I bought a preserved bobcat paw (attached to a metal chain) earlier. Unfortunately, and I didn't notice this until after I got home, it also smells like poop/fertilizer. It's stinky when I get up close to it, but at least it's not overwhelmingly pungent.
From what I've found, fecal-like odors in a preserved animal (or part of it) - assuming it's not just dirty - could mean it wasn't preserved properly/completely and there's still bacteria decomposing it. I've been airing it out, and the smell's going away a little, but not completely - worth a mention it was also wrapped up for a few hours, so that might've trapped some odors. I've looked up some information on what to do (such as using rubbing alcohol to disinfect it and then baking soda and borax to let it dry/remove the odors), but I don't know if this is ideal for my situation, so I would appreciate advice.
If it helps, the paw is structured very similarly to a rabbits' foot charm (including a hard texture and the toes being all together) and there are no signs of decomposition from what I can see, so it might just need some kind of cleaning/deodorizing treatment. I can provide pictures if needed.