Article
(Archive)
Australian furries bite back at misconceptions
Litter trays. Public barking. Sex-crazed ‘cults’. Infuriated Australian furries claim we have them all wrong.
By Nelson Groom
Are the rumours fur real? Or just a load of cat scat?
Classroom litter trays. Kids barking at teachers. Sex-crazed cultists.
Going off the headlines, you’d think there’s been a rabid outbreak of Aussie furries (the subculture where people dress up as cartoon animals). And they’re all sexual deviants.
Whatever they do, the furries are dogged (so to speak) by nasty rumours.
But members of what’s called the “furry fandom” community tell news.com.au the critics have got it all wrong – and the online gossip is veering into real-life violence.
And while some members of the fandom may have spicy sexual kinks, most simply dress up as animals as an innocent escape driven by creativity and community.
So what’s with all the furry fury? We unzip what really happens inside the colourful costumes.
“Upsetting and scary”
One Perth furry spoke on the condition of using her “fursona” pseudonym Shiver – an identity attached to her custom blue and white wolf suit.
Shiver says the recent furry bashing in Adelaide has rattled the community.
Footage of the incident shows furry content creator Dennis Gun sent sprawling after copping a savage unprovoked beating from a group of men at Rundle Mall.
“No one should get attacked just for expressing themselves in a way that’s a bit different.”
“It hit close to home for a lot of us in the fandom.”
Shiver believes the community’s rough go in the media hasn’t helped.
“People just see weird headlines and don’t take the time to learn what the community is about.”
“When you don’t understand something, it can lead to hate or violence. Which is never okay.”
Bad Rap
Since they stepped out into the public eye, furries have had a bad rap.
After forming as an underground community of anime fans in the 1990, they were thrust onto the spotlight when they were featured on episodes of CSI and Dr. Phil. A wave of tabloid news would follow.
The focus was never on the sense of belonging.
“Furries often get a bad rap in the media because the more sensational or misunderstood aspects tend to get the most attention,” says Shiver.
“It’s easier to make a joke out of something people don’t understand than to take the time to explore it respectfully.”
To that end, Shiver says recent rumours of schoolkids demanding litter boxes are nothing but a scare campaign.
This hoax started in the US. And despite being taken to the trash, it was somehow imported to Australia.
“That whole ‘furry kids in schools’ thing has been blown way out of proportion and honestly misrepresented.”
“Most of the time, those stories are based on rumours or completely made-up stuff – like kids demanding litter boxes or barking in class.”
“At the end of the day, it’s just kids trying to figure out who they are.”
What are furries?
Furries are people who create and sometimes embody anthropomorphic identities known as “fursonas”. It’s estimated there are several thousand of them in Australia.
But since they’re rarely seen in public, the fandom is shrouded in mystery.
For example, it’s little known that furries are not all about costumes. In fact, only around a quarter of them own one.
That’s – partly – because “fursuits” can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Not the kind of thing everyone can afford.
Shiver also runs Strut Your Fluff, a fursuit crafting company. But she warned people against getting caught up on the costumes.
“A lot of people think furries are just about wearing costumes. But there’s so much more to it than that.
“Plus, we do a ton of charity work for causes like animal shelters, mental health, LGBTQ support and more.”
“It’s not something that gets talked about much outside the fandom, but it’s a big part of what we do.”
Shiver says there’s also an important distinction between furries – people who dress as animals – and therians, who identify as them.
“We’re more like fans or cosplayers who enjoy anthropomorphic animal characters.”
“For me, the escapism comes from pretending to be a big, fluffy wolf for a while. That doesn’t mean I believe I am one.
Shiver shed light on what it really means to be a furry. It’s a world where identity, art, and imagination collide.
“The furry fandom is about creativity, self-expression, and connection.”
“Weird sex thing”
The fandom’s most stubborn misconception is, well, the weird sex.
Furries often meet up in costume at cafes, parties and conventions. But there’s a rumour these mass-furry gatherings turn into massive orgies.
As the co-founder of the Anthropomorphic Research Project, Professor Courtney Plant – from Canada’s Bishop’s University – is one of the world’s top furry experts.
The social psychologist told news.com.au the kinky rumours that follow the fandom come from a lack of awareness.
And it’s not fair.
“It comes as no surprise that some of the most common misconceptions people have about furries involve beliefs about sexuality and psychological dysfunction,” says Professor Plant.
