To put things in perspective, the largest furry-themed website on the internet is an art community called FurAffinity . At any given time, FurAffinity has anywhere from 5000-30000 registered users online, and FurAffinity administrators have reported that FurAffinity has as many as 1.6 million registered accounts.

Important Reminder: The numbers reported here are only representative of a small fraction of the furry community. Furries with strong opinions and a high level of involvement within the community are more likely to participate in surveys, while "casual furries" are less likely to participate in surveys.

The data on this page is updated in real time, based on the results of our survey.

In order to take a better look at furries, we've gathered some data from Furry count furries around the world.

Maybe you're a furry looking for some way to explain yourself, or maybe you've never heard the word "furry" before, and you want to see what it's all about.

If you're here, it's probably because you've been a part of one of these conversations.

But sometimes, furries come up in other discussions, and it's often awkward.

After all, for most furries, being furry isn't a big deal - it's just one of many interests they might have!

Even though these stories don't depict what most furries are like, nobody likes to be associated with bad things, so most furries don't bring it up.

...most of the news about furries focuses on bad things:

And just like when gaming was young...

Furries, however, are still sort of a mystery to a lot of people.

The difference between gamers and furries, though, is how well they're understood. Everyone knows what a "gamer" is, and most people know that not all gamers are the same.

In fact, just like gamers, not all furries get along with each other!

And there are lots of reasons people call themselves a furry:

In a way, the word "furry" is a lot like the word "gamer".

The reason it's hard to give a better definition is because there are so many people who call themselves furries, they're all into different things, and they don't all agree on what counts as a furry.

That is the most reliable, generic, boring answer someone could possibly give you, and while it's essentially true, it's not very helpful.

adult of surveyed furries say that they partake in adult activities within the furry community. This is often a point of controversy.

otherkin of surveyed furries identify as therians or otherkin : people who believe they are an animal "trapped" in a human body.

dealer of surveyed furries make money from their artwork, writing, or by selling other goods and services in the furry community.

artist of surveyed furries like to draw, write, or create, and participate in the furry community through their art.

fursuiter of surveyed furries are interested in fursuits : animal costumes designed to look like furry characters.

actor of surveyed furries like to roleplay as their furry character(s), often in chat rooms or through writing.

reinventor of surveyed furries say that they use their character as a way to imagine a better, reinvented version of themselves.

connoisseur of surveyed furries describe themselves as lovers of art in general, not just furry art.

escapist of surveyed furries say that they use the furry community as a method of escapism, to get away from worries and problems they have in the real world.

animal lover of surveyed furries say that they love animals, and enjoy looking at the animal artwork that furries produce.

socializer of surveyed furries use the furry community as a place to meet new friends and socialize.

fantasy of surveyed furries say that they are specifically fond of the anthropomorphic characters and races found in fantasy games, books, and movies.

Needless to say, these categories are not all-inclusive, and most furries can probably relate to more than one.

To get a more in-depth understanding of furries, let's take a look at some of the specific reasons people participate in the furry community.

There are many things that are not consistent across the furry community, but there are some things that most furries have in common. For instance:

What do furries actually do?

This depends a lot on the type of furry you're talking about, but there are some answers that are common enough to talk about.

Of course, not all furries do all the things listed here.

If there's one thing you should learn from this website, it's that not all furries are the same. What one person enjoys, another person might find boring or weird.

Enjoy mainstream media featuring anthropomorphic characters activity: mainstream media of surveyed furries enjoy mainstream media featuring talking animals or anthropomorphic fantasy races. Many times, this is what gets people interested in the furry community in the first place. There are lots of movies, TV shows, video games, and books that feature anthropomorphic animals, and enjoying those things is one of the most common behaviors that furries share. Of course, it's completely possible to enjoy those things without being a furry! After all, it's possible to enjoy Star Trek without calling yourself a "trekkie" - it's just a matter of how enthusiastically you love Star Trek. Furries often start out as normal people who are just very big fans of animated shows and movies (Lion King, Zootopia, My Little Pony, etc.), video games with animal characters (Starfox, Sly Cooper, Sonic, etc.), or fantasy series with anthropomorphic races and characters. (Dungeons & Dragons, Redwall, Chronicles of Narnia, etc.)

Browse furry artwork and media made by other furries activity: furry media of surveyed furries use websites like FurAffinity to browse furry artwork, writing, and other media. Eventually, most furries realize that they're not alone: there is an entire community of people who love anthropomorphic characters just as much as they do, and even though they all come from different backgrounds and love different franchises, they all share something in common. Once a person has discovered the furry community, the first thing they normally do is begin browsing the mountains of artwork, animation, and writing that are available online. There are several websites dedicated to helping furries connect, talk about their interests, and share artwork/stories they've created. A few of the largest sites include: FurAffinity: The largest furry site on the internet, focused on sharing art and stories. FurAffinity allows some adult content, but only for registered adult users.

