We have been building these cute critters for over 7 years now!
We have built over 300 of the faces you know and love in this fandom here and are still so happy to be able to continue to create. As of this moment we a booked full and solid until August 2015 so we are very busy.

This journal has a very important message though, to our clients who have had our suits and have worn them proudly over the years.

You have in your closet, or on your desk, or tv, or wherever you have it sitting-
A one of a kind, unique piece of art. This creation is not simply a costume, it is an individual. No matter how much you have spent on this, it should be priceless to you. There is nothing else like it anywhere on this planet right now, and there will never be again. You should take care of it and treat it as such. These creations are not industrial made mascots, they will be needed to be taken care of and worn carefully in some cases.
We are more than willing to fix your creation when it gets a boo-boo or two within reason. This is up to you to take of your fursuit, and when it needs something- to email us and ship the costume back so we can fix it or let you know what can be done.

Sure this will be time away from your baby and sometimes there might be a fee within reason, but if this is worth it to you and important that will be OK!

We have seen over the years that the average (within reasonable conditions and repairs)-
Our fursuits should last about 4-5 years. Think about what you were doing 4 years ago- that is a long time! Have you purchased new clothing since then? I hope so. Think about how your clothing fairs over the years and then compare your fursuit.
Fursuits aren't made with materials that are even close to being as tough as denim.
These creations are made of fake fur that has little holes in the backing where they weave the fibers in- and are already very thin and fragile on their own, then with thread, hot glue, foam and vinyl and such they are hand crafted.

I know we are a fursuit "company" as we are a licensed business but really this is art. These are one of a kind creations. They are not industrial mascots. We would be lying if we said mistakes haven't been made over the years but that's why all we can do is try our best to fix them.

This company was originally started because two young, like-minded people wanted to make nice looking fursuits for themselves and their friends to wear. It really is crazy how much of a snowball effect came from "making a few fursuits for friends" to what DHC is today and what it means now. As of right now, the two founders have even been venturing into other aspects of their lives and have put a limit on the amount of fursuits that will be made in the future and are ultimately phasing some things out.
Someday there will be no DHC. So cherish your creations, there will never be another exactly like it.


-Lucky

Please email us if you ever need anything, we care about each of these creations as we spend a lot of time and effort on them, and hand picked each one because we wanted to create it. Slandering us will not help get a solution.

- Please note that any negative comments anywhere on this account will result in automatic "Hide comment and block". We have zero tolerance for controversy.

Hey everyone! We would like to announce that we will be having a group photo/meet and greet at Midwest Furfest!

We would like to meet in the headless lounge after the parade :) It will be very crowded but we would like everyone to get some water and then follow us to the photo shoot location :)

The photo will be in one of these areas if you are slightly late :
Against the staircase by the headless lounge, by the red wall by the headless lounge, by the couches and orange wall in the upper lobby, or outside the doors of where the parade ends.

We had an excellent turn out last year of 40 attending!
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/9297440/

We would love to see all of you there again and all of the new faces that haven't been to MFF as well!~

Spread the word to other DHC suiters! :)

Thank you so much and safe trip!

~DHC

Hey guys, we really appreciate all the new watchers and support we've been getting! So a huge thank you from our team to you! :)

We have been making a lot of really cool characters lately, and hope that our pace stays strong!

We still have 2 pre-made costumes that will be for sale soon, and a few that are being built to be put up for pre-made sale as well! So be on the look out for those, they will be auction style so there is a chance to pick them up for a fair price!

And as a reminder for those interested in ordering a suit, you have to email DHC for a quote, and we only make fullsuits: average cost is $2500-$3000 USD and it really helps to have a NeonSlushie Concept Art finished before contacting us!

Take care!

~ DontHugCacti Team

www.DontHugCacti.com

Hey! We just wanted to announce that as usual we will be having a DHC photo shoot at AC!
It will be held right after the parade is finished! :)

This year it will be hosted by  Doryuu and  Howee as Lucky & Skuff will not be attending.
You can see his journal on it here!

Please meet us all in the normal main headless lounge where you can get water, it is across from the auditorium where the parade ends.
Just come in and look for the group of DHC suiters!

We will then walk over to the big walkway area and take a group photo by the big windowed corner!

Please spread the word! :D

-DHC Team

www.DontHugCacti.com

So coming up and
Are going to be getting married, and will be honeymooning for about a week.

What we are asking is no one email us or contact us from April 18-29th

We would appreciate not having a backlog of emails to take care of when we get back.

We have never closed our commissions in the history of our company but this will be the closest thing to it.

Please respect our wishes and pass this info on to help us have a lovely wedding/honeymoon without having to worry about all the emails.

*Lucky (blushing coyote bride)

~DHC
www.donthugcacti.com

We have been experiencing some difficulties with a transfer between webhosters, and the site has been down for a little over a week now.

We do not know when it will be back up but if you want a quote, the process is still the exact same for it :

Send us an email at donthugcacti-at-yahoo-dot-com with a finalized 3 view fursuit concept with no shading or blending colors. If you need concept art, go here!

