When Did You Realize You Were a Furry?

[Keket]

This question may sound a bit silly, but there was quite a bit of time I didn't realize I was legitimately part of the furry fandom in a way. Thirteen years of my life were spent creating and selling furry art. I was on a lot of furry forums, and the majority of my (online) friends were furries. I would RP as anthropomorphic animals. Somehow, I noticed none of it lol. Looking back on it I heavily question how the heck I did not realize I was a furry.

Now, furry related stuff has just always been a hobby, and I never brought it up with people who I knew were not into that sort of thing. Likely why I was never called out or questioned about it. The question of "are you a furry" was just never brought to my attention. I am sure my furry friends just assumed I was part of the fandom, and my friends and family who were not a part of the fandom had no clue that these sorts of things interested me to begin with.

TL;DR I've been lowkey furry as hell for thirteen years of my life. Last month I realized in specific terms that I am definitely a furry. I feel no different for obvious reasons - but I find it hilarious that it took me so long to connect the dots.

I'm curious to hear about when / how long it took you guys to connect the dots and have your own "aha" moment.

 

[MaceLikeSpace]

It was only a couple years ago despite being into the art and wanting to be a cartoon animal for a long time anyway. I was getting open about my crush on Haida from Aggretsuko and someone called me a furry and I was like, yeah, I guess. And then I wanted to be a yeen too and then now I'm here. Still not huge into the fandom but I'm trying to meet people

 

[Kais_studios]

(Wow first post crazy huh)

Hmm, this is a tricky one. When I was little I would doodle dogs walking on 2 legs, kinda like Disney characters. I grew up with Disney so it made sense, I am unsure when I actually found the terms "Furry" and "Anthropomorphic"

bassically it all started from Disney.
that damn mouse.

 

[xennielle]

if i remember correctly, i began identifying as a furry around the time i began using dA (12 or 13?). i originally had a dragonsona and some sort of wild catsona that i can't remember very well.

bassically it all started from Disney.
that damn mouse.

Disney also played a huge part in me becoming a furry! Aristocats, the Jungle Book, and many more movies really helped me form a love of anthropomorphic animals

 

[greygamora]

I've always loved animals a lot more than humans, especially dogs. I loved to watch cartoons with anthro animals, they felt so much warmer and more personal to me. I also love to use animals in my profile pictures in all places. I've figured this out as I was typing this and reading others' experiences in this thread, have only been participating in the fandom for 2-ish months now and had so many "ohhh" moments

 

[Starbeak]

I am still unsure of my 'sona design (Species is pretty much locked but design always changes) but what I am sure of is I always liked watching shows and playing video games as anthropomorphic characters ever since I was super young.

I never knew the name of what a "Furry" was until around 2015.

I can't art and am not creative for enough to matter much in the fandom... But I feel I been "Furry" since birth, and that is all the really matters. ^v^.

So, officially 2015 when I browsed DeviantArt and "Furry" was thrown around, thus going down the rabbit hole searches.

Unofficially, birth.

 

[Coda]

About 6 years ago I finally bothered to actually look up what a furry was after hearing about then all the time and I ended up joining the amino. Watched some vids by a smaller youtuber Ascari Husky about the fandom and I was like "aw fuck" and it's been history since.

Before that though I've literally always had furry interests (mainly, Warriors, Pokémon, cats and dragons, etc.) and have strongly identified with animals to the point where my first word was fucking MEOW. So joining the fandom was kinda inevitable.

 

[Keket]

someone called me a furry and I was like, yeah, I guess.

Oh man, I feel this lol. I'd likely have responded in a similar way. It's just something I like, it's cool, I've never been too pressed about any sort of labels for anything though.

(Wow first post crazy huh)

Nice, welcome to the forums! I feel you on the Disney thing as well. The furry gateway drug lol.

I can't art and am not creative for enough to matter much in the fandom...

I don't think art is what importance is based upon. Sure, artists can create cool stuff of their OC's or gift art to friends, etc. As far as commissions go though, the artist needs the consumer. I would say even the act of being a non-problematic part of the fandom holds a huge amount of importance.

I was like "aw fuck" and it's been history since.

I felt this in my soul lol.

 

[MaelstromEyre]

I didn't actually even consider affiliating myself with the fandom until maybe 12 years ago, when I was in my early thirties. All those years leading up to it, though, I was very much "furry" by definition. I just thought most stories would be more interesting if the characters were animals instead of people. Most of my daydreams and stories were about talking animals, whether anthro or feral. If I imagined myself as a character in some story, I was some sort of animal as well. As a younger kid, playing with friends in any sort of "make believe" I wanted to be some kind of animal. Eventually my older sibling and parents started warning me about my imagination and "talking animals" because those were things for "little kids." They didn't want me to lose friends for being immature, so I started to keep that stuff to myself.

