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A fursona is a personally claimed persona resembling an Anthropomorphism animal adopted by a member of the furry fandom. Fursonas can provide numerous roles for the creator. According to The New Science of Narcissism, 95% of furries have a fursona; with the International Anthropomorphic Research Project estimating that the average furry has between two and three fursonas over the course of their life.
Some individuals' fursonas are acted out primarily online, but also at and in other public spaces. Acting out one's fursona in person may involve wearing a fursuit, a physical representation of a fursona, or pieces thereof, depending on the activity. For example, a fursuiter may choose to wear just the head of the suit in higher temperature environments to reduce the risk of overheating. Another small minority express a desire to become, or already see themselves as, their fursona species. These people may additionally identify as therians or otherkin.
According to Fred Patten, it was common for attendants to use their real names or nicknames at ConFurence (world's first furry convention) in 1989. Around the early '90s, new attendants to the convention adopted personas for roleplay; many didn't use their real names, instead using the names of their furry personas. Fursonas later became commonplace in the fandom by the mid-1990s. p. 18
According to the Anthropomorphic Research Project, among the most common fursona species are wolf, foxes, dogs, , Mustelidae, , , and ; less common examples for fursonas include , , , , Cattle, , and ; furries most rarely use non-human as the basis for their fursona.
| Table based on surveys between 2017–2022 !Species !Percentage !Species !Percentage !Species !Percentage !Species !Percentage !Species !Percentage | |||||||||
| Other | 27.8% | Shapeshifter | 4.4% | Other Reptile | 2.4% | Mouse/Rat | 1.5% | Snake | 0.9% |
| Wolf | 19.1% | Custom | 3.8% | Raccoon | 2.4% | Red panda | 1.4% | Unicorn | 0.8% |
| Fox | 16% | Deer | 3.4% | Monster | 2.2% | Skunk | 1.4% | Raven | 0.7% |
| Hybrid | 14.4% | Rabbit | 3.2% | Pokemon | 2.1% | Griffin | 1.3% | Owl | 0.7% |
| Dragon | 13.5% | Hyena | 3% | Protogen | 2.1% | Taur | 1.2% | Crow | 0.7% |
| Dog | 12.5% | Lion | 2.8% | Other bird | 2.1% | Dinosaur | 1.1% | Squirrel | 0.6% |
| Cat | 7.7% | Bear | 2.7% | Otter | 2% | Shark | 1% | Phoenix | 0.6% |
| Other big cat | 5.8% | Snow leopard | 2.6% | Horse | 1.9% | Kangaroo | 0.9% | Insect | 0.6% |
| Mythical | 5.3% | Coyote | 2.6% | Goat | 1.7% | Cattle | 0.9% | Hawk | 0.5% |
| Tiger | 4.5% | Werewolf | 2.6% | Bat | 1.5% | Ferret | 0.9% |
Although the inspiration varies from individual to individual, many furries describe their fursona being inspired by their favorite media or mythology. However, the majority state that their fursona was primarily internally generated. The majority of furries also cite shared characteristic as a reason for choosing a particular species. These are usually archetypal traits as ascribed to the species by humans, as opposed to actual animal behaviors. Some popular fursona species are particularly strongly associated with certain traits, for example, dogs being considered 'loyal' or rabbits being considered 'promiscuous'.
Some furries state that they simply have an innate connection to their chosen species. A small minority believes that their chosen species was a past life, is a spirit guide, or that they were supposed to be born as such. These notions overlap strongly with the experiences of otherkin and shapeshifting.
Furries often take a long time to decide on their fursona. 25 to 50% of furries surveyed have had more than one original character over the course of their lives, and about 25% stated that they had more than one concurrently. Furries with multiple fursonas usually do not see them as representing multiple selves, but facets of the same self, possibly related to how they express themselves in different social contexts. Additionally, the characteristics of a fursona may change over time along with its owner. This is usually in personality, but species may change as well.
Just as art is central to the furry fandom in general, it also plays a critical role in the creation and representation of fursonas. Furries who are not artistic themselves may commission artwork of their fursona from other members of the fandom as part of the creation process.
On average, furries rate their fursonas higher on all dimensions of the big five personality traits. They view their fursonas as having more desirable traits than they do, and fewer undesirable traits. Various researchers suggest that there is an extent to which fursonas serve as idealized versions of their owners. Projecting this idealized self can ease social tensions and reduce social anxiety. Dunn also argues that eventually, these idealized traits are incorporated back into the self. While he notes that the most common idealized traits given to fursonas are also considered ideal by society at large, S. E. Roberts et al. hypothesize that to some, fursonas serve as a safe way to explore traits that are socially undesirable.
Furries are often highly concerned with their fursona being unique. When they deem that their fursona has been 'copied', their sense of self may be threatened.
Furries may use their fursonas to explore their conceptualization of their gender and presentation, and some fursonas have a different gender, age, or sexual orientation than that of their creator. In a 2016 study concerning the negotiation and performance of identities by the furry community, multiple research participants emphasized the importance of costuming and fursonas in exploring one's gender identity or sexual orientation. Transgender furries with a sense of gender identity and generalized identity that does not match their physical appearance or sex assigned at birth frequently possess a fursona or fursonas that present their idealized selves. Similar situations exist for those with other kinds of body dysphoria and related struggles.
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