We are only open for fullsuits; the average cost is $3000 USD so there are no surprises ;)

~

*Lucky

For those DHC outlaws attending MWFF we would love to get a chance to hang out and suit around the con together so be sure to follow our twitter and we'll be able to meet up and such!
Our team members and family this year are just itching for a great time, so if we see any of you, Glitter and Glam fox are bringing something silly to give you if we see you out and about ;)

We will have another DHC photoshoot this year, after the end of the parade, come back inside and meet us by the weird lobby with the staircase right next to the headless lounge and we will take a photo in this same location.
EX PHOTO (MWFF 2011) : http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6976764/

We will have a special gift for all the DHC suiters who show up and join us in the DHC photo so please come join us!

Please spread word and tell any of your friends with a DHC suit :) We love you guys so much! See y'all at MWFF 2012 tommorrow!!!!

~Dont Hug Cacti

Fall is the best time of the year, great holidays and family time - and not to mention the best suiting weather!!!!

We have been trying to pick up the pace for this next month as MWFF 2012 is merely a month away! Let us be the first to say there are gonna be 10 more adorable suits popping up just before MWFF ;)

For those DHC outlaws attending MWFF we would love to get a chance to hang out and suit around the con together so be sure to follow our twitter and we'll be able to meet up and such!

We will also have another DHC photoshoot this year, after the end of the parade, come back inside and meet us by the weird lobby with the staircase right next to the head less lounge and we will take a photo in this same location
EX PHOTO (MWFF 2011) : http://www.furaffinity.net/view/6976764/

Last years photoshoot was probably my favorite of all the ones we've ever done. MWFF 11 simply just had so much DHC love and I really look forward to more at MWFF 12!!!

We will be sure to remind everyone again, but please spread word and tell any of your friends with a DHC suit :) We love you guys so much!

~Dont Hug Cacti

PS, we might be trying to get some goodies together for some of you DHC suiters attending MWFF so cross your paws for that!

Hey everyone! I wanted to announce that once again, as usual we will be having a DHC photo shoot at AC!
It will be held right after the parade is finished!

Please meet us all in the normal main headless lounge where you can get water, it is across from the auditorium where the parade ends.
Just come in and look for the group of DHC suiters.

We will then walk over to the big walkway area and take a group photo by the big windowed corner!

Please tell anyone else you know that has a DHC suit!
I would love to see all the new faces from this years hard work!

-DHC Team

www.DontHugCacti.com

Hey guys~!
It's been crazy in the shop lately as we round spring on our way to AnthroCon season!~
Can't wait to be wagging our tails in the westin lobby come June!

So right now we'd like to bring attention to our lovely blog we've had running for awhile now :

http://donthugcacti.tumblr.com/

Just some really lovely and fun photos on there so you should go check it out!

That being said, the blog has really been a great success so we are hopeing to bring that same feel over to DHC's FA page :) Our talented blogger will be taking over DHC FA and uploading some more fun images :) We will still upload our new suits for this year and label them with numbers for their order :)

*keep waggin those tails folks!*

~DHC Team

http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7444861
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7444861
http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7444861

All info is on that link.

Congrats to 's entry- http://www.furaffinity.net/view/7370206
You used the Valentines theme very well!

Thank you everyone who participated and we hope you had a wonderful Valentines Day with your special someone. Special thanks to the 2 video entries. How do you all feel about a video contest next?

www.donthugcacti.com
 donthugcacti

Thank you all who participated in our Valentines Day photo contests. As usual, we received a TON of good submissions. We even received 2 video submissions. We may have to make a video contest next... we'll see :) Winner will be announced this weekend.

Quality vs Quantity seems to be a big subject that is coming up in the fursuit world. We believe it is important. Leave a comment below :) Here are our thoughts on it:

Quality vs quantity should be an issue. Possibly even the two biggest concerns that you can have when looking for a commission. Who wants a low quality suit? One should not break it down that simply, there are many factors that should be taken into consideration. Quality is our main concern when making suits. If we had 200 low quality suits running around and coming back for repairs, we would never have time to work on new projects. One of our goals is once we send a suit out of the studio, is to never see it again... meaning it never needs any repairs. Bad quality projects will tend to weed studios out of the market. Work spreads quickly in the age of information, and the fandom, in general, is pretty close knit.

Quantity has always been an issue, albeit, a little more so in the past. There were less suit makers, at least less full time suit makers. Getting a professionally made suit was a bit more in demand. Things got delayed, suits took a long time to complete, sometimes even taking years. Several things can effect the "quantity" of suits completed per month. Such things include, years of experience, hours worked, number of employees, and yes, even quality. I can't stress this enough, but the easiest way to find out the reputation of a fursuit builder is to talk to their customers. If you are reading this on FA, chances are you have some friends, some of which will have a suit. Go ask them!

