Do You Consider Yourself a Furry?

JeffCvt · Post by **JeffCvt** » Sat May 10, 2014 9:38 pm

Hey guys and girls and otters and cats and hippos and everything else!

In response to some comments about not being able to change their vote in the old Are you a Furry thread, we have decided to start a new poll that will give you the option to change your vote should you want to!

Now, I could simply do that for the old thread, and that was what I wanted to do at first. However, changing those settings would reset the poll and we would lose all of the 300+ votes that have been cast. So instead, we are opening a new thread so we can change the settings yet still keep all of the old votes.

The stuff you really should read before posting:
Okay, so on to the important things about this thread.

First off, the question is Do you consider yourself a furry? This is a question about if you consider yourself a furry. This is not based off of some objective definition, so there is no need for a "maybe" option. You either decide you're a furry or not. (And it's okay to change your mind in the future!)

Next, this is not a furry only discussion. Everyone is allowed to talk here. If you aren't a furry but have a question about the fandom or just want to join in the chat, feel free to! We won't bite! (Well, the better behaved ones anyway.

)

Last, keep it clean. You guys know the forums rules. If you don't, go read them. Yes, the furry fandom does have a more "adult" side to it, but it also has its nice, clean parts. (Such as the webcomic Housepets! You should all totally go read it.

) There have been a lot of furry topics shut down in the past due to people talking about things they shouldn't, but the old Are you a Furry thread never had that problem. Let's keep it that way in this thread, okay?

P.S. [Link] to the original thread. -Sleet

Website · Post by **Hlaoroo** » Sat May 10, 2014 9:49 pm

Yay! New thread!

Yep, I'm furry. I didn't think I was when I first joined up here but since then I've ~~been brainwashed~~come to realise that not only am I more furry than I thought but that I also have a couple of friends from high school that are also furry, including one that's a fursuiter. I now have a fursona, have joined FA and dA and would like a fursuit.

So yeah. Definitely furry by anyone's definition.

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Sat May 10, 2014 9:56 pm

After three years, the answer's still yes for me, though I had to distance myself from the mass populace of furry enthusiasts (and the drama that is connected with it). Many things had happened since then, both good and bad, and I certainly have changed a lot since my first time coming here in the forums. It was the time where I decided I am indeed a furry, by my own subjective definitions.

Post by **ArcWolf** » Sat May 10, 2014 9:59 pm

This is interesting.

*chin pet*

Post by **Render** » Sun May 11, 2014 5:21 am

Here it is, the opportunity I was looking for since this post of mine in the old thread:

Render wrote:
Hlaoroo wrote:I don't think having a fursona is essential to being furry. I've met a few furries in my limited experience of the fandom that don't have one.
The definition of furry that we've always used here is "one whose enjoyment of media is caused or enhanced by the presence of anthropomorphic or animal characters". But really furry can be whatever you want to make it and really it all boils down to whether you think you're furry or not. If you think you are then you are but if you think you're not then you're not. Simple as that.
With that definition, nearly everybody is a furry. Everybody who likes to watch Tom and Jerry or Disney Movies or reads Housepets!...

I picked "No, I'm not a furry" earlier. But the more I think about it, I would like to change that. With this wide definition - and I agree to it - I say: Yes, I am a furry.
I neither wear fur or even ears, nor can I imagin to do that. But I fully accept if other people do that if they like, that is fine for me. I also like movies, comics and other art with anthropomorphic or animal characters and really enjoy that. So: Yes, I am a furry.

I'm happy to say that out of my profound conviction I just clicked YES.

I still don't have a fursona, but... maybe later. We'll see. XD

~\Rook/~ · Post by **~\Rook/~** » Sun May 11, 2014 8:46 am

Funnily enough, even after reading the definitions wrote here, I wouldn't say I'm a 'Furry'.

Although I enjoy Anthropomorphic art, Characters, Ears, Tails and fur-suits, (although I wouldn't wear one) I still wouldn't proclaim 'I'm a Furry'. The reason for this I can't quite explain, and I hope you can understand that I probably never will..

Until then, my vote is staying in 'No'. Thanks for reading!

