Clothing made from domestic cat fur has been found for sale at Melbourne’s Queen Victoria Market, mislabelled as sheepskin or wool, according to an investigation by Australian nonprofit Collective Fashion Justice.
The group collaborated with the Animal Justice Party Victoria and Member of Parliament Georgie Purcell to uncover the mislabelling.
The probe, which began in 2021, involved testing fur products obtained from a variety of retail outlets, including market stalls, independent stores, and chain retailers across Melbourne.
Emma Hakansson, Founder and Director of Collective Fashion Justice, said multiple garments were revealed to contain real animal fur following forensic analysis by UK-based textile laboratory Microtex.
Among the items tested was a children’s vest purchased from fashion retailer Suttons UGG. Labelled as “100 percent Australian sheepskin or wool,” the vest was confirmed to contain both domestic cat and rabbit fur. The group acquired the vest after receiving a tip-off from a concerned member of the public.
Suttons UGG, which operates stores in Melbourne and Sydney, told the ABC that the vest had been incorrectly labelled. A company spokesperson said the manufacturer described the material as a “kind of special fur,” but they could not confirm whether it included cat fur.
Other tested items included beanies advertised as “100 percent acrylic,” which were found to contain fox and raccoon dog fur. Boots were also identified as being made from animal fur different to what was indicated on the labels, including one instance of muskrat fur, a species native to North America.
Although Australia banned the import and export of cat and dog fur in 2004, no seizures have been reported by the Australian Border Force since the law came into effect. Despite these restrictions, previous cases of cat fur entering the Australian market have been documented.
Consumer Affairs Victoria conducted its own investigation in 2020, which found that all tested fur items were incorrectly labelled. According to the agency, sellers were issued warnings and at least one retailer adopted a ban on fur products. However, animal welfare advocates argue the problem remains unresolved.
“It’s clear that a ban on just some species of animal fur is not working and can’t be controlled at the border. It’s much easier to confirm a product is of non-animal origin. While cat fur is confronting to a lot of us, all fur causes immense suffering and it’s time for a total ban on the sale of new animal fur in Victoria,” Hakansson wrote in a LinkedIn post.
“Every Victorian would be shocked to know that they could go to the store and accidentally buy something made from cat fur, when they may have a cat at home themselves.”
Under Australian consumer law, companies found guilty of false or misleading product claims can face penalties of up to $50 million, while individuals may be fined up to $2.5 million.
Purcell echoed calls for legislative change, warning of the risk to unsuspecting shoppers.
“Consumers could be out there buying this, and then going out and wearing domestic cats,” said Purcell.
“The message from the community couldn’t be clearer – fur is out of fashion. Whether it’s cat, dog, rabbit, or fox – the one constant is that it’s all cruel. The time for regulation is done. The only thing left to do is to completely ban fur, just as other jurisdictions around the world have already done.”
Last month, Switzerland became the first European country to ban the trade of fur deemed to be “cruelly produced.” In the UK, a private member’s bill aiming to prohibit fur imports and sales was introduced in parliament, following the Fur Free Britain campaign and a petition signed by more than 1.2 million people.
Hakansson noted that Melbourne Fashion Week was the first in the world to implement a wildlife-free policy, banning all fur, wild animal skins and feathers—an initiative supported by Collective Fashion Justice.
“Collective Fashion Justice helped to write this policy which is now in place at Australian FW, and in international shows. Now Victoria’s government must lead,” she said.