you – but first, check out their website here: Link | Interview with Wooster Collective over at Good – via Planet Mag
Vets are baffled at this strange sight: Dolores, a spectacled bear at the Leipzig Zoo in Germany has gone bald!
It could be due to a genetic defect but the animals don’t seem to be suffering any other afflictions.
The normally fluffy dark brown bears should be now growing a thick fur coat to keep them warm during the winter.
One thing the lack of hair shows up in their huge, lethal claws.
But instead the bears, which once originated from South America, have begun developing nasty rashes and inflammations on their skin where their glossy coats should be.
Link (Photo: EPA)
Our pals at Tokyoflash is famous for their wonderfully geeky watches, usually made out of metal and plastic.
Now, for the first time ever, they’ve released a new line of watches, the Tokyoflash Waku, that incorporate natural brown leather, raised black croc-effect leather and – get this – fur for that chic geek effect!
Check it out: Link – Thanks Paul!