The Blue Fox · Post by **The Blue Fox** » Sun May 11, 2014 12:13 pm

Do I consider myself furry? Er, let me think for a minute...uh...HECK YES!

Post by **Render** » Sun May 11, 2014 1:15 pm

~\Rook/~ wrote:Funnily enough, even after reading the definitions wrote here, I wouldn't say I'm a 'Furry'.

Although I enjoy Anthropomorphic art, Characters, Ears, Tails and fur-suits, (although I wouldn't wear one) I still wouldn't proclaim 'I'm a Furry'. The reason for this I can't quite explain, and I hope you can understand that I probably never will..

Until then, my vote is staying in 'No'. Thanks for reading!

That is fully okay. You define it for yourself, and if you say you are not a furry, than you are not a furry.

Happiness Designer · Post by **Happiness Designer** » Sun May 11, 2014 2:02 pm

I would say no, for a similar reason to Rook. I enjoy reading Anthro comics and such, but I'm not about to hop into all of the drama.

kurowolfe · Post by **kurowolfe** » Sun May 11, 2014 2:16 pm

Render wrote:
~\Rook/~ wrote:Funnily enough, even after reading the definitions wrote here, I wouldn't say I'm a 'Furry'.

Although I enjoy Anthropomorphic art, Characters, Ears, Tails and fur-suits, (although I wouldn't wear one) I still wouldn't proclaim 'I'm a Furry'. The reason for this I can't quite explain, and I hope you can understand that I probably never will..

Until then, my vote is staying in 'No'. Thanks for reading!
That is fully okay. You define it for yourself, and if you say you are not a furry, than you are not a furry.

Finally! I've been waiting for someone here to say this outright.

Post by **Dissension** » Sun May 11, 2014 5:04 pm

It got said a lot in the old thread. x3

A good definition of a furry, though, were we to look for one, is an individual who enjoys works of art and literature (if you count them separately) which prominently feature anthropomorphic animals specifically for their inclusion of such creatures.

Pladim · Post by **Pladim** » Sun May 11, 2014 6:42 pm

I have been a furry for a few years now, but was very wary of telling people due to the immediate assumptions they tend to make. Then I realized I don't care what people think of me and decided to own up to being a furry.

My fursona is a cat (as seen in my profile picture) and i'm currently developing a story using 4 characters I made. One of the main characters is my alt-Fursona Ash, who is a bunny.

JeffCvt · Post by **JeffCvt** » Sun May 11, 2014 7:04 pm

I guess I should let people know that, despite having made this topic, I'm not a furry myself. The definition I like to use as a guideline for furries is pretty much the same one that Diss said.

You are a furry if you gain more enjoyment from something BECAUSE it has walking/talking animals VS something that does not. (Again, this is only my own personal view on it. It doesn't mean you're a furry if you don't want to be.)

I personally do not gain more enjoyment from things that feature anthropomorphic animal VS things that don't, so I do not see myself as a furry. I DO however gain more enjoyment in general from things that feature ponies, so I do call myself a Brony. I actually had to watch the entire archive of episodes TWICE before I started calling myself a brony, because before that point I never really searched out more pony stuff than non pony stuff.

0404 · Post by **0404** » Sun May 11, 2014 9:24 pm

JeffCvt wrote: I'm not a furry myself.

Still? awwwwww

Sun May 11, 2014 11:54 pm

I am also not a furry, but I play one on the internet.

*is just in dog form now since SCW ended*

Post by **Render** » Mon May 12, 2014 5:24 am

JeffCvt wrote:You are a furry if you gain more enjoyment from something BECAUSE it has walking/talking animals VS something that does not. (Again, this is only my own personal view on it. It doesn't mean you're a furry if you don't want to be.)

Yes, that's how it is for me. I get more enjoyment if there are anthropomorphic animals or nonanthropomorphic animals in the art.

That doesn't mean I can't enjoy other stuff without them, like action or science fiction movies and TV series. I mean, imagine Deep Space Nine with them. But hey, stop, that would be a WIN!
Nice-- now I want that to be a thing... Why doesn't it exist?

RandomGeekNamedBrent wrote:I am also not a furry, but I play one on the internet.

