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Furvey 3 - Furriness

20. What is your phenotype?

European Rabbit - Oryctolagus cuniculus. Unless you're the sort who skips to this question first, then I somehow think it won't be a great surprise to you. =;)

21. How/when did you discover the identity/species of your phenotype?

I'm not entirely sure I can remember, though without a doubt reading Watership Down for the first time when I was 12 had a deep effect. (And to think that I only read it because I was ill!) Certainly I've been interested in rabbits for many years, since long before I knew about furry itself.

22. What conditions help you to enjoy/express your furriness?

Without a doubt, rabbiteering must top the list here. It's the nearest I'm ever going to get to actually being part of a warren, and even if it's only for a short time, the sheer exhilaration and elation I feel when I'm rabbiteering is beyond anything I could put into words. Except maybe *ping*! =:D

Being out on open grassy hills on a cool, windy day with just the slightest nip in the air is also something that I very much enjoy. There's a particular place a few miles from me where, when walking there, I almost always find myself thinking furry thoughts, and maybe singing some furry song or other. Loudly, too - I feel completely uninhibited about anyone else hearing me when I'm out there. =:)

Also, there's the internet of course. Being the main way I interact with other furs, it's always great to yatter on about this and that. alt.lifestyle.furry is more of a serious forum in my book, as there's the need to keep at least vaguely to the subject of furriness. My LiveJournal is different in that I can talk to other furs about all sorts of things - our furriness is always there, but it's simply another natural part of our lives, and I confess that I find that very refreshing.

23. How and when was your furriness first evident?

See Q21, really, as there wasn't any point at which I felt furry but didn't realise my phenotype.

24. How much of your furriness is 'instinct' vs 'learnt'?

Well, I tend to think my answer last year, "learnt instinct", isn't a bad way of looking at it. Clearly there was a feeling inside from long before I knew what it was - my furriness was a discovery, not an invention - but equally I've certainly adopted certain types of thought and behaviour more consciously.

25. How does your furriness influence your thoughts and emotions?

Well, anything and everything to do with rabbits affects me. I can't even read the word "rabbit" in a neutral way, and I tend to make use of every excuse to write the word "rabbit" (as you can see!). And when I read about, or worse see, dead or injured rabbits, it's physically painful.

26. Has your furriness improved the quality of your life?

I'll interpret that question as asking about whether embracing my furriness has improved my quality of life. And in that case, the answer is YES! For one thing, it's given me some amazing friends. =:D

27. What do you think caused your furriness?

I really don't have a clue, and it's not something I feel like spending any time worrying about.