Warning: This article contains content that may disturb.
A taxidermied cat skin rug has sold on Trade Me for $520 after media coverage of the auction brought in hundreds of bids.
On Saturday, the auction for a "Taxidermy Cat Skin Rug" (link) was yet to cross $200, but interest grew after controversy spread online.
It eventually received 152 bids and ended at a price of $520, following a battle between two Trade Me users.
The auction's description said it was 95cm nose-to-tail and 50cm at its widest. The auction claimed the cat had previously been a farm cat belonging to user getstuffed1 before it died and spent a few years in the freezer.
The auction drew dozens of questions from people mocking the idea, or praising what they saw as the user's resourcefulness.
"[Anti-cat campaigner] Gareth Morgan would like a bulk price on these," one user joked.
"Fantastic mate, animal died, no abuse, no cruelty, just a good idea that one else thought of," another said.
But not everyone was fond of the seller's work, with some using the questions section to criticise his so-called art.
"This auction should be withdrawn and everyone complain to TradeMe as cats are domestic pets in New Zealand," one person said.
"You remind me of some kind [of] horror movie with body parts in jars."
Getstuff1's other auctions of a possum, magpie and a rabbit have all finished as well, but a jar filled with unborn rabbits is still for sale, with bidding at $58 at time of writing.
Newshub.