*is just in dog form now since SCW ended*

This makes you a part time Furry then.

Yes, SCW is over, means my avatar is back from Jack the Roo to Diego the Dingo.

Silly Zealot · Post by **Silly Zealot** » Mon May 12, 2014 5:34 pm

Don't little pony fans technically count as furries?

See, this is why I always advocate for objective definitions for everything.

Post by **Obbl** » Mon May 12, 2014 6:26 pm

Bronies are sometimes furries and sometimes not. Some furries are into My Little Pony for the same reasons they are into other furry works, some just happen to have overlap, and some My Little Pony fans are interested in the show and the fandom for reasons other than the "furry" nature of the work.

It's a bit confusing.
As per Ricks lovely article on [adjective][species], the definitions that people use when they say "furry" are so vast, it really doesn't make sense to try objectively defining it. Thus it remains subjective.

JeffCvt · Post by **JeffCvt** » Mon May 12, 2014 7:10 pm

Silly Zealot wrote:Don't little pony fans technically count as furries?

In a sense they could, the same way that someone who watches Nascar could be called a sports person. Racing in general is a sport, but tends to kinda keep to itself. You are more often seen as a "race fan," not a "sports fan." You can be into racing, be into sports and racing, or just be into sports.

Like Obbl said, it's all subjective. I just gave my personal view on the matter, but it's best not to try and go into detail and set anything in concrete because it'll never happen.

tychoaussie · Post by **tychoaussie** » Tue May 13, 2014 3:54 pm

I consider myself to be a race fan with a fursuit.

Kitela · Post by **Kitela** » Tue May 13, 2014 8:15 pm

Over the past seven-ish years, my opinion on this stuff always changes and I never seem to come to a consensus with myself about whether or not I'm a furry, or how furry I am, etc..

Though I fit the definition that Dissension stated, I'm just "Fox Boy", not really a furry. My interest don't necessarily favor anthropomorphic animals or animals at all. I like quite a few animated films that feature anthropomorphic animals, but there isn't much bias. I think foxes are the coolest animals, and it seems that those who agree tend to be furries, but I don't believe it makes me a furry. As for a fursona, for me, it's just a reflection. Kind of like a personification of who I am and what I like. Not much of a created character or alter ego.

I'm definitely a 'fur fan', at least. I would enjoy going to a furry convention. There; I think that I would know if I was one or not if I attended one.

deepskycyan · Post by **deepskycyan** » Tue May 13, 2014 10:09 pm

Kitela wrote:I never seem to come to a consensus with myself about whether or not I'm a furry, or how furry I am, etc...

This describes precisely my stance on this matter.

My own definition of furry is, as somebody has already stated: When you tend to find more enjoyment in something, just because it involves anthropomorphic animals.
While this is occasionally true for me, I never feel like I should be attaching that label onto myself. It's not that I have a problem with labeling, but I never seem to be able to associate myself to the fandom, no matter how much I want to sometimes.
Now what is a furry who separates her/himself from the fandom? Still a furry, of course. But I always seem to be mentally making that connection, that you must be part of the group to call yourself one. Maybe it's culture, for in where I live, you don't really have a viewpoint unless you make it clear to others.
Now that's an easy fix, you might think, just get involved with the fandom! Wrong. Firstly, I know that you don't have to be into fursuiting and conventions to call yourself a furry, and I'm not interested in either. It's not like there are any conventions that I know of where I live anyway. Additionally, I don't personally know anyone who openly identifies themselves as a furry, and I guess that makes getting involved harder. Of course, there's always the internet, but I never feel inclined to join any particular online group or forum, mostly because I see them as pointless (with the exception of this forum, for the comic is awesome and so are you guys

).

To sum up, I'd like to think myself as one, but my rigid mindset prevents me from doing so.
As for the poll...ehhhhhh...I guess I won't vote just yet.

Kitela · Post by **Kitela** » Tue May 13, 2014 11:57 pm

deepskycyan wrote:
Kitela wrote:I never seem to come to a consensus with myself about whether or not I'm a furry, or how furry I am, etc...
This describes precisely my stance on this matter.

