Here's a chance to use the assembled knowledge, experience, and passion of this site for the greater good.


Lets start a cat grading tutorial.


some place folks can come back to and use to get a feel for what kind of fur they are holding.


If we keep posting cats on this thread and having them critiqued, it could eventualy go in the archives and be a very helpful resource for folks trying to learn, or expand on their knowledge base.





Here is one to start with, Critique away:

What do you like?
What don't you like?

































There are no right or wrong answers, it is a post hopefully to educate and share knowledge.


Its' heft is just below "good semi", Its 38" nose to base of tail.

what's your opinon?

I like the spots and color! Thats a very nice cat!

sorry, i have a problem with cats. Never seen one i didn't like.

Here's a couple of mine, pics arnt as good for grading as marty b's

The 2 big cats I am holding are the same 2 big ones on the side walk

very nice.

Our cats here have narrow grey bellies with undifined spots.
So knowing that cats with nice wide white bellies & well defined spots gets you to top dollar.
My grading is=
Mart #1, Cameron #2 (ironic), Snareman #3.

How did I do????

I really like the belly on camerons cat the best . It does have a bit of stain on the outside edges towards the middle.

not top lot, but darn near!

I will also say that Cameron 2 really knows how to present a cat. great put up job.

Don why do like Camerons cat's belly over Marty's??

To me Marty's is much more predominately spotted, much darker spots with a whiter belly, while Camerons is put up wider it to me has a casty looking belly with lighter spots.

Can't see Camerons back, however Marty's is a great dark spotted back as well for those seeking such it would bring top dollar

Fur length on both seems to be the same though. I believe if Marty's was put up in the same manner as Camerons it would be hard to beat between the two.

Snareman you have great cats as well but are harder to give a better definition hanging that way.

Just me but I don't buy any cats without paws as I sell them in lots of different venues needing the paws.

Just would like your definition a bit more clearer is all.

All are nice bobcats and none were caught in Maine.We don't have them that pretty.

Nothing wrong with Martys cat. Has good spots on the back but on my puter it does not appear to be heavily spotted on the belly. I don't think Martys cat is put up yet either. It might change the whole ball game once it is finished.
I did say that Camerons cat was a bit on the casty shade up towards the middle.
Can't see Camerons back of his cat.
Just a personal thing is all I can say.
I would not be ashamed to own both of them/

Come on marty b, You should of started with a little worse cat than that, Thats a nice one. im no fur grader, and i hope we can keep this going cause i would love to learn. Its eazy to tell the good from the bad its just a few of the inbetween, Any way i would give your cat a, AA belly and a A back... AND Cameron2 cat a A minus belly. Martys cat is more paler type cat Than cameron2 cat, Martys cat has a vere nice back a little gray not sure how the fur industry grades backs outher than good spots...

Cat backs are graded as well, hope some more buyers chime in here it will be a great thread.

Don I'd take them all as well, I just like to learn others opinions on cats, it's one of only a few pelts I even grade for color or fur, being an end user I don't suffer the need to worry about size or fur color on other pelts, if I want it I just give an offer I can afford and hope I get it.

I always liked how a fur buyer would keep one of the prettiest cats in the world in there truck. If you took them what you thought was a $300 cat they would always pull out the one in the truck and say " no this is a $300 cat" yours is worth $50.

This is a great idea Marty. If we can get some info from some buyers on here it will help us decide if our cats are "keepers" and could be archived. Great idea!

Marty,
Flanks not complety full, well furred belly and back, heavy. Clarity 1 or 1-2. Western pale.

Tracy's cat is real nice as well, but unless you can pop that hide the clarity is not evident.

No cat under 3,000 feet is worth anything. They never grade western, are only semi heavy never fully furred, or have good clarity. As I was told by a well known fur buyer.

Clayton, I have always heard the term about the flanks, but never knew what anyone was talking about when they said it.


Is that the big whorl down at the bottom of the belly that always looks thin?

super wide white belly... i like that...

I would like to see all stretched and see both bellie and back then have every body look again and also put there hand in the fur like Marty B did