View source for Furry fandom

{{Update|history|date=November 2025}} 

{{Short description|Subculture interested in anthropomorphic animals}}
{{pp-semi-indef|small=yes}}
{{Lead too short|date=October 2025}}[[File:Further Confusion 2007 fursuit post-parade photoshoot.jpg|thumb|upright=1.25|A large group of [[fursuit]] owners at a [[furry convention]]]]
The '''furry fandom''' is a [[subculture]] interested in [[Anthropomorphism|anthropomorphic]] animal characters.<ref name="IOF">{{cite news|first=Rob|last=Staeger|url=http://www.furryfandom.info/invasion-furries-furry-fandom.htm|title=Invasion of the Furries|newspaper=The Wayne Suburban|date=July 26, 2001|access-date=2009-05-20|archive-date=2020-08-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200828042650/http://www.furryfandom.info/invasion-furries-furry-fandom.htm|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|first=Dylan|last=Matthews|url=https://www.vox.com/2014/12/10/7362321/9-questions-about-furries-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask|title=9 questions about furries you were too embarrassed to ask|newspaper=Vox|date=March 27, 2015|access-date=August 7, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160729151838/http://www.vox.com/2014/12/10/7362321/9-questions-about-furries-you-were-too-embarrassed-to-ask|archive-date=July 29, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Aaron |first1=Michael |date=May 12, 2017 |title=More Than Just a Pretty Face: Unmasking Furry Fandom |url=https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/standard-deviations/201705/more-just-pretty-face-unmasking-furry-fandom |website=[[Psychology Today]] |access-date=September 15, 2017 |archive-date=February 18, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210218040923/https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/standard-deviations/201705/more-just-pretty-face-unmasking-furry-fandom |url-status=live }}</ref> Some examples of anthropomorphic attributes include exhibiting human intelligence and facial expressions, speaking, walking on two legs, and wearing clothes. The term "furry [[fandom]]" is also used to refer to the community of people who gather on the Internet and at [[furry convention]]s.<ref>{{cite news |last=Kurutz |first=Daveen Rae |date=June 17, 2006 |title=It's a furry weekend in Pittsburgh |work=[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]] |url=http://triblive.com/x/archive/1391374-74/archive-story |url-status=live |access-date=June 30, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303203338/http://triblive.com/x/archive/1391374-74/archive-story |archive-date=March 3, 2016}}</ref>

==History==
In 1976, cartoonists Ken Fletcher and Reed Waller created the [[amateur press association]] ''Vootie'', which was dedicated to animal-focused art.<ref>{{Citation |last=Waller |first=Reed |date=29 February 1976 |editor-last=Waller |editor-first=Reed |editor2-last=Fletcher |editor2-first=Ken |title=Pre-Vootie apa-zine flyer - page 1 |url=https://www.furaffinity.net/view/19451045/ |access-date=11 October 2024 |via=[[FurAffinity]]}}</ref> Many of its featured works contained adult themes, such as ''[["Omaha" the Cat Dancer]]'', which contained explicit sex.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Waller, Reed.|title=The collected 'Omaha': the cat dancer; Vol. 1|date=1995|publisher=Fantagraphics Books|others=Worley, Kate.|isbn=1-56097-161-4|edition=1st Fantagraphics books|location=Seattle, Wash.|oclc=122275829}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Skinn, Dez. |url=https://archive.org/details/comixunderground0000skin |title=Comix: the underground revolution |date=2004 |publisher=Thunder's Mouth Press |isbn=1-56025-572-2 |location=New York |oclc=55592337 |url-access=registration |pages=71, 106 |quote=A furry animal turned erotic dancer...Omaha...is full of nubile animals of all sexual persuasions. Omaha...integrated sex into the storyline rather than just for shock value}}</ref> ''Vootie'' grew a small following over the next several years, and its contributors began meeting at science fiction and comics conventions.

According to fandom historian [[Fred Patten]], the concept of ''furry'' originated at a [[science fiction convention]] in 1980,<ref name="YarfChronology">{{cite news|author=Patten, Fred|author-link=Fred Patten|url=http://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996|title=Retrospective: An Illustrated Chronology of Furry Fandom, 1966–1996|publisher=[[WikiFur:Flayrah|Flayrah]]|date=2012-07-15|access-date=2012-07-15|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160405235823/https://www.flayrah.com/4117/retrospective-illustrated-chronology-furry-fandom-1966-1996|archive-date=2016-04-05|url-status=live}}</ref> when a character drawing from Steve Gallacci's ''[[Albedo Anthropomorphics]]'' started a discussion of anthropomorphic characters in science fiction novels. This led to the formation of a discussion group that met at science fiction conventions and [[comics convention]]s.

The specific term ''furry fandom'' was being used in [[fanzine]]s as early as 1983, and had become the standard name for the genre by the mid-1990s when it was defined as "the organized appreciation and dissemination of art and prose regarding 'Furries', or fictional [[mammal]]ian anthropomorphic characters".<ref>{{cite news|first=Fred|last=Patten|url=http://www.anthrozine.com/site/lbry/yarf.reviews.b.html|title=The Yarf! reviews|work=[[WikiFur:Anthro|ANTHRO]]|access-date=2007-09-24|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160313204950/http://anthrozine.com/site/lbry/yarf.reviews.b.html|archive-date=2016-03-13|url-status=live}}</ref> Fans consider the origins of furry fandom to be much earlier, with fictional works such as ''[[Kimba the White Lion|Kimba, the White Lion]]'', released in 1965, [[Richard Adams]]'s novel ''[[Watership Down]]'', published in 1972 (and its [[Watership Down (film)|1978 film adaptation]]), as well as [[Robin Hood (1973 film)|Disney's ''Robin Hood'']], as oft-cited examples.<ref name="YarfChronology"/>

During the 1980s, furry fans began to publish fanzines, developing a social group that eventually began to schedule social gatherings. By 1989, there was sufficient interest to stage the first furry convention: Confurence 0,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Patten |first1=Fred |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6EMODgAAQBAJ&pg=PA57 |title=Furry Fandom Conventions, 1989-2015 |publisher=McFarland |year=2017 |isbn=9781476663814 |pages=57 |author-link=Fred Patten |no-pp=y |access-date=2023-03-19 |archive-date=2023-04-08 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230408201553/https://books.google.com/books?id=6EMODgAAQBAJ&pg=PA57 |url-status=live }}</ref> and it was held at the Holiday Inn Bristol Plaza in [[Costa Mesa, California]].<ref>{{cite news |last1=Klee |first1=Miles |date=Oct 16, 2016 |title=Here's some amazing raw footage from the world's first furry convention |work=The Daily Dot |url=https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/first-furry-convention-1989/ |url-status=live |access-date=28 June 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180628185111/https://www.dailydot.com/unclick/first-furry-convention-1989/ |archive-date=28 June 2018}}</ref> Once the Internet became accessible to the general population in the 1990s, it became the most popular means for furry fans to socialize.<ref name="BBC">{{cite news |title=Who are the furries? |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm |first=Denise |last=Winterman |work=[[BBC News|BBC News Magazine]] |date=November 13, 2009 |access-date=2009-11-29 |archive-date=2020-11-09 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201109040643/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/8355287.stm |url-status=live }}</ref> The [[Usenet newsgroup|newsgroup]] ''alt.fan.furry'' was created in November 1990, and virtual environments such as [[TinyMUCK|MUCKs]] also became popular places on the internet for fans to communicate.<ref name="FurryMUCK">{{cite web |last=Stamper |first=Chris |title=Furry Muckity-Muck |publisher=The Netly News |date=March 29, 1996 |url=http://www.pressedfur.com/press/muckity-muck.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927162630/http://www.pressedfur.com/press/muckity-muck.html |archive-date=2007-09-27 |access-date=2007-04-13}}</ref>