My own definition of furry is, as somebody has already stated: When you tend to find more enjoyment in something, just because it involves anthropomorphic animals.
While this is occasionally true for me, I never feel like I should be attaching that label onto myself. It's not that I have a problem with labeling, but I never seem to be able to associate myself to the fandom, no matter how much I want to sometimes.
Now what is a furry who separates her/himself from the fandom? Still a furry, of course. But I always seem to be mentally making that connection, that you must be part of the group to call yourself one. Maybe it's culture, for in where I live, you don't really have a viewpoint unless you make it clear to others.
Now that's an easy fix, you might think, just get involved with the fandom! Wrong. Firstly, I know that you don't have to be into fursuiting and conventions to call yourself a furry, and I'm not interested in either. It's not like there are any conventions that I know of where I live anyway. Additionally, I don't personally know anyone who openly identifies themselves as a furry, and I guess that makes getting involved harder. Of course, there's always the internet, but I never feel inclined to join any particular online group or forum, mostly because I see them as pointless (with the exception of this forum, for the comic is awesome and so are you guys ).

To sum up, I'd like to think myself as one, but my rigid mindset prevents me from doing so.
As for the poll...ehhhhhh...I guess I won't vote just yet.

That's partly why I don't consider myself one.
Humans always find some kind of niche to fit into, which is nature. However, not knowing other people in a group(fandom in this case)that you partake an interest in doesn't mean you can't be a part of it. I know many people who are obsessed with Star Trek (you know, Trekkies) that have many friends who hate it, but they can still be a trekky, right? Moreover, you can still partake in an interest and not be affiliated with a group. Such as in your case, you like the HP! comic, but don't consider yourself a furry. That's fine.

I think there should be an in-between category for furries who are just fur fans, or part time furries like Brent.

Silly Zealot · Post by **Silly Zealot** » Wed May 14, 2014 9:52 pm

JeffCvt wrote:Like Obbl said, it's all subjective. I just gave my personal view on the matter, but it's best not to try and go into detail and set anything in concrete because it'll never happen.

Don't confuse "It'll never happen" with "It'll never happen unless someone enforces it, making people uncomfortable over it in the process."

Kitela wrote:That's partly why I don't consider myself one.
Humans always find some kind of niche to fit into, which is nature. However, not knowing other people in a group(fandom in this case)that you partake an interest in doesn't mean you can't be a part of it. I know many people who are obsessed with Star Trek (you know, Trekkies) that have many friends who hate it, but they can still be a trekky, right? Moreover, you can still partake in an interest and not be affiliated with a group. Such as in your case, you like the HP! comic, but don't consider yourself a furry. That's fine.

I think there should be an in-between category for furries who are just fur fans, or part time furries like Brent.

I'm pretty sure there are furry-o-meters out there. I heard (from myself) that people with 5th degree furrines have problems becoming housebroken.

Post by **Sleet** » Wed May 14, 2014 11:46 pm

Been a furry for around 7 years now. I've been an arctic fox from the very beginning, never changing except for Species Change Week!

tychoaussie · Post by **tychoaussie** » Thu May 15, 2014 9:07 am

An interesting spin on the question would be to have each of us poll our family and friends with the question "Do you consider "THIS PERSON" to be a furry?", tally up the answers and see what the people that surround us say.
- - - -
Do you consider this person a furry?

1) What's a furry?
2) Maybe a little, they did after all ask me to take this poll
3) They watch everything by Disney, Studio Ghibli, and Don Bluhm & have taped fox pictures to the ceiling so I'd say there's a good chance
4) I clean their fur out of the shower drain on a weekly basis so yeah, totally furry.
- - - -
Points assigned based on the answers, then divided by the number of respondents to yield a furry index.
1 = not furry,
anything less than 2 is debatable;
less than 3 means you are probably a part-timer.
3 or higher means it's likely you bark in your sleep.

Post by **Sleet** » Thu May 15, 2014 11:21 am

Mine would answer "yes." I'm kinda open about it. :3

Website · Post by **Hlaoroo** » Thu May 15, 2014 12:00 pm

Mine would probably answer either a) what's a furry, b) no, furry is gross, and c) he's obsessed with these forums if that's what you mean.

