There is probably no one right way. But there are a couple of very good ways out there that will make a big difference in the fur checks.
With the cats you are on the right track to put up the skin to show off the underside of the front legs. Get the legs to dry flat and with the underside up. There is some really nice white fur with stripes and spots on the undersides of the front legs so don't hide it or tuck them back into the pelt.
Bill Ilchick of Nevada has an excellent new cat book out there with a great fur handling section. Lot of pics that show exactly how to do it. Bill drys the legs flat and pins them up towards the head so they dry that way and shows off that underside. I think his website is:
www.wildwestbobcats.com. Bill also rubs dry Borax into the finished pelt and shakes it out. I tried it this year and my cats turned out better than ever.
Tom Krause also has a good cat book with lots of handling pics. Tom cuts his front legs open at the front side and tacks them open to show off the underside. Again lots of pics so you see how it is done.
The western cats are worth some serious dinaro now days. Maybe too much. Learning a few tricks on handling can really pay off and I encourage all to learn from the guys who know thier stuff.