Therians often define themselves as people who identify as a non-human animal, a definition which is distinct from that of furries, whose interest in anthropomorphic media does not necessitate identification with non-human animals. To test whether furries and therians differ significantly on this dimension, we’ve asked participants a number of questions about the nature of their attitudes toward their favorite animal species (e.g., fursona species, spirit guide).
In one study, furry and therian participants were asked to indicate the extent to which they identified with their fursona/special animal species on a 7-point scale. The figure above1 shows that therians identified significantly more with this species than furries did (M =5.60 vs. M = 6.60), providing some evidence that therians, more than furries, are defined by the strength of their identification with non-human animals.
Non-Therian Furries and Therians Responses to Animal Identification Items
| Group | Feel Less than 100% Human? | Physically Less than 100% Human? | Mentally Less than 100% Human? | What % Non-Human Do you Feel? |
Would you be 0% Human if you Could? |
|
Non-Therian Furries | 35.1% | 13.1% | 94.3% | 31.2% | 39.2% |
| Therians | 85.5% | 30.2% | 95.3% | 47.5% | 58.6% |
* Note that in the above table, “Physically < 100% Human,” “Mentally < 100% Human,” and “% Non-Human” responses are displayed ONLY for participants who responded that they felt < 100% human.
In the same study, participants were asked questions pertaining to their feeling that they are less than 100% human and their wish to be 0% human if they could. The results above2 suggest that there is a dramatic difference between therians and non-therian furries: a genuine belief in a connection to animals that may include feelings of being not entirely human (or, at very least, of having aspects of one’s fursona within oneself). Therians report significantly stronger feelings than furries that they are less than 100% human. It should be noted that this isn’t delusion, however—therians aren’t necessarily looking down and “seeing paws” in place of their hands3 (more on this in 7.3, Nature of Connection to Species). Nearly everyone who felt less than 100% human reported that it was primarily feeling mentally less than 100% human, and far fewer said that it was a feeling of being physically non-human (although therians were 2-3 times more likely to state that they felt physically less than 100% human). Finally, therians reported feeling more “non-human” than furries and a greater desire to be 0% human than non-therian furries.
Further supporting the idea that therians differ from furries with regard to the extent to which they identify with animals and humans, furries were given a scale assessing the extent to which they identify with humans in a recent study4. Therians identified significantly less with humans than furries did, converging with prior findings that therians are less likely to say that they consider themselves to be 100% human.
I’m a therian and I’m new to the fandom I’m a fox I felt that way since I was a kid I this learned about what a therian I didn’t understand why I didn’t feel like a human all these years I thought there was something wrong with me it feels good to know I’m not the only one my fursona name is summer bluefox
i am a cat. i may be a therian. it’s so good finding out that i am not alone i don’t have a fursona name (i don’t want one) summer bluefox you are awesome! don’t let anyone tell you otherwise
im also a fox! Slay
I’m not sure if I am a therian or furry.
They’re not mutually exclusive.
Its ok Ivy just tell me what you think or what you make or do.
Aye. I’m a non-furry therians, but many of my therians acquaintances are furries. At least on the surface (what they tell me), therians feel more comfortable “coming out” as non-human in the furry community. I don’t necessarily mean that they’re open about being therians, but they feel freer to behave like non-human animals.
Or maybe furries just have more fun
The furry fandom is well-known for being inclusive and accepting, so it jibes with your experience that therians in the fandom would feel more open about themselves than outside the fandom, whether they also identify as furries notwithstanding.
That behavior exists elsewhere, too. Vampires aren’t goths but they’re drawn to the goth community because they can “be themselves” there more comfortably. In fact, in the past, there’s been a three-way overlap between the three communities. There used to be a forum – PathwaysToDarkness that was fairly popular for all three.
This study would never pass peer review.
We’ve already published on this topic in peer-review in 2018 here 🙂
I honestly just found out this is a “thing.” Never in my life would I have thought that there was a cross species dysphoria.