Post by **Render** » Fri May 16, 2014 1:02 pm

Good question. Most family members and friends would ask, what a furry is. My brothers would probably say 'Oh, I'm not surprised'. And my online friends would probably say that it will be possible. So I would end up around 2...

But that doesn't change my personal view of myself of being a furry. It just shows that I don't scream it out everywhere, especially not at people who have no idea of that topic. Despite the fact that I doubt anyone would really have a problem with it.

The Blue Fox · Post by **The Blue Fox** » Fri May 16, 2014 2:01 pm

My parents already sorta know of my furry-ness...well, they know I'm a blue fox at least. They're not fussed.
And pretty much all of my friends are furries.
So that probably scores me a 3 or maybe even a 4! :O

Pladim · Post by **Pladim** » Fri May 16, 2014 8:44 pm

My parents are aware that i'm a furry, and they are largely unfazed. I'm old enough to make my own decisions and they respect my choices.

If anything, they are happy for me being more open about being a furry, since I've made a ton of friends and met some awesome people.

Therolyn · Post by **Therolyn** » Sat May 17, 2014 4:32 am

This is something I have reflected on from time-to-time over the last few years and in the end my personal definition has actually become tighter and tighter as I've broken my previous ones. I will admit I do not to be slapped with negative terms related to the term "furry", which has been my main reason why I've not openly proclaimed myself furry and have rather kept quiet. But yeah, I can't really deny it too much longer. These days I actually do now consider myself furry, although its only been a recent change in perspective due to events that transpired in March of this year proved without a doubt that I could no longer not fit into definitions I defined myself, except for one.

To be honest, I'm still very withdrawn and still tend to resist opening up, something which has plagued me forever. Many things I do enjoy I keep rather quiet to avoid getting hurt (Being the equivalent of an omega in the school social ladder for my school life meant that I was heavily picked on for having interests that were considered unusual and towards the end, it became pretty bad and its affected my life since, then. I am very a very shy and secretive person, almost to the point of being a hermit) and I doubt I will be openly proclaiming anything for now however.

Anyway in the end in my own opinions its all in your own definitions, your tastes and your experiences. I might not have a fursuit or even wear a tail or even ears (although I do occasionally wear masks but never in the open), or even have a defined fursona, but my enjoyment of anthropomorphic animals and beings that are similarly related to such (such as werewolves, kitsune etc.) influences everything else I enjoy doing. I'm the person who almost always plays the anthropomorphic animal races in MMO's or RPG's, the person who finds it hard to use just the best cards in MTG and would rather pack his deck with badgers or leonin or the like, I'm that being who likes looking at webcomics where the characters are not all necessarily human or strong humanoid, or entities of evil or good and the like. It might not be apparently visible but my interest lies within my others, influencing them greatly.

hypernovatic · Post by **hypernovatic** » Sat May 17, 2014 11:22 am

My brother and my sister and most of my friends know that I'm a furry. My friends are fine with it. My brother used to not care until my sister wouldn't shut up about how "furries are disgusting and unnatural". My sister absolutely hates furries for some odd reason.

drebin896 · Post by **drebin896** » Sun May 18, 2014 2:42 am

Well, the problem is I can not in good conscience say I'm not any more so i'll have to say yes. Welcome to the heard I guess.

JeffCvt · Post by **JeffCvt** » Sun May 18, 2014 8:31 am

drebin896 wrote:Welcome to the heard I guess.

First: You mean herd. "Heard" is the past tense of "hear."

Second: That's brony, not furry.

Post by **Sleet** » Sun May 18, 2014 3:09 pm

Furries can be herd animals too though!

The Blue Fox · Post by **The Blue Fox** » Mon May 19, 2014 2:04 am

Yeah, there are quite a few furry horses and/or cattle to be a herd with.

JeffCvt · Post by **JeffCvt** » Mon May 19, 2014 7:52 am

But not all furries are herd animals. You could also say pack or flock. Or whatever other weird names are given to groups of animals. They have some ones that are quite strange.

Post by **Sleet** » Mon May 19, 2014 12:29 pm

Skulks are pretty cool.

Tue May 20, 2014 12:05 am

a murder of furries