At 10 years old I was an artist and I was in love with “anime kitties” – kitten representations of my favorite cartoon characters, usually in a very simplistic style, with hair, clothing, or other traits that made them look like the character they represented. I was so fascinated by them that for several years I drew everyone I knew exclusively as a cat. Sometimes they would be more human with slightly feline faces, sometimes they would be mostly feline but wearing clothes or having hair. In 5th and 6th grade, no one questioned my strange fascination with this style of art. In fact, most of my friends thought it was “awesome” and “super cool!” Many of my friends were thrilled to see their kitty representations on paper.
Although I eventually stopped drawing “anime kitties,” they never lost their appeal for me. I had done a few furry role-plays online without knowing it and I had always flirted with the idea of ears and a tail. It wasn’t until my junior year in high school that someone said the word “furry” to me for the first time though.
Although I eventually stopped drawing “anime kitties,” they never lost their appeal for me. I had done a few furry role-plays online without knowing it and I had always flirted with the idea of ears and a tail. It wasn’t until my junior year in high school that someone said the word “furry” to me for the first time though.
Wait, so isn’t that just bestiality?
Yes and no. The truth is, despite what many furries will tell you, there are some people in the furry fandom that are in to bestiality. However, most furries have NO interest in molesting their neighbor’s dogs. The easiest way to think about it is that there are different “levels” of furry—they range from full-on bestiality to people who just really like cat tails. Keep in mind that these levels are not the end-all-be-all definition of furry. Not all furries will fall into just one (or any) of these categories and some people who aren’t furries may fall into some. They are also, by no means, official. These “categories” are just a convenient way to explain the furry fandom in a bit more detail.
- Bestiality: These are people who want to be human and have sex with animals.
- Feral (natural): These are people who want to be and act like an animal and interact with other animals.
- Feral (human): These are people who want to be an animal but have the intelligence of a human and interact with other animals who have the intelligence of humans.
- Anthro: These are people who are interested in having a half human, half animal body and interacting with other people who have half human, half animal bodies. These “anthropomorphic” bodies may have fur, animal faces, paws, tails, ears, horns, wings, or any combination of the above. Usually they at least have fur and have a combination of animal and human faces.
- Neko: Neko is the Japanese word for cat. Typically, people who call themselves “nekos” are people who are perfectly content being 100% human...but would also kind of like ears and tail. Sometimes these people wear ears and tail for costuming purposes or just for fun—sometimes they don’t dress up as a neko at all, but represent themselves as one online.
Each of these levels has a sexual and non-sexual aspect and they all have quite a bit of grey space in between them. Many furries fall into multiple categories and many “nekos” do not consider themselves furry—and that’s okay! “Furry” is a fluid word that, as I mentioned earlier, only applies to people who want it to apply to them.
The Furry Chart
This is a playful but mostly accurate representation of some different "levels" of furry.
- Bestiality: These are people who want to be human and have sex with animals.
- Feral (natural): These are people who want to be and act like an animal and interact with other animals.
- Feral (human): These are people who want to be an animal but have the intelligence of a human and interact with other animals who have the intelligence of humans.
- Anthro: These are people who are interested in having a half human, half animal body and interacting with other people who have half human, half animal bodies. These “anthropomorphic” bodies may have fur, animal faces, paws, tails, ears, horns, wings, or any combination of the above. Usually they at least have fur and have a combination of animal and human faces.
- Neko: Neko is the Japanese word for cat. Typically, people who call themselves “nekos” are people who are perfectly content being 100% human...but would also kind of like ears and tail. Sometimes these people wear ears and tail for costuming purposes or just for fun—sometimes they don’t dress up as a neko at all, but represent themselves as one online.
Each of these levels has a sexual and non-sexual aspect and they all have quite a bit of grey space in between them. Many furries fall into multiple categories and many “nekos” do not consider themselves furry—and that’s okay! “Furry” is a fluid word that, as I mentioned earlier, only applies to people who want it to apply to them.
