Act now for a fur-free Europe

Cats tread carefully.

They can creep up on you without making a sound. Before you know it, your feline friend is sitting in your lap. But perhaps you haven't yet noticed that it is sometimes their fur that keeps your head or neck warm as a hat or hood trim, silently sneaking up on the unsuspecting consumer without so much as a meow.

Anything containing real cat or dog fur is already banned in the EU. But products featuring fur from minks, foxes, chinchillas, and raccoons are still on the market. These additions are not necessarily advertised as such. Instead, manufacturers may use them to add a touch of luxury to low-cost garments.

Animals on fur farms live in severely cramped conditions in small, bare cages suspended in long rows above the ground. They suffer from infected wounds, missing limbs, self-mutilation, and cannibalism. Fur farming violates even the most basic animal welfare standards.

Faux fur can be deceptive

You would undoubtedly not choose to buy something made from animal fur. Yet while a coat's price tag may clearly indicate whether it is mink or faux, you may not be alerted to the fact that the trim on the bobble hat or hooded coat you are looking at is not faux fur but real fur.

For this reason, Fur Free Europe is not only campaigning for a ban on keeping and killing animals on fur farms, but also for legislation prohibiting the sale of farmed fur throughout the EU. This way, you can be confident that a product you like does not contain something its original owner liked considerably more.

Furthermore, you can be certain that you are not inadvertently supporting the cruel practice of forcing wild animal species to spend their lives in cramped battery cages, where they are unable to engage in any natural behavior.

Herding the EU's Cats

Despite widespread ethical concerns – the majority of people in all EU countries consider fur farming unacceptable, not to mention the associated risks to public health – many member states still permit fur farming. This time last year, twelve member states called on the European Commission to «take appropriate measures leading to the end of fur farming in Europe«. Some progress has been made, but much more is still needed.

The European Citizens' Initiative Fur Free Europe is working hard to gather the support of one million EU citizens. If this goal is reached, the European Commission will be compelled to respond and take action.

If you too want to «leave fur behind» and achieve a ban on fur farms and farmed fur products, then sign the campaign. Let's ensure that only friendly faux fur can be found on hats and hoods. Undoubtedly, even the cat will purr.