Good question! Furries are people with a strong interest in anthropomorphized animals: animals that take on human traits like dressing up, walking upright, and even speaking. Think of characters like Fantastic Mr. Fox, Sonic the Hedgehog, or even Winnie the Pooh. Many furries bring these characters to life through costumes known as “fursuits.”
For members of the furry community, it’s a unique form of self-expression, sometimes involving fursonas—personal animal characters that reflect an aspect of their identity. Unlike most fandoms, being a furry can go beyond simple interest. For many, it becomes a way to explore and even live out parts of themselves, blending creativity with identity.
Like many subcultures, though, the furry community is often misunderstood. Mainstream media and public perception frequently misinterpret furries. But simply put, it’s bonding with similar minds over a common interest. It’s tapping into your playful side. It’s harmless escapism. We don’t see a problem here, do you?
What is a furry?
Encompassing a vast spectrum, a furry is someone who identifies as part of the furry fandom and finds keen fascination and comfort in anthropomorphized animals. Some are simply fans of certain cartoons and video games, whereas others adopt what’s called a fursona to identify with as their alter ego— such as a fox or a panda, with human personalities and features.
Sarah Dee, a fursuit maker, chatted to Women's Health back in 2016, explaining that “it’s fun to just be silly, to use your imagination, to not have to conform to what people think being an adult is like.” And the thing is, the interest in anthropomorphized animals has been around longer than many might realize. The furry fandom, along with the growing interest in anime and role-playing, first took shape in the late 1970s in California before spreading internationally, making its way to the UK.
The first event that included furries happened in 1977, alongside a gathering of a cartoon organization. But it wasn’t until 1989 that the furry community hosted a convention of its own. Fast forward to today, and furry events are held all over the world, from major US gatherings like Anthrocon and Furry Weekend Atlanta, to regular meetups in the UK with groups like Confuzzled or LondonFurs. These events are a safe space for like-minded people to come together, share their interests, and express their creativity. Most events have a minimum age of 16, and attendees typically need to show ID at the door.
Why do people become furries?
Why does anybody become anything? Being drawn to someone or something is often a mix of personal experiences, desires, and interests. For furries, it’s mostly about self-expression and contentment. Social psychologist, Dr. Courtney Plante, explains that becoming a furry allows individuals “to create representations of themselves unbounded by reality.” It’s that superhero side of yourself that’s hard to access during your 9-5 grind. These “idealised versions of themselves” help furries feel validated in their own sense of self, even outside of their fursona.
Unlike your typical fan-fiction or comic characters, the furry fandom offers artistic license over one's fursona. They create their own idols and embody idealised versions of themselves. Real-life furry and New York writer Joe Strike spoke to Huck Magazine, explaining that the goal is “to express an inner, often truer version of a person.” He goes on to say that furries “can be whoever and whatever they want—all that’s left is for people outside the community to follow suit. Or, fursuit for that matter.”
In a 2007 survey by Gerbasi et al., researchers examined what it meant to be a furry and proposed a taxonomy to categorise the different “types” of furries. The largest group—38% of those surveyed—described their interest in the furry fandom primarily as “a route to socializing with others who share common interests such as anthropomorphic art and costumes.” This highlights that, for many, the furry community is as much about connection and shared interests as it is about personal expression.
Furry culture
According to VICE, the fandom is a “happy home” for non-conforming people, “welcoming many who feel stigmatised at home, school, and work.” Essentially, the community helps some people feel accepted and celebrated without judgment. The values that furries hold all tend to centre around a sense of inclusion—such as open-mindedness, acceptance, and creativity.
From intricate fursuits and furry art to detailed stories and online identities, furries have a regular outpouring of artistic expression. The community itself offers members an opportunity to learn and grow, both as their fursona and within themselves. Not only this, but furries say that it’s also about making friends, putting yourself out there, and trying something new. Many even find their life partners, with research showing that about 60% of furries say they found love within the fandom. Having the freedom to be yourself is, clearly, a real confidence booster.
Furry conventions, or “fur-cons,” offer furries the chance to connect with other members—as well as showcase their fursuit creations, which can be anything from a full-body, kitted-out suit to just ears and a tail. Much like any other gathering of this sort, they sell merchandise, host game tournaments, and play live music.