Internet newsgroup discussion in the 1990s created some separation between fans of "[[funny animal]]" characters and furry characters, meant to avoid the baggage that was associated with the term "furry".<ref>{{cite book |last=Sandler |first=Kevin S. |url=https://archive.org/details/readingrabbitexp0000unse |title=Reading the Rabbit: Explorations in Warner Bros. Animation |publisher=[[Rutgers University Press]] |year=1998 |isbn=0-8135-2537-3 |location=New Brunswick, N.J. |pages=202 |oclc=37890394 |quote=[The distinction between "furry" and "funny animal"] is largely because of the baggage the term 'furry' carries with it, as a number of people see 'furries' [to be] obsessed with the sexuality of their fictitious characters. |url-access=registration}}</ref>

==Inspiration==
Allegorical novels, including works of both [[science fiction]] and [[fantasy]], and cartoons featuring anthropomorphic animals are often cited as the earliest inspiration for the fandom.<ref name="YarfChronology"/> A survey conducted in 2007 suggested that when compared with a non-furry control group, a higher proportion of those identifying as furries liked cartoons "a great deal" as children and recalled watching them significantly more often, as well as being more likely to enjoy works of science fiction than those outside of the community.<ref name="Gerbasi2008">{{cite journal | last = Gerbasi | first = Kathleen | author2 = Paolone, Nicholas | author3 = Higner, Justin | author4 = Scaletta, Laura | author5 = Bernstein, Penny | author6 = Conway, Samuel | author7 = Privitera, Adam | year = 2008 | title = Furries From A to Z (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism) | url = http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/gerbasi.pdf | journal = Society & Animals | volume = 16 | pages = 197–222 | doi = 10.1163/156853008X323376 | issue = 3 | access-date = 2017-03-18 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180928175726/http://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/gerbasi.pdf | archive-date = 2018-09-28 | url-status = live }}</ref>

==Activities==
According to a survey from 2008, most furries believe that visual art, conventions, literature, and online communities are strongly important to the fandom.<ref name="ThirdSurvey"/> The furry fandom is male-dominated, with other 2007–08 surveys reporting around 80% male respondents.<ref name="SecondSurvey" /><ref name="ThirdSurvey" /><ref name="Evans" />

===Crafts===
[[File:GR FC2007 Wicked Creatures Furry Sculptures.jpg|thumb|upright|Sculpture at [[Further Confusion]]]]
Fans with craft skills create plush toys and also build elaborate costumes called [[fursuit]]s,<ref>{{cite book|last=Riggs|first=Adam|year=2004|title=Critter Costuming: Making Mascots and Fabricating Fursuits|publisher=Ibexa Press}}</ref> which are worn for fun or to participate in parades, convention [[masquerade ball|masquerades]], dances, or fund-raising charity events (as entertainers).<ref>{{cite news|first=Alina|last=Larson|url=http://www.furryfandom.info/trivalley-herald-furry-fans-help-mankind.htm|title=Animal Instincts: Fans of Furry Critters Convene to Help Mankind|work=Tri-Valley Herald|publisher=[[ANG Newspapers]]|date=January 23, 2003|access-date=2009-05-20|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921192053/http://www.furryfandom.info/trivalley-herald-furry-fans-help-mankind.htm|archive-date=September 21, 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> Fursuits range from designs featuring simple construction resembling some entertainment and sports mascots<ref name="Gerbasi2008" /> to those with more sophisticated features such as moving jaw mechanisms, [[audio-Animatronics|animatronic]] parts, [[prosthetic makeup]], and other features. Fursuits range in price from $500, for mascot-like designs, to upwards of $10,000 for models incorporating animatronics.<ref name="Brandolph2008">{{cite news|url=http://kdka.com/local/local_story_167193226.html|title=Furries Descend On Pittsburgh|publisher=[[KDKA-TV]]|date=June 16, 2006|access-date=2006-06-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070126105803/http://kdka.com/local/local_story_167193226.html|archive-date=2007-01-26 }}</ref> About 80% of furries do not own a full fursuit.<ref name="Gerbasi2008" /><ref name="ThirdSurvey" /><ref name="SecondSurvey"/> Some fans may also wear "partial" suits consisting simply of ears and a tail, or a head, paws, and a tail.<ref name="Gerbasi2008" /> A much larger proportion of individuals who attend conventions own a full or partial fursuit—45%, according to a survey done at Anthrocon 2018—which has been attributed to convention attendees' generally higher likelihood of being able to afford to buy a fursuit if they can afford convention travel expenses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=Anthrocon 2018 Study |url=https://furscience.com/research-findings/appendix-1-previous-research/ac2018/ |access-date=January 31, 2024 |website=Furscience.com}}</ref>

Furry fans also pursue [[puppeteer|puppetry]], recording videos and performing live shows such as ''[[Rapid T. Rabbit and Friends]]'' and the ''[[Funday PawPet Show]]'', and create furry [[fashion accessory|accessories]], such as ears or tails.<ref name="FoxyStudent">{{cite news|title=A 'furry' tale for a foxy college student|url=http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/A_%27furry%27_tale_for_a_foxy_college_student|author1=Irwin, Charles|author2=Watterson, Summer|name-list-style=amp|work=[[The Olympian]]|date=April 24, 2002|access-date=2008-09-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090911141422/http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/A_%27furry%27_tale_for_a_foxy_college_student|archive-date=September 11, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Role-playing===
{{anchor|Roleplaying}}{{anchor|Role playing}}
{{Main|Fursona}}[[File:Anthro vixen fullbody front.svg|thumb|upright|Cartoon anthropomorphic [[vixen]], an example of a furry character]]
Anthropomorphic animal characters created by furry fans, known as [[fursona]]s,<ref name="Gaudio2008">{{cite news | last = Gaudio | first = Greg | date = August 23, 2008 | title = Lions and foxes and cat-dragons walk on two legs in Beach | work = [[The Virginian-Pilot]] | url = http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/lions-and-foxes-and-catdragons-walk-two-legs-beach | access-date = 2008-09-07 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090211234713/http://hamptonroads.com/2008/08/lions-and-foxes-and-catdragons-walk-two-legs-beach | archive-date = February 11, 2009 | url-status = live }}</ref> are used for [[role-playing]] in [[Multi-user dungeon|MUD]]s,<ref name="Mitchell1995">{{cite web | last = Mitchell | first = Don | date = March 23, 1995 | title = From MUDs To Virtual Worlds | work = Social Computing Group, Microsoft | url = http://www.mentallandscape.com/Papers_95vworlds.htm | access-date = 2009-11-06 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20090519035523/http://www.mentallandscape.com/Papers_95vworlds.htm | archive-date = May 19, 2009 | url-status = live }}</ref> on [[internet forum]]s, or [[electronic mailing list]]s.<ref name="Howells2002">{{cite news | last = Howells | first = Shelley | date = October 1, 2002 | title = Secret lives of strange and furry | work = [[The New Zealand Herald]] }}</ref> A variety of species are employed as the basis of these personas, although many furry fans (for example over 60% of those surveyed in 2007) choose to identify themselves with [[carnivora]]ns.<ref>{{cite journal | last = Gerbasi | first = Kathleen |author2=Paolone, Nicholas|author3=Higner, Justin|author4=Scaletta, Laura|author5=Bernstein, Penny|author6=Conway, Samuel|author7= Privitera, Adam | year = 2008 | title = Furries From A to Z (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism) | journal = Society & Animals | volume = 3 | pages = 205 }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://zuender.zeit.de/2008/36/furry-eurofurence-horrorfurence |title=Och, sind die süüüüß! |access-date=2008-09-06 |last=Werner |first=Christian |work=Zeit Online Zuender |publisher=Zeit Online |language=de |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080906005232/http://zuender.zeit.de/2008/36/furry-eurofurence-horrorfurence |archive-date=2008-09-06 |url-status=live }}</ref> The longest-running online furry role-playing environment is ''[[FurryMUCK]],'' which was established in 1990.<ref name="dog">{{cite book | last1 = Mulligan | first1 = Jessica| last2 = Patrovsky | first2 = Bridgette| year = 2003 | title = Developing Online Games: An Insider's Guide| url = https://archive.org/details/developingonline0000mull | url-access = registration | publisher = New Riders| isbn = 1-59273-000-0| pages = [https://archive.org/details/developingonline0000mull/page/452 452]| quote = 1990 [...] ''FurryMUCK'' opens.  It features avatars who are anthropomorphic animals.}}</ref> Another popular online furry social game is called ''[[Furcadia]]'', which was created by Dragon's Eye Productions.

