Many people enjoy the experience of wearing fur. In fact, many of you will own at least one fur coat in your lifetime. Fur coats can be beautiful, soft, very warm, and very costly.

Fur coats can be made from a variety of different animal skins. There are seventeen different types of common furs that may be used in the making of a fur coat. Out of the seventeen the five that are most commonly used, are mink, fox, raccoon, squirrel, and bobcat. The most common coat is made from mink.

There are two types of mink coats. One type of mink coat is made from minks found in the wild. The other type is one from a mink that was breed on a ranch and is used to make a fur coat. The number of wild minks that are used to make one coat is at least 55, and approximately 35 ranch minks are used to make a ranch coat.

In addition to the U.S. being a very good market for fur, the market in Russia has exploded and the market in China has exploded. Some people say that there are going to be shortages causing more and more minks to be killed daily.

Each year, a well-organized fur trade spends millions to glamorize the fur coat industry, making fur coats look common and attractive. However, there are growing numbers of people who are trying to stop fur coats from being sold. They feel it is cruel and costly to kill animals for a fashion statement. Many people are also saying that fur coats aren’t the best things for the environment either seeing that it releases harsh chemicals from preserving and processing the animal skins. Also you don’t want some animal falling in love with your brand new coat!

In recent years, the sale of fur has gone down, forcing fur sellers to sell their furs at reduced rates. In fact, during the period from 1987-1996, the number of U.S. retailers selling fur dropped by more than 50 percent. One magazine even wrote, “Fur, once a symbol of glamour and success, is now THE symbol of insensitivity, vanity, and greed.”

--Ryan Courtade founded the organization Love All Animals. He has a regular advice column called Ask Ryan about animal rights issues. Send feedback about this article