Truly it would take a very large cat to fit most banjos. As a rule of thumb consider thinking in terms of an inch of girth per pound. Thus, if you have a 14 inch banjo head, you would probably require at least a fifteen pound cat (remembering to allow for overlap).

Personally, I prefer and recommend groundhogs for the purpose. The same rule of thumb applies; but it should be noted that acquiring a groundhog in the larger sizes is not at all difficult in much of the eastern United States. Besides, there are very few other uses for a dead groundhog and the skin is both thin and durable. Many older banjo pickers in Virginia and West Virginia strongly prefer groundhog skin to calf or mylar.

The problem, of course, is that groundhogs are not ubiquitous throughout the banjo-playing world. In the U.S. there are regions where armadillos seem to replace the (roadkill) niche that groundhogs occupy in other areas. Unfortunately, I am not aware of a satisfactory process by which armadillo hide can be used for a banjo head; but am certainly willing to learn from anyone who has practical experience. In the UK one might discover that badger skin could serve satisfactorily, although I have not yet heard of such a practice. Elsewhere, marmots might possibly serve the purpose, but are not normally of a size large enough.

For this reason I believe that a favorable financial impact to the poorer Appalachian areas of the United States might be possible through the export of groundhog hides already prepared and ready for banjo application. I am investigating the possibility of securing federal funding for a regional impact study of the potential financial upswing such an endeavor would produce. I will also seek further federal funding to study the potential impact upon the groundhog population. Once these are accomplished and a pilot operation is proved to be successful it will then be time to begin the full scale operation.

Folks, clearly, this is a ground floor opportunity to own a piece of a "turnkey" operation. For only a small investment you could become a part of this important industry. Don't miss this chance to realize your dreams. You could actually own your very own groundhog hiding and banjo head manufacturing plant! Please PM me for details as to where to send your investments. (Offer void where prohibited.)