===Conventions===
{{Main|Furry convention}}
[[File:Kemono fursuits.jpg|alt=two kemono fursuits|thumb|Kemono fursuits have big colorful eyes and small mouths]]
Sufficient interest and membership have enabled the creation of many furry conventions in [[North America]] and [[Europe]]. A [[furry convention]] is for the fans to get together to buy and sell artwork, participate in workshops, wear costumes, and socialize.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.furryfandom.info/furries-convention-near-me.htm|last=Jorgensen|first=Karl|title=What is a furry convention like?|publisher=Furry Fandom Infocenter|access-date=2019-09-21|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190921192054/http://www.furryfandom.info/furries-convention-near-me.htm|archive-date=2019-09-21|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Anthrocon]], in 2008, the largest furry convention with more than 5,861 attendees,<ref>{{cite web|title=Anthrocon website official|url=http://www.anthrocon.org/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140924035637/http://www.anthrocon.org/|archive-date=2014-09-24|access-date=2014-09-21|publisher=[[Anthrocon]]}}</ref> is estimated to have generated approximately $3 million for Pittsburgh's economy that year.<ref>{{cite news|first=Adam|last=Brandolph|url=http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_575023.html|title=Furry convention a $3 million cash cow for city businesses|work=[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]]|date=June 28, 2008|access-date=2008-07-04|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090414201132/http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/cityregion/s_575023.html|archive-date=April 14, 2009}}</ref> Another convention, [[Further Confusion]], held in [[San Jose, California|San Jose]] each January, closely follows Anthrocon in scale and attendance. $470,000 was raised in conventions for charity from 2000 to 2009.<ref>{{cite web|title=2009 charity donations down; $470,000 raised this decade|url=http://www.flayrah.com/c/2009-charity-donations-down-470000-raised-decade|work=[[WikiFur:Flayrah|Flayrah]]|author=Parry, Laurence|date=January 17, 2010|access-date=2010-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100121172832/http://www.flayrah.com/c/2009-charity-donations-down-470000-raised-decade|archive-date=January 21, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref> As of December 2022, [[Midwest FurFest]] is the world's largest furry convention.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Sonious (Tantroo McNally)|date=2017-12-04|title=Midwest FurFest usurps Anthrocon's record and becomes the world's largest furry convention|url=https://www.flayrah.com/7171/midwest-furfest-usurps-anthrocons-record-and-becomes-worlds-largest-furry-convention|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Flayrah|archive-date=2020-12-03|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201203075524/https://www.flayrah.com/7171/midwest-furfest-usurps-anthrocons-record-and-becomes-worlds-largest-furry-convention|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=FurFest: Inside the world's 'largest' furry convention |language=en-GB |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-us-canada-63911432 |access-date=2023-12-07}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |title=Thousands attend world's 'largest' furry convention |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/video/video/2022/12/06/thousands-attend-worlds-largest-furry-convention/ |access-date=2023-12-07 |newspaper=The Irish Times |language=en}}</ref> It had a self-reported 2019 attendance of 11,019.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-01-20|title=Midwest FurFest 2019 Metrics&mdash;Thanks to all our attendees for making this possible—We couldn't have done it without you!|url=https://www.facebook.com/furfest/photos/a.885167554848085/2945610328803787/?type=3 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/facebook/467545669943611/2945610328803787 |archive-date=2022-02-26 |url-access=limited|access-date=2020-06-13|website=Midwest FurFest|language=en|via=official Facebook account}}{{cbignore}}</ref>

The first known furry convention, [[ConFurence]],<ref name="YarfChronology" /> is no longer held; Califur has replaced it, as both conventions were based in [[Southern California]]. A [[University of California, Davis]] survey suggested that about 40% of furries had attended at least one furry convention.<ref name="SecondSurvey" />

===Websites and online communities===
The internet contains a multitude of furry websites and online communities, such as art community websites [[Fur Affinity]], Inkbunny, SoFurry, and Weasyl; and ''WikiFur'', a collaborative furry [[wiki]].<ref name="AnimalPassions">{{cite news|url=https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news-2/animal-passions-1337258/|title=Animal Passions|last=Meinzer|first=Melissa|date=June 29, 2006|access-date=May 25, 2007|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh City Paper]]}}</ref> Furry news websites include ''flayrah'' and ''Dogpatch Press''.<ref>{{cite book |last=Patten |first=Fred |author-link=Fred Patten |year=2017 |title=Furry Fandom Conventions, 1989-2015 |publisher=[[McFarland & Company]] |isbn=978-1-4766-2688-8 }}</ref>

There are several [[webcomic]]s featuring animal characters created by or for furry fans; as such, they may be referred to as [[List of furry comics|furry comics]]. One such comic, ''[[T.H.E. Fox]]'', was first published on [[CompuServe]] in 1986, predating the [[World Wide Web]] by several years,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://cbmfiles.com/genie/geniefiles/Information/T.H.E.-FOX.TXT|title=Interview with Joe Ekaitis|access-date=2007-01-12|author=The Commodore 64/128 RoundTable|year=1994|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110112165235/http://cbmfiles.com/genie/geniefiles/Information/T.H.E.-FOX.TXT|archive-date=2011-01-12|url-status=live}}</ref> while another, ''[[Kevin and Kell]]'' by [[Bill Holbrook]], has been awarded both a [[Web Cartoonists' Choice Awards|Web Cartoonists' Choice Award]] and an [[List of webcomic awards#Ursa Major Awards|Ursa Major Award]].<ref name="WCCA">{{cite web |url=http://www.ccawards.com/2001.htm |title=2001 Winners and Nominees |publisher=Web Cartoonist's Choice Awards |date=2001-02-19 |access-date=2007-12-04 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091231152414/http://www.ccawards.com/2001.htm |archive-date=2009-12-31 }}</ref><ref name="UMA">{{cite web|url=http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2003.htm|title=Award Winners 2003|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|access-date=2007-11-09|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071109013348/http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2003.htm|archive-date=2007-11-09|url-status=live}}</ref>

