Quote Originally Posted by maodiver View Post
Thanks for the great idear! I know the Bio Classes here at the High School I work at dissect cats....wonder if I can score the hides when they are done??? Does formaldehyde rinse out (i'll wear gloves, of course)
I used to import feathers, most of which were sold for fly tying. These feathers had to be soaked in a formaldehyde and water solution. I can't remember the exact % of formaldehyde, or the time the feathers had to be soaked, but I'm guessing it was something like a 10% solution for 8 hours. All of this was done under the supervision and approval of the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Once the feathers were soaked for the required period (and this included neck hackles on skin) we washed them out with clear water, and air dried them.

I never recalled having any lingering odor from the formaldehyde, and I still have a number of these imported necks in my house - a few dozen or so remained in a desk in our living room and family room for over 30 years.

I can't say what odor would remain if one used a stronger solution, or soaked the fur for a longer time than I did.

John