Claims school students are grooming each other, wearing cat tails as part of new ‘furries’ trend

TikToks are going viral of school students claiming to identify as animals - or “furries” - amid reports some are even allowed to have litter boxes at school.

Feline furry personas are rising in popularity among Australian schools, with students scampering on all fours, grooming each other and wearing cat tails and ears to class.

Students from at least ten schools across Melbourne are reportedly adopting “fursonas” which are feline personas, the Herald sun can reveal.

These include a state high school in the inner east, a Catholic girls’ school in the north, a private co-ed school in the east and two state high schools in the west.

The Herald Sun reported last August of a year eight student who identifies as a cat. She is being supported by her school.

The furries subculture has been gaining popularity in Australia in recent years. Picture: David Kelly

A costume shop owner from Melbourne’s southeast said the “furries phenomenon” had become extremely popular among school students.

“We are selling lots of animal costumes including cats, sheep and tigers,” she said.

“We have also sold lots of accessories including cat ears and other items.”

She said the costumes had been most popular among kids aged between 10 to 13.

It comes as students at a Wollongong state school regularly share clips of students dressed as cats crawling and roaring on tables, mewing in groups and grooming each other.

One Queensland student from a trade college posted photos of a student with a “fursona” at her school, saying that some students “can’t have more than 2 earrings” but kids are allowed to have litter boxes at school.

And a Melbourne student posted a clip that appears to show five students on all fours jumping like animals in the school grounds with the hashtags #melbourne, #furrys, #schoolife.

The school is not identified.

The move is much more advanced in the United States, where students at some schools are allowed to come to school in their full fursona outfits in states such as Ohio, Florida, Kentucky and Miami.

Some posts are from students documenting harassment for wearing ear headbands and tails to school, with one saying she gets barked at, shoved and harassed.

Leading child psychologist Dr Michael Carr-Greg said children dressing up as furries was “incredibly rare”.

“Very few of my colleagues have experienced it,” Dr Carr-Gregg said.

He said children who identify as furries seem to be leading relatively normal lives.

“There’s a big debate in the literature whether this is a mental illness or whether this a passing fad and it hasn’t been resolved yet.

“To me if you’ve got thoughts, feelings and behaviours that interfere with three aspects of your life, your friendships, school and family then I’m concerned.

“In some instances, it does and some it doesn’t. It’s really up to the people who care for and love these individuals to use that as the criteria.”