The Ursa Major Award is given in the field of furry fandom works and is the main award in the field of [[anthropomorphism]].<ref>{{cite web|author=TheChainedWolf|url=http://www.flayrah.com/3293/ursa-major-awards-2009-predictions-and-forlorn-hopes|title=Ursa Major Awards 2009: predictions and forlorn hopes|website=FurteanTimes.com/Flayrah|date=March 14, 2020|access-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201129073716/https://www.flayrah.com/3293/ursa-major-awards-2009-predictions-and-forlorn-hopes|archive-date=November 29, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|last=Patten|first=Fred|author-link=Fred Patten|url=https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-ursa-major-awards/|title=The Ursa Major Awards|website=Cartoon Research|date=July 21, 2013|access-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150920162525/https://cartoonresearch.com/index.php/the-ursa-major-awards/|archive-date=September 20, 2015|url-status=live}}</ref> It has been awarded to many comics and animated series over the years, including ''[[Helluva Boss]]'' (2021),<ref name="ursavoting2021" /><ref>{{cite web|last=Perry|first=Laurence|url=https://www.flayrah.com/8638/shine-awoo-take-2021-ursa-major-awards-landslides-k-garrison-wins-three|title='Shine', 'Awoo!' take 2021 Ursa Major Awards by landslides; K. Garrison wins three|website=Flayrah|date=May 18, 2022|access-date=May 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220518034210/https://www.flayrah.com/8638/shine-awoo-take-2021-ursa-major-awards-landslides-k-garrison-wins-three|archive-date=May 18, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Beastars#Manga|Beastars]]'' (2020),<ref name="ursavotingopens" /><ref>{{Cite web|last=Dronon|date=May 3, 2021|title=Winners of the 2020 Ursa Major Awards|url=https://www.flayrah.com/8349/winners-2020-ursa-major-awards|access-date=March 28, 2022|website=Flayrah|archive-date=May 3, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503190232/https://www.flayrah.com/8349/winners-2020-ursa-major-awards|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[BNA: Brand New Animal#Awards|BNA: Brand New Animal]]'' (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020">{{cite web|url=https://ursamajorawards.org/voting2020/|title=Voting|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|access-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210301150205/https://ursamajorawards.org/voting2020/|archive-date=March 1, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ursavotingopens">{{cite web|author=dronon|url=https://www.flayrah.com/8291/voting-opens-2020-ursa-major-awards|title=Voting opens for the 2020 Ursa Major Awards|website=Flayrah|date=March 14, 2020|access-date=March 2, 2021|archive-url=https://archive.today/20210302202119/https://www.flayrah.com/8291/voting-opens-2020-ursa-major-awards|archive-date=March 2, 2021|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Centaurworld#Awards and nominations|Centaurworld]]'' (2021),<ref name="ursavoting2021">{{cite web|author=dronon|url=https://www.flayrah.com/8587/voting-open-2021-ursa-major-awards|title=Voting is open for the 2021 Ursa Major Awards|website=Flayrah|date=March 18, 2022|access-date=March 22, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220308161748/https://www.flayrah.com/8587/voting-open-2021-ursa-major-awards|archive-date=March 8, 2022|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Aggretsuko#Awards|Aggretsuko]]'' (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> ''[[Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts#Accolades|Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts]]'' (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> and ''[[Odd Taxi#Awards and nominations|Odd Taxi]]'' (2021).<ref name="ursavoting2021" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> ''Helluva Boss'' episodes "[[Murder Family]]" (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> "[[Loo Loo Land]]" (2020),<ref name="ursavoting2020" /><ref name="ursavotingopens" /> and "[[The Circus (Helluva Boss)|The Circus]]" (2022)<ref name=":1">{{cite web|url=https://ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2022.htm|title=Award Winners 2022|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230609174729/https://ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2022.htm|archive-date=June 9, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> were nominated for the "Best Dramatic Series" category. Some of these series also feature [[LGBT]] characters, such as ''Helluva Boss''<ref name="macjoh2022">{{cite web|last=Mackcey|first=Joshua S.|url=https://www.intomore.com/culture/10-lgbtq-cartoons-loved-2022/|title=10 LGBTQ+ Cartoons That We Loved in 2022|website=[[Into (magazine)|Into]]|date=December 14, 2022|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230324115722/https://www.intomore.com/culture/10-lgbtq-cartoons-loved-2022/|archive-date=March 24, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="dumas2023">{{cite web|last=Dumas|first=Zoe|url=https://movieweb.com/helluva-boss-best-web-series-now/|title=Why Helluva Boss Is the Best Web Series Right Now|website=[[MovieWeb]]|date=July 2, 2023|access-date=July 5, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230705201408/https://movieweb.com/helluva-boss-best-web-series-now/|archive-date=July 5, 2023|url-status=live}}</ref> and ''Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts''.<ref>{{Cite web|date=January 21, 2021|title=Netflix's Newest Animation Pickup Has A Black And Gay Cast, But Isn't A "Black" Or "Gay" Cartoon|url=https://www.news.quirktastic.co/post/kipo-and-the-age-of-the-wonderbeast-dreamworks-netflix/|access-date=2020-07-08|website=Quirktastic|language=en-US|archive-date=April 11, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210411023056/https://news.quirktastic.co/post/kipo-and-the-age-of-the-wonderbeast-dreamworks-netflix|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Radulovic|first=Petrana|date=January 15, 2020|title=Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts treats coming out like just another part of life|url=https://www.polygon.com/2020/1/15/21067505/kipo-and-the-age-of-wonderbeasts-coming-out-scene|access-date=2020-07-08|website=Polygon|language=en|archive-url=https://archive.today/20200119165251/https://www.polygon.com/2020/1/15/21067505/kipo-and-the-age-of-wonderbeasts-coming-out-scene|archive-date=January 19, 2020|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Kevin|date=June 24, 2024|title=How Kipo and the Age of Wonderbeasts Codes Blackness|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/how-kipo-and-the-age-of-wonderbeasts-codes-blackness/|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200627063003/https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/how-kipo-and-the-age-of-wonderbeasts-codes-blackness/|archive-date=June 27, 2020|access-date=2020-07-08|website=Den of Geek|language=en-US}}</ref>

=== IT industry and tech ===
It is often suggested that "furries run the internet", as members of the furry community are overrepresented in the [[Information technology|IT industry]], often in senior or other important positions.<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://thespinoff.co.nz/internet/11-01-2022/who-runs-the-internet-furries |title=Who runs the internet? Furries |date=2022-01-11 |access-date=2024-07-11 |work=The Spinoff |first=Dylan |last=Reeve}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.businessinsider.com/furry-fandom-big-tech-software-developers-2022-3 |title=How Furries Came to Rule the Tech Industry |date=2022-03-11 |first=Kylie |last=Robinson |work=Business Insider |access-date=2024-07-11}}</ref>

==Furry lifestyle==
{{See also|Otherkin}}

The phrases ''furry lifestyle'' and ''furry lifestyler'' first appeared in July 1996 on the newsgroup alt.fan.furry during an ongoing dispute within the [[online community]]. The Usenet newsgroup was created to accommodate discussion beyond furry art and literature, and to resolve disputes concerning what should or should not be associated with the fandom; its members quickly adopted the term ''furry lifestylers'', and still consider the fandom and the lifestyle to be separate social entities. They have defined and adopted an alternative meaning of the word ''furry'' specific to this group: "a person with an important emotional/spiritual connection with an animal or animals, real, fictional, or symbolic."<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/lifestyle.txt|title=alt.lifestyle.furry - Frequently Asked Questions|date=May 8, 2001|access-date=2006-08-26|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060821023802/http://www.tigerden.com/infopage/furry/lifestyle.txt|archive-date=August 21, 2006}}</ref>

In their 2007 survey, Gerbasi et al. examined what it meant to be a furry, and proposed a taxonomy in which to categorize different "types" of furries. The largest group—38% of those surveyed—described their interest in furry fandom predominantly as a "route to socializing with others who share common interests such as anthropomorphic art and costumes."<ref>{{cite journal | last = Gerbasi | first = Kathleen |author2=Paolone, Nicholas|author3=Higner, Justin|author4=Scaletta, Laura|author5=Bernstein, Penny|author6=Conway, Samuel|author7= Privitera, Adam | year = 2008 | title = Furries From A to Z (Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism) | journal = Society & Animals | volume = 3 | pages = 220 }}</ref> They also identified furries who saw themselves as "other than human", or who desired to become more like the furry species which they identified with.<ref name="BBC" /><ref name="Gerbasi2008"/>

