Shoes made from CAT FUR found on sale in Westfield Stratford

Shoes by fur-free company Missguided purchased by HSI UK and tested positive for illegal cat fur. Archant

Whilst fur, both real and faux, has come into fashion lately thanks to celebrities such as the Kardashians, most shoppers choose fake lookalikes over the real thing.

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Cats in fur farms in China, where the shoes were made, are often treated appallingly. Picture: Peter Li Cats in fur farms in China, where the shoes were made, are often treated appallingly. Picture: Peter Li

It’s particularly shocking then that a pair of shoes brought from Missguided in Westfield Stratford appear to contain cat fur – even though the label only listed manmade materials

Concerned shopper Donna Allison suspected that the shoes were made from real animal fur so she contacted the Missguided Twitter account, who told her that they only sold fake fur, but her suspicions remained.

Donna got in touch with the Humane Society International, who, with the help of Sky News, conducted an investigation and had the fur tested in a laboratory. where it was found to be cat fur.

Cat fur, along with dog and seal fur, is banned across the EU, and HSI warns that people are often unknowingly buying real fur, particularly on fluffy items that are currently in fashion like key rings and bobble hats.

Shoes by fur-free company Missguided purchased by HSI UK and tested positive for illegal cat fur. Shoes by fur-free company Missguided purchased by HSI UK and tested positive for illegal cat fur.

Donna Allison said: “I find it horrifying that Missguided and other retailers are selling real fur and that they didn’t appear to take action when I raised my concerns about this serious issue. All retailers should be taking action to ensure complete traceability of their materials.”

She said supporting fur farming is “unacceptable” and added: “I urge everyone to be more vigilant and understand how to identify and ensure they’re buying faux fur.”

Missguided issued this statement through their Twitter account this evening: “In relation to the points raised by Sky today, Missguided has a strict no fur policy therefore we take these allegations very seriously. We have launched an internal investigation with the relevant suppliers to ensure these matters are addressed urgently.”