Common misconceptions about furries
For one reason or another, the concept of furries has been sensationalized over the years. The community is often wrongly labelled or assumed to be people who don’t identify as humans or have a fetish for animals. As The Stranger reports, furries are understandably sensitive about sweeping generalisations: “Imagine if the harmless thing you love made you a subject of constant derision.”
While the focus in the media often falls on the sexual side of the community, it's important to remember that this is just one part of the broader furry community. Yes, some furries do explore kink and fetish as part of their identity, and this aspect is more visible due to its transgressive nature. However, this doesn’t define the community. The furry fandom is, at its heart, about creativity, self-expression, and building social connections. Many furries find joy in expressing themselves through anthropomorphic characters and participating in a space that celebrates individuality, art, and friendship.
Do furries have sex?
Is the furry community focused on sex? No. Can furries have sex? Absolutely. The furry fandom, like any other, can include fetishes, but it's not a fetish in and of itself. A study published in Archives of Sexual Behavior explains that, while fetishes can be part of the fandom, they are not what define it. Furries can blend their fandom with other interests or desires, much like how people might find themselves drawn to fictional characters with anthropomorphic traits. For example, many people have crushes on iconic characters like Jessica Rabbit, Lola Bunny, or even The Beast from Beauty and the Beast — all of whom have anthropomorphic features. And thanks to the Hear Me Out trend taking over TikTok, more and more people are expressing their attraction to these kinds of characters.
Most furries don't have a fetish for humans dressed as animals, but that doesn’t mean that they don’t like introducing characteristics of their fursona into their sex lives. This can be anything from engaging in role-play to using fantasy-themed sex toys with a consenting partner. As far as doing the deed in full fursona, that’s far less common. For one, fursuits are very expensive and hard to maintain. In reality, having sex in a full suit could be messy and hard to manoeuvre. However, some furries do make specially designed suits for sexual purposes, called murrsuits, though these are rare and not widely used.
But even outside of fursuits, role-playing is a popular way to explore sexuality. For many, stepping into their fursona allows them to tap into a more confident or playful side, similar to how others might enjoy typical role-play scenarios that society has deemed acceptable. Why wouldn’t they bring that sense of fun and happiness into the bedroom?
Are all furries gay?
The short answer is no, of course not. Sure, surveys do suggest that the majority of the fandom is likely to be part of the LGBTQIA+ community, but that doesn’t mean that all members are gay.
That being said, the reality is that furries and queer folk have a lot in common. The connection between the LGBTQIA+ community and furries is nuanced. Though not the same in their struggles, both carry a lot of the same burdens and have formed a natural alliance. For either party, being authentically themselves isn’t easy—harsh scrutiny is something they know all too well.
Is being a furry a kink?
Despite the many widespread misconceptions, Plante insists that furries are “fans, not fetishists.” Being a fan of something doesn’t mean that thoughts surrounding it are sexualized. Though there are members of the furry community that enjoy exploring their physical desires through their fursona, that doesn’t make every furry a fetishist. Like so many other judgments surrounding furries, this is another misconception. Not every Harry Potter fanatic wants to fuck in the Forbidden Forest, after all.
Are furries a gender?
No one can dictate matters of gender identity, particularly on behalf of a community that prides itself on thinking outside the (socially stifled) box. What we will say is that members of the fandom don’t associate their fursona with gender, but they do claim to have opened the door to gender and identity exploration through the community. Many furries identifying as non-binary, genderfluid, genderqueer, and trans have expressed that having a fursona has aided them in owning their narrative. Speaking to PinkNews, a community leader within the fandom explained that they “wouldn’t have found their identity as a transgender, non-binary queer person nearly as easily if it wasn’t for the furry subculture.”
The general gist is that furries are just like everyone else, and we shouldn’t make assumptions. Trying to get by and taking joy in things and ideas that fascinate you is no bad thing. Furries just might choose to do it in costume. We all have the same common desires, such as wanting to belong, wanting to express ourselves, and having the freedom to explore who we are. What’s so wrong about that?
If you're curious to learn more about the furry community or want to meet like-minded individuals who share your interests, come on in and explore connections on Feeld.