==Sexuality==
{{see also|Yiff}}
According to four different surveys, 14–25% of the fandom members report homosexuality, 37–52% bisexuality, 28–39% heterosexuality, and 3–8% other forms of alternative sexual relationships.<ref name="SecondSurvey" /><ref name="Evans" /><ref name="FirstSurvey">{{cite web|url=http://www.furcenter.org/pubs/SF_2008.pdf|title=State of the Fandom|date=June 27, 2008|work=Furry Research Center|author=Alex Osaki|access-date=March 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304223529/http://www.furcenter.org/pubs/SF_2008.pdf|archive-date=March 4, 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Gerbasi-winter-2011" /> Approximately half of the respondents reported being in a relationship, of which 76% were in a relationship with another member of the furry fandom.<ref name="SecondSurvey">{{cite web|url=http://studyf3.livejournal.com/1383.html|title=Furry Survey Results|author=University of California, Davis Department of Psychology|date=May 5, 2007|access-date=2007-05-05|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727123232/http://studyf3.livejournal.com/1383.html|archive-date=July 27, 2011|url-status=live}}</ref> Examples of sexual aspects within the furry fandom include erotic art and furry-themed [[cybersex]].<ref name="Indiana">Bardzell, Jeffery, and [[Shaowen Bardzell]]. ''Sex-Interface-Aesthetics: The Docile Avatars and Embodied Pixels of'' Second Life ''BDSM''. [[Indiana University]], 2005.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article3016114.ece|title=I like dressing up as a bear during sex|work=[[The Times]]|author1=Stuttaford, Thomas|author-link=Thomas Stuttaford|author2=Godson, Suzi|author2-link=Suzi Godson|date=December 8, 2007|access-date=2007-12-11|location=London|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110615180141/http://women.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/women/body_and_soul/article3016114.ece|archive-date=June 15, 2011|url-status=dead}} ([[WikiFur:I like dressing up as a bear during sex|further details]])</ref> The term "[[wikt:yiff|yiff]]" is sometimes used to indicate sexual activity or sexual material within the fandom—this applies to sexual activity and interaction within the subculture whether in the form of cybersex or [[Online and offline|offline]].<ref name="AnimalPassions" /><ref name="Padva">{{cite journal | last1 = Padva | first1 = Gilad | year = 2005 | title = Dreamboys, Meatmen and Werewolves: Visualizing Erotic Identities in All-Male Comic Strips | journal = Sexualities | volume = 8 | issue = 5| pages = 587–99 | doi = 10.1177/1363460705058395 | s2cid = 143653150 }}</ref>

In one survey with 4,300 furry respondents, 37% answered that sexual attraction is important in their furry activities, 38% were ambivalent, and 24% responded that it has little or nothing to do with their furry activities.<ref name="Gerbasi-winter-2011">{{cite web|url=https://sites.google.com/site/anthropomorphicresearch/past-results/international-online-furry-survey-2011|title=International Online Furry Survey: Winter 2011|author=Gerbasi|year=2011|access-date=2012-09-01|display-authors=etal|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130308185939/https://sites.google.com/site/anthropomorphicresearch/past-results/international-online-furry-survey-2011|archive-date=2013-03-08|url-status=live}}</ref> In an earlier online survey, 33% of furry respondents answered that they have a "significant sexual interest in furry", another 46% stated they have a "minor sexual interest in furry", and the remaining 21% stated they have a "non-sexual interest in furry". The survey specifically avoided adult-oriented websites to prevent bias.<ref name="Evans">{{cite web|url=http://cannedgeek.com/images/sharedfiles/fss_report_finaldraft.PDF|title=The Furry Sociological Survey|year=2008|author=Kyle Evans|access-date=2012-09-01|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130904201818/http://www.cannedgeek.com/images/sharedfiles/fss_report_finaldraft.PDF|archive-date=2013-09-04}}</ref>

Another survey at a furry convention in 2013 found that 96.3% of male furry respondents reported viewing furry pornography, compared with 78.3% of females; males estimated that 50.9% of all furry art they view is pornographic, compared with 30.7% of females. The respondents to the survey had a slight preference for pornographic furry artwork over non-pornographic artwork. 17.1% of males reported that when they viewed pornography it was exclusively or near-exclusively furry pornography, and about 5% reported that pornography was the top factor that got them into the fandom.<ref name="Fiesta2013">Plante, C. N., Reysen, S., Roberts, S. E., & Gerbasi, K. C. (2013). International Anthropomorphic Research Project: Furry Fiesta 2013 Summary</ref>

A survey conducted from 1997 to 1998 reported about 2% of furry respondents stating an interest in [[zoophilia]], and less than 1% an interest in [[plushophilia]] (sexually aroused by stuffed animal toys). The older, lower results, which are even lower than estimated in the general population, were due to the methodology of questioning respondents face-to-face, which led to [[social desirability bias]].<ref name="FirstSurvey"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/animal-magnetism-inside-the-world-of-the-furries/|title=Animal magnetism: Inside the world of the furries|author=Griffiths, Mark|date=2012-04-05|access-date=2012-09-01|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120728095943/http://drmarkgriffiths.wordpress.com/2012/04/05/animal-magnetism-inside-the-world-of-the-furries/|archive-date=2012-07-28|url-status=live}}</ref> In contrast, one comparative study from 1974 and 1980 showed 7.5% of sampled students at [[University of Northern Iowa]] reporting zoophilia,<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Story | first1 = MD | year = 1982 | title = A comparison of university student experience with various sexual outlets in 1974 and 1980 | journal = Adolescence | volume = 17 | issue = 68| pages = 737–47 | pmid = 7164870 }}</ref> while other studies find only 2.2%<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Joyal | first1 = C. C. | last2 = Cossette | first2 = A. | last3 = Lapierre | first3 = V. | year = 2014 | title = What Exactly Is an Unusual Sexual Fantasy? | journal = The Journal of Sexual Medicine | volume = 12 | issue = 2| pages = 328–340 | doi = 10.1111/jsm.12734 | pmid = 25359122 }}</ref> to 5.3%<ref>{{cite journal | last1 = Crépault | first1 = Claude | last2 = Couture | first2 = Marcel | year = 1980 | title = Men's erotic fantasies | journal = Archives of Sexual Behavior | volume = 9 | issue = 6| pages = 565–81 | doi = 10.1007/BF01542159 | pmid = 7458662 | s2cid = 9021936 }}</ref> expressing fantasies of sex with animals. An anonymous survey in 2008 found 17% of respondents identified as zoophiles and it stated that most furries had a more moderate view of zoophilia. The study had 5,000 participants with 22.6% of them having an extremely negative view of zoophilia, 23% negative view, 36.3%  ambivalent, 13.5% positive view, and 4.5% had an extremely positive view of it.<ref name="FirstSurvey" /> In 2013 Adjectivespecies tried to increase awareness about zoophiles and stated that they are part of the furry community.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Guerrier|first=Jacqueline Daniell|date=2014|title=Bringing out the animal in me: An examination of art and the individual within the Furry subculture|url=https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/153207931.pdf|website=Honors College at [[James Madison University|JMU]] Scholarly Commons}}</ref> However more recent sources have stated that both [[bestiality]] and zoophilia are considered taboo in the furry fandom.<ref>{{Cite book|last=Strike|first=Joe|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1QJuDwAAQBAJ&q=Furry+fandom+zoophile|title=Furry Nation: The True Story of America's Most Misunderstood Subculture|date=2017-10-03|publisher=Cleis Press|isbn=978-1-62778-233-3|language=en}}</ref><ref>https://digitalcommons.macalester.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1005&context=anth_awards {{Bare URL inline|date=August 2025}}</ref>{{rp|page=6}} There have also been discussions in the fandom about distinguishing art of anthromomorphized animals from art of bestiality.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Reysen|first1=Stephen|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=15cqEAAAQBAJ&dq=furry+fandom+all+ages&pg=PA67|title=Transported to Another World: The Psychology of Anime Fans|last2=Plante|first2=Courtney N.|last3=Chadborn|first3=Daniel|last4=Roberts|first4=Sharon E.|last5=Gerbasi|first5=Kathleen C.|date=2021-04-19|publisher=Stephen Reysen|isbn=978-0-9976288-1-4|language=en}}</ref>{{rp|page=67}}

