Hello,

I recently purchased a cougar pelt rug at an estate sale.

I got it for $300, and when I asked why so cheap, they pointed out some damages. All in all, based on my completely uneducated opinion, I took a risk, and bought it anyways.

See attached pictures to see the damage.

I have a few questions I was hoping someone here could help with.

1) If I bought it for $300 what is the most I should be willing to spend to make sure I’m not into it for more than its worth?

2) Is this something that will last forever? I bought it used, and have no idea how old it is. If it’s going to decay, I’d like to know, as it will effect my repair budget.

3) Can any taxidermist tackle this project, or should I go to someone with cougar pelt experience?

4) Million dollar question that I know will be hard to answer. Can someone give me a range of prices I can expect? It looks like 3 paws need significant repair, the tail is missing a small section, and he has a torn section between his tail and rear right leg. If budget allows, I’d also be interested in getting him reattached to a more attractive mat, or rug, or whatever you call the thing underneath him. I understand how this might be difficult to answer, but even a broad range of potential pricing, with different scenarios would be helpful.

I’m in Michigan if anyone has any recommendations.

PS: it looks like it’s only letting me attach one photo at a time. I’ll see if I can get around that in a reply to this thread.