Fursona Hopping Is Driving Her a Little Crazy

Dear Papabear,

I have a problem with fursona-hopping. I have been a furry for at least four years and I've gone through at least four different fursonas in the last year trying to find one that fits me. Every fursona I pick in the beginning seems to be a great choice because I love the animal and I think it fits my personality. In a few months I abandon the fursona and move on to a new one. I always feel unattached and not familiar to a fursona after a month or two. I want to be able to identify with a fursona that is me and will stick with me for years. Is there anything I can do to stop this and finally settle down with a fursona that’s right for me?

Ameru (age 14)

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Dear Ameru,

It’s not uncommon at all for a furry to switch fursonas multiple times before settling on one or more that suits them best. Some people switch more than others. I switched from wolf to dragon and finally to bear. Each animal represented a different phase of my life: wolf as a child, wanting to be part of a pack; dragon as a teenager, wanting to be strong and alone; bear as a man, wanting to be lazy, friendly, and big and hairy LOL. Oh, and briefly, I was a chipmunk as a kid because I really liked Chip & Dale, hee hee.

When I was a wolf and a dragon, though, I didn’t know about the fandom yet. Maybe that’s why I wasn’t so concerned about my fursona selection. Being a bear as an adult was a natural choice for me because the bear is also my primary animal on the Medicine Wheel and because of certain, well, other preferences I have with real people that I won’t get into since you’re only 14.

Your difficulties at your age with fursona selection are completely understandable because they reflect the struggles you and every teen goes through in discovering just who they are. This is why a species of animal fits you one day and not the next. Because you are changing almost daily as well as you discover yourself.

Papabear’s advice to you is to not fret that you are having difficulty with your fursona. Instead of trying to nail it down for eternity, go ahead and change your skin as often as you like. In fact, the more you try, the better off you will be because you will have the advantage of learning the pros and cons of each species (or hybrid) and you will learn a lot.

When the time is right, the perfect fursona will come into being for you. That’s how it was for me and Grubbs. Even the name of my bear side just came to me and I knew it was right.

Be patient, don’t force it, and let it come naturally to you in it’s own time.

Hugs,

Papabear