==Public perception and media coverage==
Early portrayal of the furries in magazines such as ''[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]'',<ref name="Wired">{{citation|author=Josh Quittner|title=Johnny Manhattan Meets the Furry Muckers|quote=People describe themselves as furry cuddly animals; more times than not, they have furry cuddly animal sex. FurryMuckers like to write long, loving, animal-sexy descriptions of themselves|date=March 1994|magazine=[[Wired (magazine)|Wired]]}}</ref> ''[[Loaded (magazine)|Loaded]]'',<ref>{{cite journal|journal=[[Loaded (magazine)|Loaded magazine]]|date=March 1998|title=Heavy Petting}}</ref> ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'',<ref name="VanityFair">{{cite news|first=George|last=Gurley|url=http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2001/03/furries200103|title=Pleasures of the fur|work=[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]|date=March 2001|access-date=2011-03-22|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110301213430/http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2001/03/furries200103|archive-date=2011-03-01|url-status=live}}</ref> and the syndicated sex column [[Savage Love]] focused mainly on the sexual aspect of the furry fandom. Fictional portrayals of the furry fandom have appeared in television shows such as ''[[The Simpsons]]'',<ref>{{cite episode|title=[[Flaming Moe]]|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company]]|airdate=2011-01-16|season=22|number=11}}</ref><ref>{{cite episode|title=[[Do Pizza Bots Dream of Electric Guitars]]|series=The Simpsons|series-link=The Simpsons|network=[[Fox Broadcasting Company]]|airdate=2021-03-14|season=32|number=15}}</ref> [[ER (TV series)|''ER'']],<ref>{{cite episode|title=Fear of Commitment|series=ER|series-link=ER (TV series)|network=[[NBC]]|airdate=2001-03-05|season=7|number=20}}</ref> ''[[CSI: Crime Scene Investigation]]'',<ref name="ERandCSI">{{cite episode|title=Fur and Loathing|episode-link=Fur and Loathing (CSI episode)|series=CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|series-link=CSI: Crime Scene Investigation|network=[[CBS]]|airdate=2003-10-30|season=4|number=5}}</ref> ''[[The Drew Carey Show]]'',<ref>{{cite episode|title=Mama Told Me I Should Come|series=The Drew Carey Show|series-link=The Drew Carey Show|network=[[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]]|airdate=2002-10-21|season=8|number=6}} See [[WikiFur:The Drew Carey Show|The Drew Carey Show]] on WikiFur for more information.</ref> ''Sex2K'' on [[MTV]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://fursuit.timduru.org/dirlist/FursuitVideo/FurriesInTheNews/MTV2002/|title=Sex2K Fursuit Video|author=MTV|author-link=MTV|access-date=2006-08-26|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110816221526/http://fursuit.timduru.org/dirlist/FursuitVideo/FurriesInTheNews/MTV2002/|archive-date=2011-08-16|url-status=live}}</ref> ''[[Entourage (U.S. TV series)|Entourage]]'',<ref name="Entourage">{{cite episode|title=The Day Fuckers|episode-link=The Day Fuckers|series=Entourage|series-link=Entourage (U.S. TV series)|network=[[HBO]]|airdate=July 28, 2007|season=4|number=7}}</ref> ''[[1000 Ways to Die]]'',<ref name="1KWaysToDie">{{cite episode|title=Death Over Easy|series=1000 Ways to Die|series-link=1000_Ways_to_Die|network=[[Spike (TV channel)|Spike]]|airdate= February 8, 2009|season=1|number=4}}</ref> ''[[Tosh.0]]'',<ref>{{cite web|author=Jordan|date=2011-08-10|title=Tosh.O Web Redemption: The Larper|url=http://www.larping.org/tosho-web-redemption-larper/|publisher=Larping|access-date=2010-11-11|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129030403/http://www.larping.org/tosho-web-redemption-larper/|archive-date=2014-11-29|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|author=Markos|date=2013-09-05|title=Kusa the Arctic Fox gets Web Redemption on Comedy Central's Tosh.0|url=http://www.furrynewsnetwork.com/2013/09/kusa-the-arctic-fox-gets-web-redemption-on-comedy-centrals-tosh-0/|work=Furry News Network|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141129021404/http://www.furrynewsnetwork.com/2013/09/kusa-the-arctic-fox-gets-web-redemption-on-comedy-centrals-tosh-0/|archive-date=2014-11-29|url-status=dead}}</ref> ''[[Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule]]'',<ref>{{cite episode|title=Animals|series=Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule|series-link=Check It Out! with Dr. Steve Brule|network=[[Adult Swim]]|airdate=2012-04-15|season=2|number=5}}</ref> and ''[[30 Rock]]''.<ref>{{cite episode|title=Emanuelle Goes to Dinosaur Land|series=30 Rock|series-link=30 Rock|network=[[National Broadcasting Company|NBC]]|airdate=2010-05-13|season=4|number=21}}</ref> Most furry fans claim that media portrayals are misconceptions,<ref name="AnnArbor">{{cite news|last=Baldwin|first=Denis|date=August 2006|title=Walk With the Animals: Local furries explain it's not about perversion, furpiles and plush|url=http://www.annarborpaper.com/content/issue23/furries_23.html|work=Ann Arbor Paper|access-date=2007-02-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070204003446/http://www.annarborpaper.com/content/issue23/furries_23.html|archive-date=2007-02-04}}</ref><ref name="Post-Gazette">{{cite news|url=https://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2006/06/18/All-about-furry-fandom-at-confab/stories/200606180151|title=All about 'furry fandom' at confab|last=Belser|first=Ann|date=June 18, 2006|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160512182132/https://www.post-gazette.com/life/lifestyle/2006/06/18/All-about-furry-fandom-at-confab/stories/200606180151|archive-date=May 12, 2016|url-status=live|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Post-Gazette]]|access-date=June 30, 2006|url-access=subscription}}</ref> while more recent coverage focuses on addressing the myths and stereotypes that have come to be associated with the furry fandom.