A SHOP launched in Chester last Tuesday was picketed by anti-fur trade campaigners.
Protesters demonstrated outside the maritime-theme franchise Nauticalia in Bridge Street Row, Chester, with leaflets and banners.
Members of Manchester-based Coalition to Abolish the Fur Trade (CAFT) were objecting to one of the company products, a life-like model of a sleeping cat made out of rabbit fur.
CAFT supporters called on shoppers to boycott Nauticalia during the one-day protest.
CAFT organiser Catherine Jones said: 'Nauticalia's range of Ships Cats are novelty gifts made from real rabbit fur from China.
'Nauticalia have refused to provide any information about how the animals are raised and killed, though CAFT has seen evidence of gross cruelty taking place at markets in China, where animals are crammed into tiny cages and subjected to rough handling and slaughtered in front of other rabbits.
'There are similar products to these on the market that use synthetic materials and CAFT call on Nauticalia to start using only fake-fur materials.'
A Nauticalia spokeswoman defended the product and said CAFT members were 'misinformed'.
She said: 'Nauticalia has been selling its range of Intrepid Ships Cats for several years. Unfortunately, because they are made from rabbit fur (a by-product of sustenance food-farming which would otherwise be burnt), and we are open about this, we are targeted by a minority of misinformed animal rights protesters.
'Independent organisations have performed taxonomic tests and checks on our Ships Cats and the results show that they do not contain any feline or canine material (one of many false accusations). We totally condemn the trade in cat and dog fur.' She added: 'We have been working closely with Government departments to introduce a voluntary labelling scheme, which we have already put in place for our Ships Cats. This informs customers how this product is made, ensuring they are fully aware.
'Unfortunately, because of this voluntary labelling, we make an easy target for 'animal rights' extremists whose long-term aim is to stop all use of animal products, including the eating of meat and the use of leather.'
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