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In many ways I’m not a very typical fur. I’m almost fifty-three as I write this, work in a blue collar field, and have little to no interest in furry art or artists. (I’m into furry fiction to the near-exclusion of all else, fandom-wise.) I don’t have a “furry-name” or “fursona”, and my first fursuit, if I still had it, would be older than the word itself. I would never have heard of half the fandom-famous anthro-cartoon characters if it hadn’t been for the fandom itself, because I was already an adult—even in many cases middle-aged—when the programs aired and became part of the rest of the fandom’s childhood. Perhaps most tellingly, I was thirty-seven years old before I ever heard the word “furry” used in its fandom sense. In other words, I lived most of my life in the universe that existed before there was a furry fandom, and remember it well.

This world was the world of the “paleofur”. The time before any of us knew there were others like us, who shared our interests and tastes. Before the internet brought us together, in other words, the long, long era when being a fur was a terribly lonely and to some degree even shameful thing.

One of my other great avocations is history, particularly military history of the early and middle twentieth century, and I continually read books on the subject. While I’ll admit that while I’ve made no dedicated effort to dig up paleofurs, having no idea of where to even begin looking, I’ve sort of kept my eyes open along the way for clues in the hope of coming across a kindred soul or two. And so far that’s exactly how many candidates I’ve come across—two.

The first I was very, very lucky on. Over a decade ago I was reading about P-47 strafing tactics during the latter part of World War Two when I came across a link on P-51 ground attacks. This in turn led me to an article…

…written by a man who claimed to have made several combat P-51 sorties over Germany at the very end of the war in a bunnysuit.

Now, I’m familiar with the fact that American flyers were often issued big, puffy coveralls called bunnysuits meant to keep them warm at altitude. This was most emphatically not one of those. The pilot in question, who had a nice eight- or ten-page website, said that he’d written home to his wife for a warm one-piece garment, and she’d sent him a bunny suit complete with ears and tail. Since it was all that he had that was warm and fit well enough he sort of had to wear it. (Longtime furries like myself, I’m quite certain, can take one look at the previous explanation and know a bowl of complete mush when they see it.) At any rate, as near as I can recall he flew two or three sorties right at the war’s very end in the thing, and slept in it as well despite what must’ve been a truly titanic wave of wisecracks coming his way. This man, I submit, was clearly a paleofur.

Sadly, I came across this truly excellent website very late at night and didn’t finish reading it (though I noted it hadn’t been updated in some time). I carefully bookmarked the page and got back to it about a week later. But it was gone. My guess is that the gentleman passed away. I failed to even note his name, which saddens me greatly. And no, I no longer have the bookmark—that was at least five computers ago. At the time I never dreamed I’d ever write an article on the subject or anything like that—the fandom was still far too small to have generated much in the way of a demand for such and showed few signs of ever getting to be a tenth the size it is today.

My second paleofur “find”, while less certain, was a huge shock. It was Winston Churchill—you may’ve heard of him. While I’ve covered the subject in some depth elsewhere, I’ll point out quickly that he owned and loved to play with children in a fursuit (gorilla), exchanged what looks very much like modern furry RP letters with his wife all the way down to her playing a cat and he a dog, and also (though this is entirely subjective) was enormously creative and artistically gifted, traits which seem quite common among furs. (He won a Nobel for literature and was a gifted-enough watercolorist that many experts agree he was a significant artist of the twentieth center totally apart from his political and literary life.)

So, I can hear my gentle readers asking right about now. Furries have existed in the past as well as the present. This is no great surprise.

No it’s not, really. After all, we see half-humans featured in Egyptian and even cave-wall paintings as well. Wondering what it’s like to experience the universe from behind the eyes of another species is probably nearly as old as sentient man. But what’s fascinating to me are the common threads, the similarities and sense of brotherhood that we—or at least I, being a former paleofur myself—instantly feel once the connection is made. More than a few social scientists and probably a fair number of psychologists and psychiatrists as well have looked with wonder upon our fandom and attempted with greater or lesser degrees of effort to figure out what makes us tick. I would submit that one valid approach to the truth would be to study the lives of those who were demonstrably furry before there even was a supportive fandom-base to welcome them out of the wilderness, who can’t be said to have simply joined a highly-accepting fandom for social support, but who instead revealed their inner furriness only at the risk of social censure, sometimes quite intense.

