I joined a Furry group on social media and this is what I learned

The best part of my job here at HUD App is deep-diving into topics I had never really given more than a passing thought to. Sure, I knew about furries - the media loves to whip people into a frenzy talking about litter boxes in high school bathrooms and alleging that teachers are identifying as cats and licking their students.

I'm not going to deny that I'm part of the media, too. I also like to write about things that people want to read about. And anything to do with human sexuality and identity is interesting. Fetishes are fascinating. That's why we're doing a Fetish 101 series and exploring some of the kinks and interests that people have. So I thought I'd do a piece on furries, and explain what's really going on with those sexy animal costumes.

And what better place to learn about furries than a furry club on social media? Where better to learn than from the people involved?

What's a furry, anyway?

A furry fetish, also referred to as "furry fandom kink" or "furry eroticism", is a niche interest that involves attraction to anthropomorphic animals - characters with human-like traits like speech, emotions, and bipedal movement (that's a fancy way of saying they walk on two legs).

The thing is, though, being part of the furry fandom is not inherently sexual. Some people develop a fetishistic interest in these characters, often engaging in roleplay, art, or media depicting anthropomorphic creatures in suggestive or erotic contexts. The appeal may be the fantasy element, allowing for imaginative, non-traditional expressions of sexuality and identity. Other people are drawn to the aesthetic qualities of anthropomorphic characters, such as their exaggerated features or hybrid human-animal forms.

Here's a piece we did on pet play which gives more info about the potential - but by no means obligatory - sensual side of furrydom, and talks about the difference between furries and therians (people who identify on a spiritual, psychological, or intrinsic level as an animal, either wholly or in part.

It's important to differentiate between general furry fandom - which is largely about creativity, community, and appreciation of anthropomorphic characters - and the subset of people who incorporate erotic elements into their interest. Many furries do not engage in the fetishistic aspects at all (which, given the media's pearl-clutching, I'll admit came as a pretty big surprise to me).

So I joined a furry club

Let me tell you, joining an online furry group wasn't easy. First, there are a lot of them. And they have questions to answer before they'll admit you, and rules you must abide by. Which I understand and agree with. Everyone deserves to feel safe, secure, and protected in a space where they're talking about intimate things, and revealing a vulnerable part of themselves.

For those reasons, I'm not going to reveal which furry group I joined, or give any identifying details. I respect the people who let me join the group, and it's not my place to out them.

What I can tell you is that it was nothing like what I expected. There was absolutely nothing seedy, disturbing, or salacious about this furry group. At all. In fact, it was in the rules that everything people posted or discussed needed to be SFW - "safe for work" - and that any sexual content or solicitation would be shut down immediately. The mods were amazing, and obviously cared deeply about their community. And "community" is definitely what it was.

Fursuits are amazing

The majority of the day-to-day conversation revolved around people's fursonas and fursuits. "Fursonas" are the personalities and character traits that they cultivate for the character they either dress up as or interact with in some way. There were lots of discussions and requests for feedback on these manifestations of people's furry character. People were offering drawing/illustrating services to help each other bring their fursonas to life; people were selling their own original art based on fursonas they created; people were asking for help fleshing out their ideas and getting them on paper and possibly into costume.

Some people's fursonas are expressed in full-on fursuits - costumes that are custom-made to their specifications based on drawings or ideas they shared with a fursuit designer and creator. Some people adopt fursonas that are pre-existing - that is, someone else's vision that they might adopt as their own, and then take on and expand or change. Some of the fursuits that were being traded or sold in the community were pre-loved; that is, they were someone else's original idea but then that person evolved into a different fursona and perhaps chose to pass along any fursuits they were no longer using.

And those fursuit creators are incredibly talented. I've got basic sewing skills and have even made a few pieces of clothing, but these people? Artists. What they can do with some faux fur and foam padding! Think of your favourite stuffed animal and picture it brought to life as a wearable costume, complete with all the details. I'm still in awe.

The thing I saw the most was... Art

There were some absolutely amazing, artistic images being shared. Lots of people's original artwork, either commissioned or dreamed from their own imaginations. Posters and printables and stickers and digital artwork. Lots of photography and photo shoots of furries in various locations, many of them dreamy like parks at sunset or fields of flowers. Happy pics from furry conventions and get-togethers. People in fursuits just living their best lives. Joy.

In my time in the furry club, I didn't see a single sexual image. Sure, some of the fursonas were somewhat sexualised, and some of the fursuits had sexy elements (like a wolf wearing a corset holding back an obvious pair of furry breasts). But even when any of the sexualised elements were talked about, it was with matter-of-factness or praise for the overall aesthetic. Nobody was gross. Everyone was... Respectful.

Respect is the key

That was my biggest takeaway from joining the furry club - which, I forgot to mention, was R18 so no minors allowed - the respect people have for each other's fursonas. This was a place where people could get enthusiastic about their interest without any shame or demeaning. Where they received support and well-meant, thoughtful input from others who shared their excitement about finding the perfect colour of fuchsia paw pads and just the right shade of sparkly aqua horns. It was a breath of fresh air being in a community that felt like the actual word "community" - togetherness, without judgement, lifting one another up.

At the end of my experiment joining the furry club, I felt sad to leave - but also grateful to have been allowed to understand something that really doesn't deserve to be made fun of or looked down upon. And that's a lesson I think we can all learn about people's interests, niche or mainstream. Let people enjoy what they enjoy. Be open. Accept. Celebrate. Because really, who doesn't love pink velvet deer antlers and a matching pink fluffy tail?