Cookstaxi is right.From the pictures I'll say that was one pretty cat.Too bad somebody posing as a taxidermist messed it up.People, cats are not hard to get right at all.Lots of people say that but it's not true.As with any animal,good reference pictures help alot even though I rarely use them unless it's a species I haven't done before.Like cookstaxi said, if the skin was tanned, which I do to all my mounts, even squirrels, then it can be rehydrated and worked on but I would bet it was dry preserved and that would be a mess.It would look alot better if you took a pet brush and brushed the fur the right way but man that whole face is way off.You do not need the skull to work off of.Modern day mannikins are anatomicaly correct, you just need to test fit the skin and make adjustments from there.My thoughts are: Someone that never did taxidermy before thought it would be easy to do and quick money so they watched a video or two and did this cat, dry preserved it probably with plain Borax, stretched it on the form and thought it looked good.Brushed it like that too make it look fluffy and said here ya go. No matter what anyone tells you, Taxidermy is an ART! There is nothing easy too it and there is much more work to it than people think.The prep work is what takes alot of time and you need to actually go to a good taxidermy school or do an apprenticeship with a qualified taxidermist.Then there are still people who won't be able to do a good mount.You either have the eye for it or you don't.There is more skill involved then most people realize.Don't watch Mounted in Alaska on T.V. and think it's that easy. Believe me they aren't mounting and finishing a mount in two or three days cause it's impossible.They don't show you the skinning, caping, fleshing, salting, drying, rehydrating, pickling, neutralizing and washing and drying then tanning you have to do before the mounting process can begin.That's just T.V. crap.It's alot of work.I'll get off my soap box now and end with saying,as I've said a million times, go look at work actualy done by someone before you take your sometimes once in a lifetime trophy to them.Good luck wit your cat.Brother, thank you for your service to our country and when you get back home call me: Rick Carter at 918-503-6098 and I'll give you my address and we can get that cat sent to me if you decide to pick it up, and I will try my best to fix it for you Pro Bono, that means no charge to you Longhorn fans, haha.Luck to you and the rest of your brothers and sisters in arms overseas. Call me!
