Lion costume stolen in Adelaide ignites interest in furry subculture – but don’t confuse furries with plushies
The theft of a lion costume from an Adelaide house has attracted headlines – and shed a light on a little-known subculture called furries.
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Did you think the Furry Down Under Convention was a gathering of merkin lovers?
You wouldn’t be alone.
Lion “furries” have fluffed their way into headlines today after a Woodville South man put out an appeal for his lion costume.
The $4000 bespoke fursuit, with green embroidery on the chest, paw pads and nose, was nicked.
And the man (who gave up the opportunity to call himself Aslan and instead went with Basilisk) is devastated. Because he’s a furry. The lion is his fursona. He’s a furfan.
But before you get all sniggery, furries are not about heavy petting.
They just like to get dressed up in animal costumes. Basilisk said they like to meet in the park for picnics and chinwags.
In case you were thinking of turning up in your zebra hoodie, unzip that thing. To be a respected furry, you have to suit up in something special. One Australian costume maker spruiks “elaborate manes” “vertical oblong pupils” and “3D ‘Follow Me’ eyes”. Muscle padding is optional.
Basilisk was a little miffed that people online had confused his lion love with plushophilia.
It’s a common misunderstanding that when grown adults get dressed up in costumes and gather together that they must want to rub their furry bits together.
Not all of them do.
They may nuzzle, or they may not. But The furry subculture has a subculture of its own – plushies.
Plushophiles, or plushies, are the type to get turned on by Humphrey B Bear. To get hot for Fat Cat.
And some of them also like the humble home teddy bear. Or a Tickle Me Elmo.
They’re governed by The Plush Code, which they can use to indicate whether they just like to cuddle, whether they like anthropomorphic animals, whether they carry their plush pals around, or whether they’re plush platonic.
Occasionally multiple plushies will get together to form a “furpile”.
Australian furries have complained in the past about the stigma attached to their suits, about people who see them as a sex cult. About people who can’t tell the difference between a furry, a plushy, and a character from The Masked Singer.
They want you to know they’re all individuals. In fact, you don’t even have to be dressed up to be a furry.
Some just like to watch.