“If someone says “it must be a weird sex thing”, people are more inclined to believe it about furries than if they heard the same thing about fans of football, comic books or video games.”
Professor Plant admits some furries do have sex – like the rest of us.
“The furry fandom is comprised of humans. If we know anything about humans, it’s that they have sex drives.”
“Of the furries who do own fursuits, the vast majority do not have sex in them. The ones who do – as consenting adults – should be of no concern to anyone else.”
But Professor Plant rubbished the litterbox claims.
“Having studied more than 30,000 furries over the past 15 years, we’ve never encountered a single case of a furry who has insisted on using a litterbox.”
((By studying, he means being a furry, he sent these for the article))
Professor Plant says the rumour may have grim origins. During highschool shootings lockdowns in the US, there have been reports of litter boxes found in classrooms. This was a precaution to prevent children from putting their lives at risk.
“Frankly, furries would be a less tragic answer than the real reason for those litter boxes in schools,” says Professor Plant.
He said children have long imitated animals while playing.
“It’s not hard to imagine someone seeing children pretending to be animals and think ‘Is this that furry thing?’”
Despite all the eyebrow-raising, Professor Plant said it’s not hard to see the appeal of furries for those who don’t fit in – particularly people who are neurodivergent or identify as LGBTQ.
And this explains why the community is growing.
“Everyone’s a fan of something, and the appeal is the same for everyone. The chance to share a hobby and connection with similar others.”
He had some words of wisdom for anyone considering dipping their paws in but worried about being judged.
“Don’t let others dictate your personal tastes. If your friends are people who would make you feel bad for being yourself, they probably aren’t your friends.”
Dr Phillip Tam, a Sydney psychiatrist who works with furry-identifying clients, says there are varying degrees of commitment in the community.
“For some, it’s a creative outlet or hobby. For others it can be a form of identity or sexuality,” says Dr Tam.
But Dr Tam said it’s important to distinguish between furry-identification and disorder.
“I don’t see the identification as a mental illness or disorder at all.”
“However, those who identify as furries may have higher rates of mental illness for a range of reasons.”
Nelson Groom is a freelance writer. His novel The Auction is coming soon. Learn more on his Instagram
(Archive)
Australian furries bite back at misconceptions
Litter trays. Public barking. Sex-crazed ‘cults’. Infuriated Australian furries claim we have them all wrong.
By Nelson Groom
Are the rumours fur real? Or just a load of cat scat?
Classroom litter trays. Kids barking at teachers. Sex-crazed cultists.
Going off the headlines, you’d think there’s been a rabid outbreak of Aussie furries (the subculture where people dress up as cartoon animals). And they’re all sexual deviants.
Whatever they do, the furries are dogged (so to speak) by nasty rumours.
But members of what’s called the “furry fandom” community tell news.com.au the critics have got it all wrong – and the online gossip is veering into real-life violence.
And while some members of the fandom may have spicy sexual kinks, most simply dress up as animals as an innocent escape driven by creativity and community.
So what’s with all the furry fury? We unzip what really happens inside the colourful costumes.
“Upsetting and scary”
One Perth furry spoke on the condition of using her “fursona” pseudonym Shiver – an identity attached to her custom blue and white wolf suit.
Shiver says the recent furry bashing in Adelaide has rattled the community.
Footage of the incident shows furry content creator Dennis Gun sent sprawling after copping a savage unprovoked beating from a group of men at Rundle Mall.
“No one should get attacked just for expressing themselves in a way that’s a bit different.”
“It hit close to home for a lot of us in the fandom.”
Shiver believes the community’s rough go in the media hasn’t helped.
“People just see weird headlines and don’t take the time to learn what the community is about.”
“When you don’t understand something, it can lead to hate or violence. Which is never okay.”
Bad Rap
Since they stepped out into the public eye, furries have had a bad rap.
After forming as an underground community of anime fans in the 1990, they were thrust onto the spotlight when they were featured on episodes of CSI and Dr. Phil. A wave of tabloid news would follow.
The focus was never on the sense of belonging.
“Furries often get a bad rap in the media because the more sensational or misunderstood aspects tend to get the most attention,” says Shiver.
“It’s easier to make a joke out of something people don’t understand than to take the time to explore it respectfully.”
To that end, Shiver says recent rumours of schoolkids demanding litter boxes are nothing but a scare campaign.
