Kiroo's FAQ v1.2 This FAQ answers many of the common questions people ask me about myself, furry, plush and other such subjects. I answer these questions as a human, rather than 'Kiroo' my character, so you can learn more about what furry means to me. If you have any questions that are not answered here please email me, I promise I will reply :) Q: Why do you like kangaroo's? A: They're unique creatures, the shape of their body and method of movement - no other animal looks quite the same. I feel that by adopting a furry persona of a less conventional manner I retain some of that uniqueness for myself, a necessary measure in a subculture that's overrun by foxes and wolves :) My interest in kangaroos goes back further than furry though: Tank Girl and her kangaroo-boyfriend Booga was a big influence on my childhood. Q: Do you think you are actually a kangaroo? A: No, not physically, or spiritually. I prefer to think of Kiroo as an separate side to my personality - one that allows me to express myself in a furry context. This manifests itself primarily online, and occasionally offline in role-play situations. It is a character that allows me to escape and experiment with different aspects of my personality - ones that I would feel less comfortable exploring in everyday life. Q: Do you bounce around and pretend you're a kangaroo? A: Not unless I am wearing costume or deliberately role-playing. Many people wear and adorn their bodies with symbols that outwardly reflect their furryness, I prefer to keep it a private interest. Outside of close friendships I make little or no reference to it. It's a shame that social conformity makes it hard to be open and expressive about something so important in my life, but I'm glad at least there are places and people I can share it with. It's what makes the furry community so special. A: Do you like any other animals apart from kangaroos? Q: Of course! I think most furries have more than one favourite animal. There's very few creatures I don't like, but my second favourite would be polar bears, closely followed by huskies. Of course I much prefer animals in anthropomorphic form - standing upright with vaguely human features and proportions. Q: How long have you been a furry? A: I've had an interest in anthropomorphic animals for most of my life, or since I was a kid. It wasn't until I was 18 that I discovered there was a group of like-minded individuals who shared the same interests and feelings as me. It was an exciting time in which I learned more about myself than I could have possible imagined. As the years progressed my involvement in furry ebbed and flowed. There have been times when I've been less active, and times when I've thrown everything into it. However it's such an important aspect of who I am that I can never truly forget it. Furry will always be a part of me. Q: How many plush do you have? A: It's changed over the years, at one point I had around 40, the majority of which were collected over the first 4 or 5 years of discovering furry. I don't buy so many these days, and my collection has shrunk down to about 15. These are my absolute favourites, and now I'll only buy a new plush if it really stands out. I can't afford to be over-run by them, no matter how cute they are :) Q: Why do you like plush so much? A: Apart from the brief reasons I wrote about on the plushies page, there are two other important ones: Firstly, I find plush fulfill an emotional need for comfort. Their fur and softness satisfies a tactile, physical need, which translates into a sense of mental well-being. Secondly, I find them visually attractive; I enjoy looking at furry artwork and I think of plush as physical representations of anthropomorphic characters. Q: Do you sleep with your plush? A: Possibly the single most-asked question, seeing as several plush sit on my bed. Yes, I do sleep with them, for the simple reason I mentioned above: they are comforting. In fact I've grown to develop a dependency with them and trying to get to sleep without one can be very difficult. Perhaps not an ideal situation if travelling or visiting friends, but I can think of far worse dependencies! Q: Do you have/wear a fursuit? A: No, but if I had one I would! Unfortunately I haven't had the opportunity to buy or make one yet. It's something I want to do in the future, but right now my lifestyle is too busy and cramped. Q: Have you ever been to a furry convention? A: Yes, although it took me nearly 8 years! They held little interest for me until I went to Eurofurence one year, and after having a surprisingly good time I decided to attend several others. Q: What sort of furry artwork do you like? A: I enjoy the toony side of things in general, or at least furry characters that aren't too realistic. I like the characters to be normally proportioned, not overly-muscled or plump, and dressed neutrally, rather than representing a particular fashion or subculture. I used to list some favourite artists here but it got too long and links kept changing. Q: Do you draw furry artwork? A: No, I can't draw at all. I'd like to say I have a fine sense of aesthetics (I was originally trained in graphic design), but to be honest my design skills seem to wane with each year that passes. Q: What are your hobbies? How do you spend your free time? A: I used to do a lot graphic design and programming, but since my career got busier I found myself too exhausted to carry on in my spare time. I also used to be an amateur electronic musician, but haven't composed anything in quite a while. I like to travel, I've been backpacking round quite a few countries and hope to explore many more in the future. Q: What kind of music do you listen to? A: I love to explore the very fringes of what's available, especially in the experimental and avant-garde genres. I like to be challenged with what I hear; it fills me with a sense of exploration and adventure. I also believe there is something to appreciate in all forms of music. Which I realise doesn't answer the question, but if write the names of any artists here they'll just be out of date in a year. Q: Where do you live? A: In London, England. I moved there in 2006. It's an extremely vibrant and interesting place to live. Having grown up in the countryside I'm enjoying the culture-change of a big city, and I hope to one day work in other cities around the world. Q: What do you want to do with your life? A: A question I perhaps ask myself, rather than get asked by other people. I have no ultimate ambition, although I like to set myself immediate goals to keep active and motivated. I have a habit of planning my future quite rigorously, but it's what drives me and forces me into all kinds of interesting situations. I like to think the most important aspects of life is to explore and experience, and furry has certainly been one of them. Q: I have a question! A: Email me with it! I promise I'll reply. Go to the contact section for my email address.