<ref name="TribReview">{{cite news|url=https://archive.triblive.com/news/furries-purr-over-pittsburgh-reception/|title=Furries purr over Pittsburgh reception|date=July 6, 2007|access-date=July 14, 2007|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh Tribune-Review]]|last=Togneri|first=Chris|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250131013131/https://archive.triblive.com/news/furries-purr-over-pittsburgh-reception/|archive-date=January 31, 2025|url-status=live}}</ref> A reporter attending ''Anthrocon 2006'' noted that "despite their wild image from ''Vanity Fair'', MTV, and ''CSI'', furry conventions aren't about kinky sex between weirdos gussied up in foxy costumes", that conference attendees were "not having sex more than the rest of us",<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.pghcitypaper.com/news-2/fur-ball-in-the-works-1336602/|title=Fur Ball In the Works|last=Meinzer|first=Melissa|date=February 2, 2006|newspaper=[[Pittsburgh City Paper]]|access-date=May 25, 2007}}</ref> and that the furry convention was about "people talking and drawing animals and comic-book characters in sketchbooks."<ref name="AnimalPassions" /> In October 2007, a ''[[Advocate Weekly Newspapers|Hartford Advocate]]'' reporter attended [[Furry convention|FurFright 2007]] undercover because of media restrictions. She learned that the restrictions were intended to prevent misinformation, and reported that the scandalous behavior she had expected was not present.<ref>{{cite news|last=Abel|first=Jennifer|date=November 1, 2007|title=Hell Hath No Furries|url=http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/featured-news/hell-hath-no-furries.html|newspaper=Hartford Advocate|publisher=[[Advocate Weekly Newspapers]]|access-date=26 April 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100426211132/http://www.hartfordadvocate.com/featured-news/hell-hath-no-furries.html|archive-date=2010-04-26|url-status=dead}}</ref> Recent coverage of the furry fandom has been more balanced. According to Ian Wolf, a 2009 article from the [[BBC]] entitled "Who are the furries?" was the first piece of journalism to be nominated for an Ursa Major Award, the main award given in the field of anthropomorphism.<ref name="BBC" /><ref>{{cite web|date=May 3, 2010|title=Award Winners 2009|url=http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2009.htm|publisher=Ursa Major Awards|access-date=June 25, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100610233710/http://www.ursamajorawards.org/UMA_2009.htm|archive-date=June 10, 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Milwaukee Brewers]] broadcaster [[Jim Powell (sportscaster)|Jim Powell]] was sharing a hotel with Anthrocon 2007 attendees a day before the convention and reported a negative opinion of the furries.<ref>{{cite news|date=July 6, 2007|title=The Brewers Meet the Furries|url=http://deadspin.com/sports/does-he-prefer-furries%2C-mr%27-belvedere-or-his-stalker/the-brewers-meet-the-furries-275569.php|work=[[Deadspin]]|access-date=2007-06-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710020239/http://deadspin.com/sports/does-he-prefer-furries,-mr'-belvedere-or-his-stalker/the-brewers-meet-the-furries-275569.php|archive-date=July 10, 2007|url-status=live}}</ref> Several downtown Pittsburgh businesses welcome furries during the event, with local business owners creating special T-shirts and drawing paw prints in chalk outside their shops to attract attendees.<ref>{{cite news|last=Parry|first=Laurence|date=July 17, 2007|title=Anthrocon 2007 draws thousands to Pittsburgh for furry weekend|url=http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Anthrocon_2007_draws_thousands_to_Pittsburgh_for_furry_weekend|newspaper=[[Wikinews]]|access-date=2009-11-06|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090312063339/http://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Anthrocon_2007_draws_thousands_to_Pittsburgh_for_furry_weekend|archive-date=March 12, 2009|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Samuel Conway]], CEO of Anthrocon, said "For the most part, people give us curious stares, but they're good-natured curious stares. We're here to have fun, people have fun having us here, everybody wins".<ref>{{cite news|date=June 26, 2008|title=Furry Convention Creates Wild Scene In Pittsburgh|url=http://www.wpxi.com/news/16721130/detail.html|publisher=WPXI News|access-date=2008-07-04|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081205050919/http://www.wpxi.com/news/16721130/detail.html|archive-date=December 5, 2008|url-status=dead}}</ref> Positive coverage was generated following a [[furry convention]] that was held in a [[Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada|Vancouver]] hotel where several [[Syrian]] [[refugee]]s were being temporarily housed. Despite some concerns and warnings by staff that there could be a seriously negative culture clash if the two groups interacted, the refugee children were on the whole delighted to meet the convention goers, especially the ones in fursuits.<ref>{{cite news|last=Ferreras|first=Jesse|date=March 10, 2016|title=Syrian Refugees Get Put Up in Same Hotel As Furries. Kids LOVE It.|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/10/furries-convention-syrian-refugee-kids-vancouver_n_9432534.html|work=The Huffington Post|access-date=27 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227195514/http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/03/10/furries-convention-syrian-refugee-kids-vancouver_n_9432534.html|archive-date=27 December 2016|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Brennan|first=Christopher|date=March 10, 2016|title=Syrian refugee children dance with furries after being placed in same hotel as VancouFur convention|url=http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/syrian-refugees-meet-furries-surreal-scene-vancouver-h-article-1.2559408|newspaper=New York Daily News|access-date=27 December 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170107000611/http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/syrian-refugees-meet-furries-surreal-scene-vancouver-h-article-1.2559408|archive-date=7 January 2017|url-status=live}}</ref>

