91-year-old American Woman Made Purses Out Of Neighbors’ Missing Cats

This is surely an example of a complete lack of morality and sensitivity. It is shocking but it is not surprising. This gruesome story unfolded in Grand Haven, Michigan, USA.

Note: for the record, this is not an example of “America bashing”. It just so happens that the woman is American and that is stated in the title because this website is international and I have to identify the country. It could just as well have occurred anywhere else. Every country has similar examples.

Two useful tags. Click either to see the articles: Toxic to cats | Dangers to cats

She made purses from domestic cat pelts

The woman’s name is Marjorie Reynolds and she has been arrested. She was just an ordinary neighbor quietly going about her business, waving to and no doubt occasionally chatting to her neighbors. However, behind closed doors macabre events were taking place at her hands.

The first purse that she made out of a dead cat encouraged her to carry on because she thought it had gone quite well. She was enjoying her hobby of arts and crafts. She probably felt that there was a natural resource on her doorstep, namely the domestic cats of her neighbors. She probably felt that the domestic cat has such a lovely pelt and that it should be “harvested”. This is an extension of what happens, in any case, thousands of times every year in the USA which is to commercially exploit the skin and fur of the American bobcat or the Canada lynx. Perhaps she got the idea from these commercial enterprises which harvest and exploit these beautiful wild cats.

In any case, Reynolds said that cats belonging to her neighbours would visit her house and she would feed them. Then when one of these cats died she felt that the cat’s pelt should not be wasted and made a purse out of it.

The Michigan Police Department’s spokesperson said:

“She said the first handbag turned out so beautiful, that she kind of got hooked on it…”

The question is whether she killed her neighbour’s cat in order to carry on and make more beautiful purses. In all 19 cats went missing and were found dead in her home. They were skinned and cured and some of the pelts were made into purses.

Without wishing to pre-empt the way this allegedly criminal matter pans out, it would seem to me to be almost certain that she had decided to progress from skinning a dead cat to killing and then skinning the remaining cats because she was so pleased with her first effort.

It just seems so utterly immoral and totally lacking in sensitivity towards others. It is said that she has a history of dementia. Her family state that she has mental issues which have played a role in this matter. She certainly has mental issues but we should be careful not to excuse her actions because of dementia. I don’t think dementia leads to this sort of behaviour. What causes a sort of behaviour is, as mentioned, and immoral attitude.

It also seems to me that this is an extension of the devaluing of the outside and sometimes stray or feral cat. They are seen as animals of little value which people can use and abuse. Finally what she has been doing is happening right now in the thousands in China. Painful as it is, we should not forget that. The fur in your gloves could well be domestic cat fur.

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