So, I’m making a rather bold suggestion here. To the best of my knowledge, I’m the only one in the world so far who’s taken any real interest at all in the paleofur phenomenon, and I’ve mostly gotten a whole lot of nowhere. At least a small percentage of the fandom, I think, might be at least marginally interested in a web page devoted to collecting information on more paleofurs; our cultural furfathers, so to speak. Such a page would be fun, educational, and perhaps might even serve as a useful research tool for the sociological types. I’d do it myself, but I’m so computer-inept (and exist so far from the social centers of the fandom) that my efforts would certainly be doomed before I even began.

Is anyone else out there interested?

submitted by uzzeee
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I've been lurking here for awhile, and it seems like lately there's been a backlash towards those for whom the furry community and fandom isn't just a hobby. A lot of posts I've seen seem to have this undercurrent of "Relax, we're the normal kind of furry." It feels like the general consensus is that you can be a furry, and that's fine, but if you're into the otherkin/therian/yiff/etc. side of things, "there is no way to pass that off as normal."

And while a lot of comments just sort of sweep those aspects under the rug, others I've read seem like they go out of their way to belittle, demean, and marginalize anything beyond the "just a hobby" point of view. Considering that one particularly pleasant user felt the need to declare that wanting to share something that, to some of us, is a significant aspect of our lives with those close to us, was "only fucking up your own life over something silly," it's hard not to feel somewhat unwelcome here.

I understand that to many members of the furry community it is just a hobby, a bit of harmless fun. But really, it's getting to the point where I don't even want to bother reading the comments anymore. Which for me at least kind of sucks, because I really thought this was a nice community, and spend most of what little free time I have here.

I really do hope that this is just what I'm reading into it. If this is the case though, it really is too bad. I liked you guys.

submitted by seventowin
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submitted by evilsibe
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submitted by VentKazemaru
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I don't like the idea of making karma off of non-oc.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qeRqkTNDFRI

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submitted by Nesilwoof
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Basically the title says it all. I'm just quite curious about this since a lot of the time I get this stereotype of people in the furry fandom liking genres such as electronic, dance etc. Just want to know what you guys and girls prefer!

Feel free to give examples of songs and artists and maybe even why you prefer the type of music you do.

submitted by Thegunner19
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Hello! First off this may be in the wrong sub, if so please feel free to take it down and send me a pm telling me where to do if you could. Anyway to the topic. I recently read redruskers "the deep dark" (NSFW, very NSFW) and don't know how I feel about it. Like I feel bad not for reading it but what goes on. The rape scenario, which I'm used to seeing, but this one just...bothers me for some reason or another. So any ideas of what's causing my emotions to suddenly change? Thanks guys, this community is full of cramps! :)

submitted by furrythrowaway2ndtry
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So basically, i started doing commissions like 2ish years ago. For the first several months, i did alright, made around $60 on cheap $3-$6 commissions. But for the past 8-10 months i have barely gotten anything, i'm not sure why. i don't have a huge amount of watchers on FA (mid-300's) but it's steadily growing, and i feel like my art has improved little by little over time, so i don't see why i'm getting less commissions instead of more. Any similar experiences? What's your opinion on this sort of thing?

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submitted by AirlessDragon
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We have found massive exploits in their site security that allows anyone to read, update and remove your information on the site.

This includes your account informations, emails, names etc Stream key (people can stream on your stream) And more importantly if you are a subscriber to their payment system, could get your details.

There is also much worst stuff people can do than this!

submitted by Jackster22
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This post is geared to younger furs who live with their parents or their parents are still heavily involved in their life (me). Older furs, if you would like to add on to this that would be helpful.

Alright everyone. My title appears pretty extreme, but with good reason.

I have read enough posts now on the subject that I HAD to make a individual post for it.

I keep seeing posts about how people want to 'come out of the closet' and tell people that they are a furry.

Simply put. Those two things shouldn't be involved in the same sentence.

You don't come out as a furry. You choose to join a fandom.

You see 'coming out' implies you are ashamed of what you are admitting you are. I think that people have yet to realise that if they where just more causal about a subject, they would be met with less grief.