This issue REALLY needs more public understanding. As what I call a Low end spectrum Furry I feel this is just one more thing to discriminate against.
yall are getting it wrong with therians. They dont have fursonas! i made a whole doc about the difference between the two. im not hating im just sayin so sorry if im sounding rude
Didn’t take that as rude at all. Trust me, as the Admin for this site, I’ve seen my share of rude and hate, and yours is neither 🙂 Just some general comments about your comment:
Any data we have/published about Therianthropy comes from self-identified therians, some of whom also identify as ‘furries,” some who don’t.
To the extent that some furries identify as therians, and further, those therians who are also furries have fursonas as they understand and use the term, we describe it that way, and more importantly do not prescribe it–we’re not advancing what ought to be with regard to the fandom, furries, therians, and/or fursona for that matter, but describing what is, i.e., what furries and therians tell us they are. This would be the case for any therians we’ve come across who identify as therians but not furries, too. Also, not all self-identified furries have fursonas either; it’s a small, maybe 5%.
Second, we’re going to be updating the Therianthropy/Otherkin page on our website with the latest data from our new book which you can get here.
Chapter 20 in the book, I believe, deals with therianthropy, and it’s co-authored by Dr Elizabeth Fein who specializes in therianthropy and neurodiversity in the fandom for Furscience.
The data suggests that distinction between furry with our without a fursona, and a therian with or without a fursona who is or is not a furry seems to be that former identifies with animals whereas the latter identifies as animals.
Bottom-line, the answer to the question of whether therians have a fursona or not, or both, or something separate and apart from (or whether that’s a distinction without a difference) will ultimately come from the community of therians, as we accumulate more and more data.
Anyway, I can’t say exactly when the page will be updated, nor this page, too, for that matter (we’re working on it, promise!), but please check back to continue the conversation 🙂
If you have any specific questions about therianthropy, please send me an email, and I’ll try and get you a more detailed answer(s), and/or direct you to a Furscientist best positioned to get you some clarification.
I hope that helps a bit, at least to know where we’re at in terms of first principles.
Thanks for your feedback!
Exactly
Therians dont have fursonas!💬😅
Hola soy de México ase poco descubrí que soy un therian yo me identifico como un lobo mi nombre real es melissa pero mi nombre de therians es delta light y se siente bien saber que hay más como yo y no lo tengo que esconder posdata vivo en ensenada específicamente y los que quieran alarme mi correo electrónico es este de abaja (esque no tengo muchos amigos)
Hola Delta la Lobo de mexico!
There are no Spanish speakers on the team, currently, so we’ve had to reply on Google Translate.
Actualmente no hay hispanohablantes en el equipo, por lo que tuvimos que responder en Google Translate.
We apologize in advance for any inaccuracies in the resulting translation.
Pedimos disculpas de antemano por cualquier inexactitud en la traducción resultante.
There are many resources for furries on the internet, but this is a good starting point for accurate, evidence-based information.
Hay muchos recursos para furries en Internet, pero este es un buen punto de partida para obtener información precisa y basada en evidencia.
Best of luck finding like-minded people who share your interest in the fandom and thanks for introducing yourself 🙂
Mucha suerte para encontrar personas con ideas afines que compartan tu interés en el fandom y gracias por presentarte 🙂
My son is showing signs of being a furry as his friends call it. I am looking for information so I can understand this identity.
There’s a lot to unpack there, but, for the most part, to be a furry is to be part of a fandom, to participate in cosplay, to share and enjoy anthropomorphic artwork and make friends just like everyone else. Furries typically don’t identify as animals, but identify with animals, and may appreciate characteristics thought to be associated with certain species; for example, someone who admires wolves, might identify with and appreciate or aspire to have the characteristic of loyalty, especially with and among friends. An excellent starting point for understanding the basics of what a furry is can be found here in our About section, “What’s a Furry?” The first posted is from a Conversation Piece explaining what a furry is and debunking some of the myths and misinformation around this fandom.
As a parent, we have a section that’s a resource just for parents who want to know more about this fandom: it’s set like a FAQs for Parents, and was written in collaboration with Mom’s of Furries, so I would encourage you to check that out, as well: “Resources for Parents”
We hope that helps get you started 🙂 Thanks for reaching out!