Fuzzy Logic: The furry community of Ferndale steps out

Story and photos by Jeff Lilly

Who are you, deep down inside?

We all try to answer this question. We define ourselves by race, gender, sexuality, creed, and many other factors. Society has made great strides recently in accepting personal expressions of identity, welcoming people of all sorts. Some, formerly derided for “deviating from the form,” are not rightly lauded for their bravery in challenging cultural stereotypes. Some people are straight, other gay. Some are cisgender, others trans.

Others feel that they might not be human at all.

Meet the Furries. Often misunderstood, and still widely derided, some members of this small local community recently made contact with Ferndale Friends, wishing to get the word out. I met three local Furries in Geary Park on a lovely August Day to talk and lean. I found Chase and Raina sitting on a park bench, enjoying the sun. They were easy to spot. Chase wore a tail and a pair of paw-life slipper; Raina had orange fox ears mounted to a headband, a tail, and a sky-blue collar. Ryzen joined us a few minute later, sporting an orange hoodie with attached ears and a thin black collar.

Anthropomorphic characterization (ascribing human characteristics to inhuman things) has a long tradition in storytelling (the Big Bad World, Mickey Mouse, Rocket Raccoon) and advertising (sports mascots, the Geico Gecko.) Humans taking on animal characteristics do, too, from ancient Native American takes of skin walkers to cat girls in Japanese animation. Like any other person, Furries can’t be pigeonholed. There are different levels of involvement. Some Furries are simply fans of the genre and don;t go any further than cosplaying. Others identify a spiritual connection to a totem animal, or discover a personality within them that they bring to the surface. This is the “fursona,” a sort of anthropomorphic alter-ego.

Chase, recalling her orginins, says, “One day I went to Pinball Pete’s in Ann Arbor and saw someone in a fur suit for the first time. Mine sister said, ‘Ew how creepy, I don’t like Furries.’ and I was like, what’s a Furry? So I went home and looked them up and it really connected to me. I saw that everyone (in the Furry community) saw each other as a family. I’ve always loved animals, always had a connection with them. So I decided to give it a shot.” On the development of her fursona, she explains, “I looked up different animals. Researched how they act, how they live. I found that German Shepherds are really loyal, playful, and happy. It really fit me.”

Raina’s story is similar. “When I was a little kid, I always liked putting a towel in my (waistband) pretending I was a fox.? She said with a smile. She only found out about the Furry community a year ago.

Ryzen is also new to the lifestyle. “I’ve always felt a connection with wolves and foxes.” He explains. “Wolves have this loyalty to their pack, and I’m loyal to my friends. As for foxes, you hear about them being sneaky and sly…I’m also like that.” He said he first became aware of Furries in high school. “I’d always liked the idea of anthropomorphic animals, but I never knew what it was called.” Finding that there was a community was a watershed moment for him.

Chase shows me her head…a full head-and-shoulders mask of her fursona, a black, brown, and white German Shepherd with a working jaw. The goal for most curries is to have a full-body fur suit made, but those are expensive. Chase’s head, paws (for hands and feet) and tail cost $600. There are individuals online you can contact to have them custom-made, but a lot of Furries learn to sew and make their own as well.

All three go out in public clad in their ears, tails, and collars. So how do people react? Raina smiles and says that she got some funny looks crossing the border into Canada. But at a shopping mall, “A child asked her mother, ‘Why is she wearing that stuff?’ and the mom said, ‘Because she wants to.”

“I love making kids smile when they see me.” Chase says. “Going out into public, seeing these characters come to life.” She recalls how once a place offered her free ice cream to just sit in the window for a white to advertise. But there have been bad reactions, too. “I was riding my bike the other day with the tail on, and this woman was just like, ‘Eww!’ I started laughing. It Can be funny.”

“Sometimes,” Sighs Ryzen. Sometimes, though, it hurts. Sometimes, there’s the wish to just be accepted at face value. Not being well-understood, Furries also often are conflated with others of their ilk who have a large web presence and are into some very adult themes. “We’re not all like that.” Chase says.

But the Furry community has found Ferndale, on the whole, to be an accepting place. Other common places Furries gather are conventions, mainly those for science fiction, comics, and Japanese animation. There are also a lot of online forums and get-togethers.

Finally, I ask what they’re like the general public to know about them.

“I just want people to know we’re not scary.” Raina says.

“If you see someone in a fur suit, don’t pull on anything.” Chase laughs. “The tails do come off.”

“Yeah.” Ryzen nods. “But then again, most of us like hugs.” So come on up and say hello, keep an open mind, and meet the cool cats… Or dogs, or foxes, on your block!

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You can learn a lot more about Furries online. http://en.wikifur.com/wiki/Furry is a good place to start. For fan website, try Furnation (www.furnation.com) and SoFurry (www.sofurry.com)

There’s also a few groups on Facebook made just for Michigan furies, such as Furry Michigan, Michigan Furmeets, and Michigan Furs: Home to Many, Loved By Most. Michigan also has two conventions, Great Lakes Fur Con and Motor City Fur Con.