If you are going to be a furry but don't want your family to find out for some silly reason then just hide it away. Especially if you think that no matter what they wouldn't 'accept you'.

Honestly, just being casual about the subject and not treating it like a sexuality or a fetish would take a lot of load off of your shoulders.

For example, I didn't go out of my way to tell my parents or family I was a furry. One day I left this very reddit open and my sister asked what a furry was. I casually told her that it was people who appreciated animal art, especially animals who could walk like humans.

Do you know what she said?

"Oh."

and she fucking walked off!

If I had said

"It's nothing!" or tried to hide it, she probably would have went on about it and did her own research, and we know what happens to people who have family who do that... See :My parents finally 'researched' what I was drawing. Unbelievable.!

I simply told her what it was, and nothing happened. No drama, nothing.

Even if there was drama, and she went on a tangent, then you just continue to approach the issue like its no big deal, because it isn't, and you shouldn't have to defend it like it is.

My parents yet to know anything about it besides having seen me look at a few pictures.

tldr?

Being a furry is a hobby. You do not need to treat it like it is a big deal.

The only exception to this is for you lifestyle furs out there. Which all I have to say is... well...

I can't help you buddy. There is no way to pass that off as normal, not like its a bad thing, but you will have more work to do then the average hobbyist.

submitted by Tomiix
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Dear Papabear, 

I have been on a tough road as far as finding employment for a while now, and as such the family that has taken me in to live with them. 

It has been about 6 months since then and still no job, so I've been told by one of my family members that if I didn't get one by this May, I'd be kicked out and sent to a homeless shelter. 

I'm slowly beginning to believe that may come to pass, despite my current efforts at filling out application after application. If it should truly come to that, I briefly considered overdosing on my naproxen to just end this frustration once and for all. Would it truly still be worth it to keep hope and faith alive with such a looming threat hanging over my head?

Anonymous (age 30, St. Louis, MO)

* * *

Dear Anonymous,

Your letter makes the bear sad. I can see why you would be depressed, but being unemployed and having an unsupportive family are not the worst things in life and certainly not worth killing yourself over. I’m sorry your family is treating you this way. If I had a family member who was in need of my help, I would welcome them into my home and try to help them for however long it took until they were back on their feet. That is what real family does. Do all of your family members feel this way? If not, talk to the ones who don’t and persuade them to be on your side on this, then team up with them to make your case with the naysayers to let you stay there for now.

It seems to me that as long as you are making a concerted effort to find work, you should be allowed to stay. If the problem is they are having a hard time with money, there are things you can do about that. If you haven’t already, you can probably pay for much of your own food by applying for government food assistance. Go here to learn more about that. Are you getting unemployment? Certainly you should be, if you are not, go here. 

You can also offer to help around the house as much as possible, if you haven’t done that already. Doing chores, watching the kids, yard work, handyman projects, anything you can do like that will not only show you are supporting the family but will also save them money. Make yourself a valuable member of the family and see if that will turn things around for you.

Meanwhile, the job search. You don’t say much about your job history, how you became unemployed, etc., so I am just shooting in the dark here. Now, if the following is the case, you are in great luck: if you were laid off from any of these companies in the St. Louis area, you can get free training and employment help: Hostess, Yellow Pages, Mars, Faurecia, CPI, Energizer, ATK, Climax Packaging, Thyssen Krupp, Sanofi-Aventis, or American Italian Pasta Company. If so, go here and contact the SLATE Missouri Career Center. SLATE stands for the St. Louis Agency on Training and Employment. Contact them, even if you didn’t work for any of the above, and they should be able to point you in the right direction, including career counseling and possibilities for further education, if needed.

While that’s going on, don’t forget to network. Contact and talk to every friend and relative you have, tell them what you are looking for, and see if they might give you some leads. Learn to market yourself. You can start doing so cheaply by starting a professional Facebook page (note: that’s different from your personal page), and getting some free business cards from Vistaprint.com. You can even start a very low-cost business website with such services as GoDaddy.com or Weebly.com to promote yourself. 

