When the skin of a female-cat is used for shamisen, it is said that a virgin cat is ideal because she-cats get their skin scratched by tomcats during mating; in fact, the skin of young female-cats before mating is too thin, so a slightly thick skin after the scratch healed is often used.
雌猫は交尾の際、雄猫に皮を引っ掛かれてしまうため雌猫の皮を用いる場合は交尾未経験の個体を選ぶ事が望ましいと言われているが、実際には交尾前の若猫の皮は薄い為、傷の治ったある程度の厚みの有る皮を使用することが多い。