This hoax started in the US. And despite being taken to the trash, it was somehow imported to Australia.
“That whole ‘furry kids in schools’ thing has been blown way out of proportion and honestly misrepresented.”
“Most of the time, those stories are based on rumours or completely made-up stuff – like kids demanding litter boxes or barking in class.”
“At the end of the day, it’s just kids trying to figure out who they are.”
What are furries?
Furries are people who create and sometimes embody anthropomorphic identities known as “fursonas”. It’s estimated there are several thousand of them in Australia.
But since they’re rarely seen in public, the fandom is shrouded in mystery.
For example, it’s little known that furries are not all about costumes. In fact, only around a quarter of them own one.
That’s – partly – because “fursuits” can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Not the kind of thing everyone can afford.
Shiver also runs Strut Your Fluff, a fursuit crafting company. But she warned people against getting caught up on the costumes.
“A lot of people think furries are just about wearing costumes. But there’s so much more to it than that.
“Plus, we do a ton of charity work for causes like animal shelters, mental health, LGBTQ support and more.”
“It’s not something that gets talked about much outside the fandom, but it’s a big part of what we do.”
Shiver says there’s also an important distinction between furries – people who dress as animals – and therians, who identify as them.
“We’re more like fans or cosplayers who enjoy anthropomorphic animal characters.”
“For me, the escapism comes from pretending to be a big, fluffy wolf for a while. That doesn’t mean I believe I am one.
Shiver shed light on what it really means to be a furry. It’s a world where identity, art, and imagination collide.
“The furry fandom is about creativity, self-expression, and connection.”
“Weird sex thing”
The fandom’s most stubborn misconception is, well, the weird sex.
Furries often meet up in costume at cafes, parties and conventions. But there’s a rumour these mass-furry gatherings turn into massive orgies.
As the co-founder of the Anthropomorphic Research Project, Professor Courtney Plant – from Canada’s Bishop’s University – is one of the world’s top furry experts.
The social psychologist told news.com.au the kinky rumours that follow the fandom come from a lack of awareness.
And it’s not fair.
“It comes as no surprise that some of the most common misconceptions people have about furries involve beliefs about sexuality and psychological dysfunction,” says Professor Plant.
“If someone says “it must be a weird sex thing”, people are more inclined to believe it about furries than if they heard the same thing about fans of football, comic books or video games.”
Professor Plant admits some furries do have sex – like the rest of us.
“The furry fandom is comprised of humans. If we know anything about humans, it’s that they have sex drives.”
“Of the furries who do own fursuits, the vast majority do not have sex in them. The ones who do – as consenting adults – should be of no concern to anyone else.”
But Professor Plant rubbished the litterbox claims.
“Having studied more than 30,000 furries over the past 15 years, we’ve never encountered a single case of a furry who has insisted on using a litterbox.”
((By studying, he means being a furry, he sent these for the article))
Professor Plant says the rumour may have grim origins. During highschool shootings lockdowns in the US, there have been reports of litter boxes found in classrooms. This was a precaution to prevent children from putting their lives at risk.
“Frankly, furries would be a less tragic answer than the real reason for those litter boxes in schools,” says Professor Plant.
He said children have long imitated animals while playing.
“It’s not hard to imagine someone seeing children pretending to be animals and think ‘Is this that furry thing?’”
Despite all the eyebrow-raising, Professor Plant said it’s not hard to see the appeal of furries for those who don’t fit in – particularly people who are neurodivergent or identify as LGBTQ.
And this explains why the community is growing.
“Everyone’s a fan of something, and the appeal is the same for everyone. The chance to share a hobby and connection with similar others.”
He had some words of wisdom for anyone considering dipping their paws in but worried about being judged.
“Don’t let others dictate your personal tastes. If your friends are people who would make you feel bad for being yourself, they probably aren’t your friends.”
Dr Phillip Tam, a Sydney psychiatrist who works with furry-identifying clients, says there are varying degrees of commitment in the community.
“For some, it’s a creative outlet or hobby. For others it can be a form of identity or sexuality,” says Dr Tam.
But Dr Tam said it’s important to distinguish between furry-identification and disorder.
“I don’t see the identification as a mental illness or disorder at all.”
“However, those who identify as furries may have higher rates of mental illness for a range of reasons.”
Nelson Groom is a freelance writer. His novel The Auction is coming soon. Learn more on his Instagram