You don’t say what your skills are, but you might try using whatever skills you have to be a freelancer like yours truly. Sometimes you don’t even have to have any particular skills, just be a hard worker and well-organized. For example, I have a friend in the valley who is a professional errand-runner. He does pretty much anything you need: fetching groceries, house sitting, pet sitting, shuttle service to the airport, getting your dry cleaning, anything you like. Yogi and I hired him to take us to the airport and then watch our house while we were in New York, for example. Depending on your resources and, again, skills, you can do most anything if you are good at marketing yourself. Here’s a helpful article on the subject.

These days, more and more people are becoming freelancers and starting businesses in their homes because they’ve been screwed over by corporate America. You could be one of those people! Er, the successful freelance type, not the screwed over type :-P

There are many possibilities for you, dear furiend, if you put your mind and energy to them. Please put dire thoughts of suicide aside. If you can’t, please seek help right away. The national suicide prevention hotline can help you online and for free—they are just a click away.

As long as there is life, there is hope. And there is hope for you. You have only been unemployed for six months. There are people out there who have been jobless for years, but they are still trying. Don’t give up and you will eventually, inevitably, find work again.

Write again, please, if you need more help.

Hugs,

Papabear

* * * 

Dear Papabear, 

Thank you so very much for responding to my letter. I needed someone else to talk to and you did make me feel a little better. I realized shortly after I wrote the letter that I didn't actually fully convey or be more elaborate with the details of what is going on with me currently and I'm sorry for that. 

As far as my living sitaution, my two family members ( my cousins, mostly one of them ) I have a pretty tenuous relationship with stemming from the fact that she didn't want me to stay with them in the first place seeing as I'm a grown man and I'm not gravely disabled on anything. My other cousin is more laid back and was the one who convinced the other to allow me to move in with them. 

I can understand where they're coming from having another person seemingly barging into their lives and a young guy no less (they're in their early 60s). One is retired and the other is still working planning her own retirement in a few more years. 

I do have food stamps actually. I reapplied for them a couple months ago, I can't receive unemployment was due to the fact that I worked under a company that was non-profit. I worked at a former military record center as a custodian from Sept. 2003 to Dec. 2012. I was let go due to the fact that I had spent too long off work to care for my aunt who was suffering from cancer before she died in mid-August last year. I'm also receiving job assistance from a career placement agency. 

I don't have many family members or anyone else close to me to refer to about jobs except for a couple more cousins and I dont have any other special skills yet I believe I have a decent work ethic along with considerable people skills. In the meantime, I clean the kitchen and dispose of the trash as well as straighten out my basement room and bathroom. 

Sorry for the long letter here and thank you again for listening. I try to keep looking on the bright side of things.

Hugs, 
Anonymous

* * *

Hello, again,

Glad I could ease your mind a little bit. Permit me to comment a bit on your second letter because some of this may benefit my readers.

First of all, it doesn't matter whether you work for a for-profit or nonprofit company or organization. If you are fired, you can collect federal unemployment assistance. I recommend you apply for it as soon as possible. I don't know who told you that you couldn't get unemployment, but they were dead wrong.

Secondly (and, again, I don't know enough details here), in most cases, companies are legally required to try to work with you if you are caring for a terminally ill family member before they fire you. Depending on the job, they can offer you more flexible hours, the chance to work at home, or unpaid time off. Now, the law does not put too much burden on companies, if they can make a case that this would cost them too much money or they are unable to adjust staffing to accommodate you. But, some effort could have been made before firing you, I believe. Depending on circumstances, it might be worth your time to consult an attorney about this. At least, keep it in mind for future reference.

It's good you help around the house, but, seeing as you are unemployed, I suggest you do more than clean the kitchen and keep your room and bathroom clean. If it were me in your situation, I would be cleaning the entire house and yard and running errands for my hosts. You're thirty years old and they're in their sixties and one of them still works; I'm sure you have a lot more time and energy on your hands then they do, so use it to ingratiate yourself to them.

If you are lacking nearby friends and relatives for networking opportunities, try contacting former coworkers. Check the newspaper for local business gatherings. You might try--if you can afford to--joining the local chamber of commerce or other local business group. Oh, and when it comes to applying for a job, don't say, "I have a decent work ethic along with considerable people skills." Everybody says that, and it will get you nowhere fast. You need some skills, so now's the time to get some. Talk to the unemployment office or an employment agency about free or low-cost training opportunities in your area.

Glad you no longer sound suicidal!!!!

Good luck!!!

Papabear