Furry Fandom | What Goes On in the Fantastic World of Furries?

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From wolves and tigers to dogs and dragons, we take a quick peek at the often misunderstood and marginalized world of furries.
 

What are furries?

Furry is a term that describes a diverse adult community of fans, gamers, and role players, to name just a few, that adores the idea of anthropomorphic animals (animal characters with human characteristics) slightly more than most of us. The furry fandom spans the globe and is a fluid fetish embracing many subcultures and sexual preferences. Most furries create a 'fursona' with whom they identify and interact in the furry community. You could even create your own fur suit  to further emphasize your fursona. 

In the main, furries fall into three categories:

1. There are the 'Toonies,' who love cartoon characters like 'My Little Pony'
2. The 'Naturals' are more inspired by real animals - especially big cats, wolves, and horses
3. The 'Supernaturals' who prefer werewolves, unicorns, and dragons

A recent survey found that only 15% of furries actually dress up to indulge in their fetish. Others revel in the powerful connection they feel to a specific creature and want to play around with their animalistic side.
 

What appeals to the furry fandom?

The furry fandom are generally sensitive souls, and aside from the fetish aspect, the erotic, edgy artwork gets them hooked. There's a considerable anime influence on this anthro-art, but some images owe more to gaming visuals, and others are simple pencil drawings.

Furries fan art blends human and animal elements in a surprisingly compelling combination. For example, tied-up cats giggle with pleasure, foxes pose porn-style on beds, and wolves wear bikinis at the beach. If the characters were human, this would be explicit 18+ rated fetish material, but for a non-furry, the animal features tame it down.


Furry Fun. Woof!

Prejudice against furries

Like any group poised on the margins of society, the furry community is equally feared and ridiculed. There's regular pearl-clutching in the media about what goes on at conventions for furries, but in reality, it's not all about doing it doggy-style. Getting jiggy in fur suits is even less likely, as those fluffy suits can get pretty hot, and can cost more than a car - so having it ripped off during a kinky session is a no-no.

On the other hand, this is an adult-interest fetish community, so naturally, there's an element of sexual attraction between followers. The furry fandom often uses the term Yiff as an acronym for 'Young Incredibly Fuckable Furry.' Still, it's also a catchall term used to express joy, refer to furry porn, feel horny (yiffy), or even have sex. Skritching has less sensual overtones, like the furry equivalent of kissing a friend; it involves a rub on the back or between the ears using the fingertips to avoid damaging a fur suit.
 

Acceptance in the world of furries 

One of the greatest things about any fetish community considered 'deviant' is the way members are happy to embrace difference. We see it all the time in the BDSM world, and the otherkin universe is equally tolerant. No one cares or even notices if you're trans, straight or gay, black, white, or Asian. The focus is on a person's species and the type of animal they've chosen to come out as - their fursona.

Finding a partner who accepts a furry for who they are isn't easy for anyone who identifies as a kinkster. In contrast, BDSM has become a mainstream preoccupation; furryism is, ironically, less cute and cuddly.

An attraction to humans dressed as animals or getting pleasure in acting like an animal is different from bestiality and zoophilia. Still, to the uninitiated, the three can seem unnervingly close. So how do you meet your ideal kitty cat or fine-looking stallion if you're part of a misunderstood subculture? Of course, you get into online dating – just like the rest of us. 

Furry dating 

Online furry dating pages have much in common with other fetish or vanilla meet-up sites. Furries Extreme might sound hardcore, but along with the hookup opportunities, there's a healthy social network to become part of and many other members to get stuck into. Unlike other furry dating sites, it allows adult content like cosplay or artwork but nothing illegal.

One furry dating site called Furry Mate is probably a good starting point for furries that'd prefer a gentler introduction. This online furry dating community was formed as a group project and in reaction to furry feedback, and they're pretty proud of it, too, proclaiming: "You spoke, meowed, purred, tweeted, and followed; we listened."

Unfortunately, furry haters exist, even though most of this community isn't even visible, and the lifestyle is entirely harmless. However, just like latex and bondage fans busting out their kits, furries escape into their animal character to forget about the pressures of daily life to feel sexy, strong, and liberated. Social acceptance is not required.

Looking for some furry fun? Sign up for free and give Fetish.com a try. Chat with other furries in our forum and meet your rampant rabbit!
 

All images: Eurofurence 2014 by Alex "Khaki" Vance via Flickr with CC BY 2.0 license