Someone has made a purse out of a dead cat

Well, this is one way to commemorate a deceased pet.

A New Zealand designer and artist named Claire Hobbs is currently selling this purse, which is made from a dead, taxidermied cat. It's for sale (until tomorrow, Wednesday) on the TradeMe website, and right now has an asking price of $1,400 (that's around €920).   The bag's description on the site - listed under the headline 'REAL Glamour Puss PURSE' - reads:

"One off glamour puss purse "A very stylish handbag ...for the girl that has everything a one off 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.... "This is not for the faint hearted....... no animals were killed or hurt to create this piece "Cat art, taxidermy, fashion, art deco, one off, purse, handbag, cat walk, catatonic ,crazy, cool, purrrrrfect."

  Apparently, the cat in question was roadkill and "was kept for three months in her freezer while Hobbs checked community noticeboards for lost pets". Naturally, Claire's work has upset some people, who have slammed it as being cruel and disrespectful to the animal. But she told 'Stuff':

"To spend all that time on tanning and sculpture and making it brand new shows the utmost respect. I guess because it's a domestic animal people get a bit funny about it. I don't kill animals for my work, it's not as though I go around snuffing out animals thinking this'll make a nice handbag."