the wonderful world of cats

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Megatron
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the wonderful world of cats

Post by Megatron »

whats the best way to preserve a cat? I don't have access to formaldahyde or syringes. I've thought about coating it using clear matt varnish, but it's a bit pricey. Basically, I don't want it to decompose any more than it already has. Also, smell is another thing.

All I really need is the skin and it's shape, but it's hard to skin a head. Is there anything I can just dump it in until I find a more constant solution? It's buried at the moment, but time is of the essence!

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2 days so far.
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Post by Fa11lloutfan_15 »

I'm very surprised myself, but this is quite possibly the sickest DAC thread of the year.
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Post by Thor Kaufman »

put it into a plastic bag with as few air in it as possible, then put the whole thing into the fridge
you should probably use a sharp knife for skinning, like a scalpel maybe? I'm not sure where the cutting lines should be, though, maybe ask a veterinary?

I saw a dead dove on the ground today, but I was too lazy to inspect it or even take it home.

Do you often take dead animals with you? :)
TinyTeeth wrote:I'm very surprised myself, but this is quite possibly the sickest DAC thread of the year.
:rofl:
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Post by atoga »

you should probably just skin it and support the skin with a wire skeleton or something? keeping the insides can't be good.

i donno, call your local taxidermist on the telemaphone? :)
suppose you're thinking about a plate of shrimp. suddenly somebody will say like 'plate' or 'shrimp' or 'plate of shrimp', out of the blue, no explanation.
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Post by Megatron »

Ive skinned rabbits before, it's pretty tricky. Also, the skin around the skull is very tight and the ears tend to not go with the rest of the skin either. If I was going down that route, I thought a bit about breaking the skull up enough so I can just pull the pieces away, but it's a little risky. Though thinking about it properly, I wouldn't even need to skin the head as there's no major organs. The eyes can stay in, don't need the tongue. I read somewhere you can just a bit of wire to scoop out the brain, but I've never tried it and most people are full of shit when it comes to things like this.

I'll try varnish tomorrow, unless my friend gets in touch with me. Hopefully it won't have started getting mushy, but I bet it'll be full of maggots already. I might gut it anyway, poor cat :(
you should probably use a sharp knife for skinning, like a scalpel maybe? I'm not sure where the cutting lines should be, though, maybe ask a veterinary?


there's more than one way to skin a cat :rofl:
Last edited by Megatron on Tue Oct 24, 2006 11:55 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by atoga »

maggots appear after 24h D:
suppose you're thinking about a plate of shrimp. suddenly somebody will say like 'plate' or 'shrimp' or 'plate of shrimp', out of the blue, no explanation.
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Post by Blargh »

If it were anything but a cat. A human, for instance. Were so, would offer my insights, bleached as they often are, unto you, Julia.

Alas, I find cats quite amusing, and so tend to focus such attention upon other organisms.

Thus, you learn by doing. Or not doing.

One morsel - No indication, yet, unless you've undressed cats prior to this poor one, be prepared to ruin it. Dramatic variety, can and does. Tried and proven for one and all ? No. Texts, as all secondary hands, do run to thresholds, intuition and experience held high. Your intentions may well require additional volunteers.

Just like tissue paper. :drunk:
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Post by Franz Schubert »

Blargh wrote:If it were anything but a cat.
Fragment, consider revising.
Blargh wrote:A human, for instance.
Fragment, consider revising.
Blargh wrote:Or not doing.
Fragment, consider revising.
Blargh wrote:Just like tissue paper.
Fragment, consider revising.

Grammar check pwns you.
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Post by vendetta »

You probably know this but don't pierce the bowels at any cost.

It's nice to see I'm not the only interested in hunting/using dead animal bodies.

I caught a porcupine with a trap last week. :chick:
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Post by Dreadnought »

I'm pretty good with traps. Applied Animal Trapping Techniques is my favorite subject.

But I prefer the animals well and healthy and alive not dead. Just catching them for scientific purpose, without harming them.

But maybe it's just because I have heaps of cool animals around my house. (Koalas, Wallabies, Kangaroos, heaps or Lizards, Turtles, cool spiders, manti, stick inects, awesome birds)

Or because of my passion for wildlife.


(I hve +25% on outdoorsman skill)
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Post by Blargh »

Franz Schubert wrote:<naivety>
OH

DEAR

!
!!!!


:drunk:
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Post by POOPERSCOOPER »

atoga wrote:maggots appear after 24h D:
They do if a fly lands on it which is usually unavoidable unless you seal the cat up right when it dies so that no outside air can get to it. From the picture it looked like there wasn't many flys on it at all. It mysterious how all the roadkill I see never has many flys or maggots on it but like living things get tons of flys. :?
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Post by Dreadnought »

It's because they were mutilated by alien abductors. The flys refuse to land on the carcases because of the alien radiation!
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Post by Nicolai »

Keep the pictures coming. :rofl:
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Post by Thor Kaufman »

Megatron wrote: there's more than one way to skin a cat :rofl:
Sure
I thought you wanted to keep the head skin as an entirety, as like in a cat mask, or something? That could be a little tricky
Didn't the old egyptians mumificize(?) their cats as well and sucked out the brains with straws they punched through the nose holes into the brain?
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Post by Kashluk »

First of all, a little hint to make your life a bit easier:

) instead of >

Don't listen to those who suggest using a scalpel or a similar blade for skinning. If your main tool is a blade, get one with a wide and curved blade (like this or this). But as you have experience on the matter, it's likely that you know this already.

I myself have never skinned heads of any animal, since they serve no "practical" use (the amount of meat or other usable parts is rather minor). I usually just ignore them (larger animals) or chop them off (smaller ones). Crushing the skull or leaving the head completely intact sound interesting enough - they're at least worth trying. I'm not sure what technique taxidermy professionals use, but I guess you could ask around on their forums, read their FAQs et cetera.

http://www.taxidermy.net/
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Post by vx trauma »

taxidermy - this christmas will be something the whole family remembers. good hobby. also money innit.
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Post by Megatron »

It's harder than I thought. Everytime I tried to make a cut, all the fur and shit just got caught up in it. I'd use a sharper knife except I don't want to taint any of them with possible gross germs! ew!

Here is my surgery and workstation.

Image

It appears cause of death was having it's eye turn to icecream then wrap halfway around its head.

Image

So anyway, I started trying to cut away. I think I heard a hissing sound, though its no good anyway as I can't see inside. I ended up getting mad and tried to split it open with the shovel, but that didn't work either. I'm guessing it's why vets shave areas they'd cut into, but i can't be arsed with that shit. I'll go back later with a pickaxe and see if i can make a dent.
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Post by Redeye »

Just mail it to somebody from the phone book.
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Post by Megatron »

I have a curved knife for skinning, but if I were to use that I'd prefer it more fresh. I don't want to get something on me then spread it to my cat for crying out loud.

I've been rethinking the situation and it makes more sense to just cut off the cats head, legs and tail. I'll probably give that a go after lunch.
:chew:
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