Don’t all furries want to have sex in those creepy costumes?
Ordering a Fursuit
An example of a "duct tape dummy"--required by many fursuit artists.
Thankfully, there’s a fast and sweet answer to this question: No. When a furry dresses up in a “mascot” costume, it is referred to as “fursuiting." The costume itself is a “fursuit.” Fursuiting is popular, but the sexual aspect of it is a lot less popular than people tend to think. Many people pay thousands of dollars to have their fursuits custom made by incredibly talented artists. It is a process that has very precise specifications (most creators will not create a fursuit for you unless you mail them a full size “dummy” of your body and have a commissioned reference sheet of your design) and the process can take months, if not years. Beyond this, while fursuiting can be a lot of fun for those who enjoy it, fursuits are hot and uncomfortable. Trying to have sex in them not only runs the risk of ruining them, but it also verges on being a health hazard!
Like most aspects of the furry fandom, there are some people who enjoy fursuiting in a sexual way. More often than not, however, fursuits are just a way for furries to express themselves. Many furries feel that their “fursona,” or furry persona, is how they “should” look in a perfect world. They feel very connected to this image of themselves and fursuiting is the closet they’ll ever get to looking how they really feel they should look. Fursuits also offer a level of anonymity and security that “being yourself” can’t really offer. Many furries also tend to be shy in a number of ways and fursuiting can aid furries in being more social and comfortable around other people.
Thanks for the story
That was kinda sexy actually.
I wouldn't say that all furries "want" to be an animal in some way at all, most furries I know are entirely happy being human, they just appreciate furry artwork and animals. Being furry has nothing to do with wanting to be anything other than human, it's largely an art community with a DASH of spirituality.
@butts - I feel like there are plenty of people who simply enjoy furry art, but I also feel like the vast majority of people who are only interested in the furry fandom for the art are people who claim not to be furries. These are people who, despite having fursonas and pages upon pages of art of furries, have the words; "I AM NOT A FURRY!!!" printed in big letters on the tops of the furry-oriented-website pages and profiles. The majority of people I've met who identify as furry actually do want to be an animal or have the features of an anthropomorphic animal in some way, shape, or form. While this doesn't necessarily mean that they'd hop on the first train to get a furry-surgery if it ever became possible, these are people who do fantasize about having tails or fur (or who fantasize about everyone being a furry or about having sex with furries).
It's possible that we've met some different people, though.
interestig article.
I truly appreciate this. Now when people ask me to define it I can link them here.
@ColdPaw - I'm really glad you agree with the definition! I was worried about the opinion of people who WERE familiar with it, since this article was mostly written from my experiences for people who weren't familiar. I wanted to make sure I covered all my bases.
Great article! Nekos are sexy. Nyannnn
@MidnightStorm True, the people I hang out with who are in the fandom (mostly) have no interest in actually having animal parts, but that could just be my friend circle. I must admit, I've been in the fandom since I was quite young, and I've never had an interest in the sexual aspects of it, nor have I ever desired to have animal parts, I just appreciate the art. Most of my friends are the same, we say we're furry for the sake of simplicity but few of us "identify" as such. We like furry art because we like animals, and we like art, it doesn't go much deeper than that. However, I've met a large number of people who DO go much deeper than that, I'm just not friends with more "hardcore" furs for the same reason I'm not friends with many "hardcore" hipsters, the groups tend to come with a personality type that I don't get along with, not that all "hardcore" furs are like that. Of course everyone's experience in the fandom is different, it all depends on who you talk to, where you're from and what sites you frequent.
Thanks
Thank you so much! I'm not a furry but I love the feel of fur against my skin, and I think that maybe one day I might identify as one. I guess for me it would feel more like a Halloween costume than a fursona, though. I'm coming to terms with my identity more... as human! I used to identify as part cat, when I was younger, strangely enough. Today I identify a lot with sea creatures, but it's always different for me. But yes, furries are hot! You forgot to include: You don't have to be a furry to like furry porn, either!