/r/furry/: The "/r/furry/" community is part of reddit, a massive website where people can create community forums about any topic or hobby. The /r/furry/ subreddit does not allow adult content, but artistic nudity is sometimes allowed, for registered adult users.

topic or hobby. The /r/furry/ subreddit does not allow adult content, but artistic nudity is sometimes allowed, for registered adult users. DeviantArt: This art-sharing website is not specifically for furries, but for artists in general. It does have a large furry presence, however, and many furry artists prefer DeviantArt over FurAffinity because of its cleaner reputation and strict policy against pornographic content.

Socialize with other furries activity: socialize of surveyed furries use the furry community as a place to socialize and meet new friends. Furries are, as a general rule of thumb, friendly and inviting - sometimes to a fault. Like every community, the furry community has its quirks and cliques, but most furries eventually start making friends and spending time with them online. This socialization usually comes in the form of chat rooms, online gaming, or voice hangouts. Sometimes, furries will simply talk about their favorite furry characters, or about furry artwork/movies. But most of the time, the whole "furry" thing is just a springboard for bonding over other shared experiences. Furries come from all walks of life, but some of the most prevalent common interests include: gaming, geek culture, politics, and relationships.

Create a furry character for themselves activity: fursona of surveyed furries have created a furry character for themselves. Once a person has started to interact with the furry community, there is sort of an unwritten expectation that they will eventually make a character for themselves. This character - sometimes called a "fursona" - means different things to different people. For most furries, their character is like an avatar. It's not really a representation of themselves, it's just a cool-looking character that serves as their "face" when they're hanging out with other furries. For other furries, their character is just that: a character, like one you might find in books or movies. It doesn't actually represent them, but they use their character for acting or roleplaying with other furry characters. For these people, it's very common to have many characters, each with their own personality and story. For some others, their character is something deeper: a representation of who they feel like on the inside, or someone they wish they could be. These people are not necessarily otherkin; they may simply be furries who enjoy the reinvention aspect of the community.

Roleplay as their character activity: roleplay of surveyed furries have roleplayed as a furry character. This particular activity is often divisive among furries: some believe it is a core aspect of the community, while others find it cringe-inducing or annoying. In some furry groups, it's common to spend a lot of time "in character" while chatting online. For these furries, every interaction and conversation is an opportunity to act out their character's behavior and explore their personality. This is especially popular among "actor" furries, who like to flesh out their character and the way they interact with the other characters around them. In other furry groups, roleplay is seen as cringe-inducing, and furries who roleplay are seen as detrimental to the furry community's public image. These furries often feel that roleplay suffers from two problems: it is often very juvenille, lacking any sort of real nuance or character development, and it often devolves into flirtation. When flirtatious roleplay happens, the stark contrast between the attractiveness of furry characters and their owners is often called out as a key cringe-inducing element. Even among furries who do not roleplay, however, it is not uncommon to make quips and casual observations based on a person's character. There are many stereotypes in the furry community, and those stereotypes are a frequent topic of conversation. For instance, furries with fox characters are often seen as promiscuous, and when furries are discussing relationship problems, they might poke fun at someone for "dating a fox" in the first place.

Draw, write, or exercise their creativity activity: art of surveyed furries have drawn furry artwork, written furry stories, or created other furry media. Because furry characters exist only in fantasy, many furries pour an exhausting amount of effort into realizing their characters through art and writing. Not all furries have artistic talent, but because the community is very art-focused, furries are often encouraged to exercise their creativity. Even furries who do not draw or write on a regular basis will often try their hand at art in order to design a character for themselves. Because the furry community is overwhelmingly inviting, art of any quality usually receives a positive reaction, and this positive reinforcement often encourages the artist to keep practicing. Many furries enter the community with no artistic background, and eventually develop a modicum of talent and confidence that they can put to use elsewhere in their lives.

Commission custom artwork of their character activity: commission of surveyed furries have purchased custom furry artwork, stories, or other media for themselves. Whether a furry has artistic talent or not, they will often be impressed or inspired by the talent and style of artists around them. Eventually, many furries will pay another artist to draw or write about their character for them. For many furries, seeing their character realized by someone else is much more exciting than drawing it themselves. This is especially true for actors and reinventors, as well as socializers who use their character's popularity to make new friends. Other furries, particularly fandom and fantasy furries, will pay to have their characters drawn with popular characters from mainstream media, or as part of existing fantasy universes. For these furries, artwork is less about popularity and more about expression and storytelling. Like most entertainment and luxury industries, the furry artwork industry is one where a small minority of users spends a disproportionately high amount of money. These furries often become popular simply because of the sheer volume or quality of art they've commissioned, as their characters become recognized as sort of a "furry celebrity." (occasionally called a "popufur")

Go to local hangouts with other furries activity: local meetup of surveyed furries have gone to a small, local meetup with other furries. Local meetups allow small groups of furries to meet up for group activities. Common activities include charity events, cookouts, camping, gaming, bowling, movies, or holiday parties. Meetup attendance varies tremendously - some meetups host just a handful of local furries, while others attract hundreds of furries. Sometimes, furries are allowed and encouraged to wear their fursuits during these activities (if they own a fursuit - only about activity: owned fursuit of furries do). Other times, especially when meeting in a public, shared space that has not been reserved for the meetup, furries will be asked not to suit. Local meets are usually hosted and managed by a local furry community, or by individual furries with wide social circles who are very active in their area.