According to a survey, about half of furries perceive public reaction to the fandom as negative; less than a fifth stated that the public responded to them more negatively than they did most furries.<ref name="ThirdSurvey">{{cite web |last=Osaki |first=Alex "Klisoura" |title=Furry Survey |url=http://www.klisoura.com/ot_furrysurvey.php |url-status= |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080915212057/http://www.klisoura.com/ot_furrysurvey.php |archive-date=2008-09-15 |access-date=|date=2008}}</ref> Furry fans' belief that they will be portrayed as "mainly [[sexual obsession|obsessed with sex]]" has led to distrust of the media and [[social research]]ers.<ref name="BBC" />

The fandom has grown to be such a significant demographic that by 2016, the film company [[Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures|Walt Disney Studios]] marketed their animated feature film ''[[Zootopia]]'' in pre-release to the fandom to encourage interest in the film, which proved a major critical and commercial success.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Notopoulos |first=Katie |title=Proof Disney Is Actually Marketing 'Zootopia' to Furries |url=https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/proof-disney-is-actually-marketing-zootopia-to-furries |website=Buzzfeed |date=2 March 2016 |access-date=25 April 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216031509/https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/katienotopoulos/proof-disney-is-actually-marketing-zootopia-to-furries |archive-date=16 February 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2021 and 2022, media coverage in Canada and the United States focused on [[Litter boxes in schools|false rumors about litter boxes in schools]] being provided for furries, which was part of a cultural backlash amplified by [[Conservatism in the United States|conservative]] and [[far-right]] politicians against [[transgender]] accommodations in schools.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Todd |first=Dorman |date=2020-05-13 |title=School litter box fever will not die in Iowa |url=https://www.thegazette.com/staff-columnists/school-litter-box-fever-will-not-die-in-iowa/ |newspaper=[[The Gazette (Cedar Rapids)|The Gazette]] |access-date=2022-10-06 |quote=The solution, obviously, is to take tens of millions of dollars from public schools and give it to private schools, because parents should be scared to send their kids to public schools. |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005071156/https://www.thegazette.com/staff-columnists/school-litter-box-fever-will-not-die-in-iowa/ |archive-date=2022-10-05 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=":3">{{Cite news |last=Dalbey |first=Beth |date=2022-09-07 |title=Debunked School Restroom Litter Box Claims Resurface With New Year |work=[[Patch.com]] |url=https://patch.com/us/across-america/debunked-school-restroom-litter-box-claims-resurface-new-year |access-date=2022-10-05 |archive-date=2022-10-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221005160327/https://patch.com/us/across-america/debunked-school-restroom-litter-box-claims-resurface-new-year |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Nolan Brown |first=Elizabeth |date=2022-03-29 |title=No, Schools Aren't Accommodating Students Who Identify as Animals |url=https://reason.com/2022/03/29/no-schools-arent-accommodating-students-who-identify-as-animals/ |website=Reason.com |access-date=2022-09-05 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220905194442/https://reason.com/2022/03/29/no-schools-arent-accommodating-students-who-identify-as-animals/ |archive-date=2022-09-05 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Sociological aspects==
[[File:Otakuthon 2014 (14850728278).jpg|thumb|upright|Some furry fans create and wear costumes called "fursuits" depicting their characters.]]
The International Anthropomorphic Research Project (IARP), a team of social scientists, has been collecting data on the furry fandom. Their 2016 publication collects several peer-reviewed and self-published studies into a single volume.<ref>{{Cite book|last1=Gerbasi|first1=Kathleen|last2=Plante|first2=Courtney|last3=Reysen|first3=Stephen|last4=Roberts|first4=Sharon|editor-last=Howl|editor-first=Thurston|year=2015|chapter=The origins of the international anthropomorphic research project|title=Furries among us: Essays on furries by the most prominent members of the fandom|pages=102–105|location=Nashville, TN|publisher=Thurston Howl Publications|isbn=978-0990890263}}</ref><ref name="Gerbasi2016">{{Cite book|last1=Plante|first1=Courtney N.|last2=Reysen|first2=Stephen|last3=Roberts|first3=Sharon E.|last4=Gerbasi|first4=Kathleen C.|year=2016|title=FurScience! A summary of five years of research from the International Anthropomorphic Research Project|url=https://www.furscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Fur-Science-Final-pdf-for-Website_2017_10_18.pdf|location=Waterloo, Ontario|publisher=FurScience|isbn=978-0-9976288-0-7|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170424000612/https://sites.google.com/site/anthropomorphicresearch/home/publications|archive-date=April 24, 2017|url-status=live}}</ref> Among their findings were that the average adult furry is between 23 and 27 years of age, with more than 75% of furries being 25 years of age or younger, and 88% of adult furries being under the age of 30. Minors were not included in the study for professional ethics reasons. IARP estimated that 20% were under the age of 18.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|4–7}} Over two-thirds (67.1%) of furries identified themselves as male on the surveys, while 23.3% identified as female. 2% of furries identified themselves as transgender, and 10% of furries identified themselves as [[genderqueer]]/non-binary.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|pages=10–11}} Between 83% and 90% of furries self-identify as White, with small minorities of furries self-identifying as Asian (2–4%), Black (2–3%), and Hispanic (3%).<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|7–10}} Over a fifth (21%) of furries consider themselves to be [[My Little Pony: Friendship Is Magic fandom|bronies]], 44% consider themselves to be [[anime]] fans, and 11% consider themselves sports fans.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|32–33}} Furries, as a group, are more politically liberal and less religious than the average American or other comparable fan groups such as anime fans,<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|18}} while still containing groups such as [[neo-Nazism|neo-Nazis]] and [[alt-right]] activists.<ref name="ViceAltRight">{{cite web |last=Kiberd |first=Roisin |date=January 12, 2017 |title=Pony Nationalism and the Furred Reich: Inside the Alt-Furry's Online Zoo |url=https://www.vice.com/en/article/pony-nationalism-and-the-furred-reich-inside-the-alt-furrys-online-zoo/ |publisher=[[Vice Media]] |access-date=January 25, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170115085409/http://motherboard.vice.com/read/pony-nationalism-and-the-furred-reich-inside-the-alt-furrys-online-zoo |archive-date=January 15, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> Almost a quarter of furries (23.5%) self-identified as [[Christian]], 16.8% as [[atheist]], 16.8% as [[agnosticism|agnostic]], 11.0% as [[Pagan]]/[[Wicca]]n, 2.4% as [[Buddhist]], 1.2% as [[Jewish]], 1.1% as [[Deism|Deist]], 0.9% as [[Satanism|Satanist]], and 26.2% as "other" (including "participants who had their own belief systems, were undecided, refused to answer, or had uncommon belief systems").<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|16}} Approximately 70% of adult furries have either completed or are currently completing post-secondary education.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|12}}

A Pittsburgh-based researcher has found that up to 15% of furries may be [[autistic]], compared with about 2% in the general population estimated by the [[CDC]]. The 15% figure includes people who may have never received a diagnosis but [[self-identify as autistic]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Boden |first=Sarah |date=July 10, 2019 |title=For Some With Autism, Furry Culture Offers Comfort And Acceptance |url=https://www.wesa.fm/science-health-tech/2019-07-10/for-some-with-autism-furry-culture-offers-comfort-and-acceptance |work=90.5 WESA |access-date=June 23, 2023}}</ref>

One of the most universal behaviors in the furry fandom is the creation of a [[Fursona (fandom)|fursona]]—an anthropomorphic animal representation or avatar. More than 95% of furries have a fursona. Nearly half of furries report that they have only ever had one fursona to represent themselves; relatively few furries have had more than three or four fursonas. The most popular fursona species include wolves, foxes, dogs, large felines, and dragons. There is generally no association between personality traits and different fursona species.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|50–74}} Furries report different degrees of personality traits when thinking of themselves in their everyday identity compared with their fan identity.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|129–133}} Some furries identify as partly non-human: 35% say they do not feel 100% human (compared with 7% of non-furries), and 39% say they would be 0% human if they could (compared with 10% of non-furries).<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|78}}

Inclusion and belongingness are central themes in the furry fandom: compared with members of other fandoms such as anime or fantasy sports, furries are significantly more likely to identify with other members of their fan community. On average, half of a furry's friends are also furries themselves.<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|123–133}} Furries rate themselves higher (compared with a comparison community sample of non-furries) on the degree of global awareness (knowledge of the world and felt connections to others in the world), [[global citizenship]] identification (psychological connection with global citizens), and [[Sustainability|environmental sustainability]].<ref name="Gerbasi2016" />{{Rp|18}}

==See also==
* [[Animal roleplay]]
* [[Costumed character]]
* [[Human–animal hybrid]]
* [[Kemonomimi]]

===Documentaries===
* [[A Tail of Identity (short documentary)|''A Tail of Identity'']]
* [[Fursonas (film)|''Fursonas'']]
* ''[[The Fandom]]''

===Related subcultures===
* [[Brony]]
* [[Kemonā]]
* [[Sonic the Hedgehog fandom|''Sonic the Hedgehog'' fandom]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
* Ferreday, Debra. "Becoming deer: Nonhuman drag and online utopias." Feminist Theory 12.2 (2011): 219–225.
* Hilton, Craig. "Furry Fandom—An Insider's View from the Outside", parts 1 & 2. ''South Fur Lands'' #2 & #3, 1995, 1996.
* Martin, Watts. [https://web.archive.org/web/20080119120254/http://ranea.org/falf/articles/Mange01.html Mange: the need for criticism in furrydom] 1994, 1998 ([[Internet Archive]] mirror)
* Morgan, Matt. Creature Comfort: Anthropomorphism, Sexuality and Revitalization in the Furry Fandom. Diss. Mississippi State University, 2008.
* Probyn-Rapsey, Fiona. [https://www.animalsandsociety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/probynrapsey.pdf "Furries and the Limits of Species Identity Disorder: A Response to Gerbasi et al."] Society and Animals 19.3 (2011): 294–301.
* Plante, C. N., Reysen, S., Roberts, S.E., & Gerbasi, K. C. (2016). [https://www.furscience.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/Fur-Science-Final-pdf-for-Website_2017_10_18.pdf FurScience! A summary of Five Years of Research from the International Anthropomorphic Research Project]. Waterloo, Ontario: FurScience.

==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Spoken Wikipedia|Furry fandom.ogg|date=2006-06-08}}

{{furry fandom|state=collapsed}}
{{Fandom}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Furry fandom| ]]
[[Category:Anthropomorphic animals]]
[[Category:Subcultures]]
[[Category:Types of communities]]