Never had a defined fursona during that time, my "favorite" animals changed over the years. When I joined the Second Life grid in 2009, I created the user name Maelstrom Eyre (Eyre being a surname assigned to me by the grid at the time I created the account). That was when I realized I could choose an avatar that wasn't human. I could "be" the talking animals, and walk around a virtual world. I played around with different avatars. . .foxes and dragons and wolves and reindeer and whatever else. Eventually settled on the brown wolf with green eyes who eventually evolved into Maelstrom Eyre the Akhlut (wolf/orca).

 

[a sleepy kitty]

I first saw furry art when I was 13, and after drawing furry characters a lot, I eventually claimed to be a furry at the age of 14 and a half.

 

[Deleted member 160950]

Unofficially, when I started having an interest in anthropomorphic animals
Officially, towards the end of 2021

 

[RamblingRenegade]

Another new poster here hi..lol I have been interested in furries since I discovered them 15 or so years ago. I've always felt connected to anthro animals in a way. Also Disney had a hand shaping me as well. I always knew I wanted to be a horse for my OC. I finally decided to let some people know and jump into getting my suit eventually made after being a lurker for so long

 

[Deleted member 160950]

Another new poster here hi..lol I have been interested in furries since I discovered them 15 or so years ago. I've always felt connected to anthro animals in a way. Also Disney had a hand shaping me as well. I always knew I wanted to be a horse for my OC. I finally decided to let some people know and jump into getting my suit eventually made after being a lurker for so long

Hi

 

[Deleted member 160950]

How are you

 

[palta_aguacate]

DeviantArt helped me discover furry art via Freyfox

 

[Kain]

I was told by someone else what my interest meant. I accepted it pretty easily. It was some time past 2002, so I was at least 20.

 

[Inferndragon]

I just had an obsession with anthromorphic animals. It just became the norm for me.

Especially being on the autistic spectrum myself... It kind of started to become an obsession...

 

[CreachureComforts]

I don't think I consider myself as a furry, just someone who draws and appreciates them. No fursonas or anything like that, I'm too indecisive to pick something anyways. Kind of like trying to decide on a tattoo for me. There's a "species" I tend to like drawing, so that's close to the fursona concept. But it's more monster-like than furry stuff, and it doesn't represent me directly, just shows my tastes

It definitely started years ago when I found furry/monster artists who drew really well, and just started getting into finding more art. "Furry" stuff has been a part of my life for way longer, though, in terms of the media I tend to like (like Star Fox and the old Beatrix Potter animations, and Tunic looks interesting)

I started attempting to draw my own things later, once I became comfortable with myself and just to see if I could do it myself. But I didn't think I was that great of an artist back then, plus it took a long time for me to accept it so I was still very insecure/secretive about it. These days I still keep it to myself, but I'm happier with my art now, and I've admitted it and shared my art with close friends who are also furry. Then I made an account and now I'm here, so I guess it's official

 

[TrixieFox]

When my BFF was a furry

 

[Kain]

I've now gone the extra mile.

I had a depression where I clung to Pokemon and furry as what I liked. I ended up rejecting Pokemon and furry survived.
I wondered why that was, and I found it:
I only liked Pokemon for what I made it out to be. It only consisted of things I liked.
With furry, I became serious and used it to express things that aren't happy.
I used it to explore things I've never thought of before, and came to accept it.

Furry is how I express reality.

Furry is my life

 

[Amepix]

When I realised all I drew was Pokémon, Sonic, and other anthropomorphic characters and frequently viewed furry art

 

[Rancid-rac00n]

i thinnk a lottttt of us "knew" we were furries for quite sometime but were afraid to admit it to ourselfs >_< but me i think it really clicked in when i came up w/ my fursona ren. for a long time i was like "well i don't really have a fursona and don't connect w/ any animals in particular so im not a 'true' furry" and then ren came along and i was like WELP!!! GUESS I'M A FURRY

 

[Calhe]

I kept having dreams of being a furry, and then after a particularly vivid one, I confronted myself about it.

 

[RangoAnimations]

I have a dog oc and everyone said I was a furry for years and I hated being calling one. But then I realized, they were right.

 

[Kinguyakki]

I always was, I guess, but intentionally distanced myself from the furry fandom for many years because of its reputation as just being a kink. Maybe 12 or 13 years ago I shrugged that off, got a better understanding of the many facets of the fandom, and have been assimilated.