Go to furry conventions activity: convention of surveyed furries have gone to a furry convention. Furry conventions are large gatherings of furries from all across the country - or even the world - who meet up for a few days to socialize, buy and sell furry artwork and merchandise, wear and watch fursuits, and - most importantly - meet friends that they've made through the furry community. Furry conventions are especially important for socializers, who may only be able to see their online furry friends at conventions for a few days each year, and for fursuiters, who often spend a tremendous portion of the convention fursuiting and participating in fursuit-specific activities like fursuit games, fursuit talent/dance competitions, or fursuit panels. For furries who are particularly active in the adult side of the fandom, or for furries who have formed long-distance relationships through the furry community, conventions are also an opportunity to engage physically with other furries. Because these windows of opportunity are so short and sparse, many furries (con reason: sex) list sex as one of the reasons they attend furry conventions, leading many to believe that furry conventions are sex-centric events. In reality, only con main reason: sex of surveyed furries say that sex is one of the main reasons they attend furry conventions, and only con main reason: casual sex attend furry conventions specifically looking for casual sex. Some of the most common reason furries attend furry conventions include: con reason: meet existing friends : To meet existing friends

: To meet existing friends con reason: make new friends : To make new friends

: To make new friends con reason: watch fursuits : To watch fursuiters

: To watch fursuiters con reason: room parties : To attend small room parties

: To attend small room parties con reason: buy : To buy furry art and merchandise

Fursuit Fursuits are one of the first things people think of when they think about furries, despite the fact that only activity: worn fursuit of surveyed furries have worn a fursuit, and only activity: owned fursuit actually own one. The fursuiting community is almost as diverse as the furry community itself, and people fursuit for many reasons: To feel more comfortable expressing themselves fursuit score: comfort To socialize with other fursuiters and furries fursuit score: socialize To escape from the worries of the world and have fun fursuit score: escape To make people happy by acting cute or funny fursuit score: perform To feel more like their characters fursuit score: character They like wearing costumes and masks in general fursuit score: costume They like giving hugs to make people feel good fursuit score: hugs Adult reasons fursuit score: adult To show appreciation for a specific franchise fursuit score: franchise

Sell art, writing, games, or other merchandise / services activity: paid of surveyed furries make money by selling their furry artwork, stories, or other goods and services. Like any other community, there are many ways for savvy artists, writers, animators, and other creative enterpreneurs to profit from the furry community. Some of these profiteers are furries doing services for other furries, while others are talented outsiders looking at ways to engage the relatively-untapped market. Some of the most common revenue streams in the furry community include: Custom art/writing commissions: Furries will often pay artists and writers to create custom art/literature about their character. Over time, many artists have transitioned away from this model to the YCH model, described below.

Furries will often pay artists and writers to create custom art/literature about their character. Over time, many artists have transitioned away from this model to the YCH model, described below. "Your Character Here" (YCH) auctions: Rather than creating custom artwork from scratch, some artists will sketch out a scene or picture that they want to draw, then allow furries to bid to have their characters used in the final picture. While some furries dislike the lack of control offered by YCH auctions, others appreciate that the artists have a stronger creative say in the final piece.

Rather than creating custom artwork from scratch, some artists will sketch out a scene or picture that they want to draw, then allow furries to bid to have their characters used in the final picture. While some furries dislike the lack of control offered by YCH auctions, others appreciate that the artists have a stronger creative say in the final piece. Paywalled content: Once an artist has amassed a sizeable following, they may begin to paywall some of their content, requiring viewers to pay a monthly fee (often using a service like Patreon) in order to view it. This model is especially popular among adult artists, who will commonly post censored, clothed, or low-resolution versions of their art in a free gallery, then offer their supporters high-resolution, uncensored versions.

Once an artist has amassed a sizeable following, they may begin to paywall some of their content, requiring viewers to pay a monthly fee (often using a service like Patreon) in order to view it. This model is especially popular among adult artists, who will commonly post censored, clothed, or low-resolution versions of their art in a free gallery, then offer their supporters high-resolution, uncensored versions. Donations / soft paywalls: Some artists choose not to hide their content behind a paywall, instead relying on the generosity of their audience to keep them afloat. The rise of Patreon as a crowdfunding service has a played an important role in this business model, as it effectively allows an artist/creator to create whatever they like, and allows their audience to support them on a regular, predictable basis, so long as the artist keeps producing content they enjoy. Some artists will also offer special perks to people who support them, like the ability to vote on upcoming projects, or sneak previews of things they're working on.