Many different furs are used in garments. Some are still available for purchase new, while others are to be found in recycled garments or antique stores :

• Astrakhan
• Beaver
• Broadtail
• Calf
• Chinchilla
• Ermine
• Fox
• Leopard
• Lynx
• Marten
• Mink
  
• Muskrat
• Nutria
• Ocelot
• Opossum
• Otter
• Persian lamb
• Rabbit
• Raccoon
• Sable
• Seal
• Shearling
• Sheepskin
• Squirrel

Within any discussion of furs, it is necessary to at least address the issues of the politics of fur production. The issue of fur production is that of humane treatment of the animals that must die for fur to be harvested. There are at least three positions that are actively maintained by different parts of the population. Some (today, the minority) consider that the suffering of animals is either a necessary evil to support human life, needs and/or desires, or deny that it is of any relevance at all. A middle group (the majority) believes that we must avoid causing suffering in animals, although accepts that animals may need to be killed to support human life, needs and/or desires. And others (a radical minority) believes that not only should animals not be made to suffer, they should not indeed be killed systematically. The traditional production of fur by trapping or snaring wild animals has been shown to cause huge suffering to animals, and has been rejected by many (but not all) modern nations. The raising of fur-bearing animals on farms may represent a viable alternative, provided that the process of killing the animals be done "humanely". This is similar to the requirements for animal slaughter for food. The net result of these contexts is that fur production by "humane methods" is relatively costly to achieve, and hence acceptable fur production is limited at best. Fur production today is a fraction of what it once was, especially in the west, and clothes that incorporate animal furs are not popular in many parts of the world. In cold climates, however, furs are still a substantial source of warmth, and the wearing of furs is more accepted than in warmer climates.



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