What Animal Rights Advocates Are Against

Now let’s look at the other “dark” side of the fur industry. When buying fur products, people do not think at all about the torment animals experience before their fur is used to make clothes.

On fur farms, fur-bearing animals are kept in cramped cages with a slatted floor that cuts their paws. Their only activity is to walk back and forth, trying to get rid of boredom and stress. These animals cannot climb, dig, or swim, while in nature they spend a lot of time in the water or on the shore. On fur farms they are kept two, three or even four in a small cage.

The air they breathe is poisoned by the constant fumes of feces and urine that collect under the cells. Enclosed spaces, cramped spaces, and dirt lead to animals developing a neurotic state. They chew themselves, scratch themselves, being in constant overstimulation, or fall into apathy.

In the summer, it is especially difficult for animals kept on fur farms, because in the heat the effect of an oven is created in the cages. The animals suffer from nausea, and about 10%, exhausted by the inferno, die. And I don’t even want to mention the cruelty of the methods used to slaughter animals.

In accordance with the European Convention for the Protection of Animals, today special requirements are imposed on the methods of keeping, catching and slaughtering animals.

In most countries of the European Union (the Netherlands, Austria, Croatia, Sweden, etc., as well as the UK), fur farming is prohibited by law. In other countries (Denmark, Italy, Switzerland, etc.) such laws have been adopted that cage breeding of animals becomes economically unprofitable. For example, the law requires improved living conditions, placing animals in more spacious cages, in which it should be possible to build a den, dig the ground and swim in special bathing suits. However, in Russia, as well as in the USA and China, there are no laws regulating the keeping of fur-bearing animals.

In Russia, the USA and Canada, trapping animals is still officially permitted, despite the fact that an agreement has been signed on international standards for the humane capture of wild animals. Who can appreciate the pain and suffering of an animal gnawing off its own paw caught in the grip of a trap? What is the further fate of the animal, which became disabled after its captivity? Who will take pity on a caught animal that is being killed by a hunter?

Did you know that to get one fur coat they kill: 100-250 squirrels, 18 beavers, 55 minks, 60 sables, 27 raccoons, 170 chinchillas, 18 foxes, 25 otters, 4 wolves, 8 seals, 60 martens, 14 lynxes, 7 pumas, 11 badgers, 50 ferrets, 18 dogs, 25 cats.

Animals have the same right to life as you and I!

Gone are the days when animal skins were considered trophies. More and more people are refusing to wear fur. Today, fur is a “luxury” product, that is, it is, by and large, not designed for daily wear, unless, of course, you live in the far north. Leading fashion houses, famous clothing designers, famous fashion brands declare their refusal to work with fur. Residents of temperate climate zones are encouraged to pay attention to the “mini-fur” trend. Fur may be present on clothing in fragments: on a dress, coat or cardigan.

Calling for prudence, animal advocates prove the advantages of faux fur over natural fur: this is a huge area of the entire fur covering, and easier care, and the possibility of frequently changing fur items, and most importantly - preserving the lives of animals!

Why can a sable become a full-fledged pet?

Taking into account all of the above, and also based on the biological characteristics of sable studied in detail, we suggest that sable breeders turn their attention to breeding a new breed of sable - domestic sable.

Unfortunately, sable selection was carried out only in order to achieve better quality fur, but the numerous advantages of sables open up prospects for a new, interesting branch of domestic sable breeding. The sable is an intelligent and observant animal, and is quite easily tamed. Even an adult animal caught in the wild begins to take food within one or two days and easily settles into a new place.

In addition, there is a historical precedent: for several centuries now, a representative of the same mustelid family as the sable, the African ferret, has been domesticated. We and other students in our class have experience interacting with a decorative ferret. This is everyone’s favorite named Kuzya, who lives at home with our class teacher. True, you don’t see him often in our city apartments, but in Europe and, especially, in America, the ferret, along with cats and dogs, has long become a full-fledged pet.

In addition, the history of the sable is very similar to the history of another furry animal - the chinchilla. When the Spanish conquerors reached the shores of South America, the warm fur clothing of the local population aroused their admiration. The fur received the name “chinchilla” from the Spaniards in honor of the Chinchas Indian tribe. Intensive fishing for chinchilla fur began for delivery to Europe. This led to the virtual extermination of wild chinchillas. Many attempts to breed chinchillas in captivity have come to nothing, since the movement of chinchillas from the mountains to the valley ended in their death. In 1923, M. Chapman brought 11 chinchillas (eight males and three females) to the United States. He managed to get offspring from the first three females. After this success, captive breeding of chinchillas began in North America and Canada, and later in Europe and South Africa.

Today, these furry animals from South America are becoming increasingly popular among pet lovers. Cute and pleasant, small in size, the chinchilla, which belongs to the order of rodents, in appearance resembles both a rabbit and a squirrel.

Despite the fact that tame or domestic sable is very rare, we were able to find examples of taming sables and even keeping them at home. Here are some of the known facts.

In V.I. Durov’s Animal Theater there were several circus acts with sables.

For several years, a tame sable Maruska has been living at the Saltykovsky animal farm. In early childhood, her mother bit off her front paw. The puppy had to be put away and was nursed by a team of fur breeders. Now it is a healthy and cheerful animal. Despite the absence of a paw, it is very mobile. Maruska whelped several times, but did not lose her affection for humans. Easily given to everyone. True, if you scare her too much, she might bite. Farm workers sometimes gladly take her to their home for the weekend.

There are known facts when the inhabitants of Siberia tamed wild sables or nursed orphaned sables picked up in the forest. Sables taken from nature, for the most part, quickly got used to humans. Among the “evil” animals there were also those who licked honey or sour cream from their hands on the very first day. At the same time, tamed sables became real pets.

One animal eventually began to sleep with its owners on the bed and jump onto the lap of its nurse, became friends with a husky, and even ate from the same bowl with it. He went to the toilet in a special box filled with sand.

One commercial hunter reported interesting information about the sable. His animal caught mice in the winter hut, guarding them just like a domestic cat does.

In nature, the sable is a rather aggressive animal. There are known cases on fur farms when a frightened animal, trying to escape, attacked a person and inflicted many painful bites. But these are quite rare cases.

Unlike the wild state farm sable, it is calmer - it gets so used to the farm workers that it practically does not react to their presence.

Long-term artificial selection for sable was carried out on state farms solely for the purpose of obtaining dark-colored skins. For home keeping, all sables are of equal value. Some people prefer red ones, others prefer dark ones, others prefer gray ones, etc., it’s a matter of taste. Most likely, the line of domestic sables must be traced from wild ancestors, where there is a wide variety of colors and strong immunity is already genetically established.