Two suits a month is a lot of work for someone working alone, out of a small space, and with a 2nd job. 8 or 9 suits a month is definitely not unachievable for a multi employee studio working fulltime. I believe that 10-12 suits a month is achievable. And achievable, meaning, without sacrificing quality. Lowering quality to up quantity will not help any studio in the long run. It just doesn't work in the custom project industry.

Then again, quality and quantity are directly proportional to wait time and price. Is getting a low quality suit in 5 days at a cost of $300 worth it? There's a market for everything. Is paying $4000 and waiting 2 years worth it? Maybe not to you, but it probably is to someone else. It's all relative. What do you think?

100 fullsuits goal:

So as January comes to a close, we now have a better idea of how hard 100 full suits will be to make. Our goal was to finish 9 commissions this month, and as of the 30th, we have completed 7, 2 are 75% or more complete, and 1 side project is nearly done. So it looks like we will have at least 8 done by February. 8 x 12 is 96, so we aren't horribly far off. Regardless, this is a GOAL. These are not all commissions, nor are they all deadlines. In fact, only 2 of the suits we made this month had a January deadline, the rest are completed significantly earlier than scheduled. It would be ridiculous for us to accept 100 commissions. Injury, illness, time off, sick dog, sick grandma... things come up. We are still accepting about the same amount of commissions as last year. What we plan on doing is to get some done early, and refill in their slots with new commissions. This way we will never have a workload that we can not handle. (trade secret, [not really])



Premade suits sale:

Our second plan to help get to our 100 fullsuit goal is to make some projects on the side. Doing this eliminates a lot of extra time that is needed on commissioned projects. We literally have a notebook full of future characters and suits that we will be building on the side. We plan to sell these either here on FA, or on ebay. The suits will be brand new, unnamed, they will come with custom feet paws and a character badge to the name of your choice. Advantages of these is that it will be a chance to get a suit at a slight discount vs a custom commission. There will literally be no waiting to get it. Also, you can see exactly what the suit looks like before yo buy it. We hope this idea works as there are a LOT of characters that we would like to build from our own heads. Ideally, it would be like a DHC catalog.


Future contests:

Definitely have some more contests in mind. Valentines day is coming up, so we have been thinking about something related to that. Before V-day, we may have something coming up on our twitter. *hint hint* Also, I would like to do a DHC suit only contest as well... February will be a fun month.



Thanks for reading. January commissions will be posted in the next week or so.

~
www.donthugcacti.com
https://twitter.com/#!/Donthugcacti

Well, it took us a good full day to finally decide on a winner. We were able to narrow it down to about 7 or 8 and then it was really hard from there. There were several good set up shots and several good mid action shots. There were even several good fursuit shots and several good plushie shots. So... we picked one of each, a first and second place. Bonus 2nd place will get a free sketch from our DHC artist I do believe you will all mostly agree with our first place choice. It really came down to emotion, and this photo was full of it. Props to the suiter in the photo and the one who was able to capture it!

Congrats to 's submission: http://www.furaffinity.net/full/7260604/

2nd place goes to 's http://www.furaffinity.net/full/7256576/


We can't wait to do more contests like these! Winners, please note us!

Wow, this contest really exceeded our expectations. Not only did we receive over 80 submissions, there are soooooo many beautiful shots. This completely blew away our last competition. The winner will be posted sometime this week. Seriously though, there are so many worthy to win this round. We need to have some serious DHC discussion between the two of us before we can pick the winner.

While this is to help promote DHC, we are equally trying to promote the fandom. There are far too many talented characters in the fandom, and one of our main goals with some of the contests is to give them a chance to shine! The easiest way to get past the fandoms reputation is keep doing positive things, whether its for yourself of your community. Some of the submissions in this contest showcased that. The age old quote, "proud to be a furry", is slowly starting to mean something more then just a phrase people post on their blogs. That is really our ultimate goal.

On a less serious note... our next contest will be a fursuit scavenger hunt. I.E. the first person to post a photo of "_____' wins. Make sure you are following us here and also our twitter https://twitter.com/#!/donthugcacti

Thanks for reading,

It's time for a new contest giveaway from Dont Hug Cacti!

This weeks contest is monochromatic themed. Winner will receive a monochromatic paw pillow. Contest is open to ANYONE who lives ANYWHERE. Yes, that does include you ;P Here are the rules:

1. Must be a black and white photo submitted anytime between now and Sunday night (1/22/12).
2. Must be either fursuit OR plushie themed. Most creative or emotional wins.
3. We have to see the submission, so send the link to us in a note or post it as a comment on this journal.
4. The title of the submission must include DHC or Dont Hug Cacti in it.
5. You must be watching on FA
6. Have fun.

No limit as to how many photos you can enter. Be sure you are following our twitter also, as we post giveaways there as well. https://twitter.com/donthugcacti
Rules are subject to change.

If you've stumbled here then as you can see DHC is in the process of constructing a
Furaffinity page! Its about time huh? Let see if I can cover some of the many uses We will be useing this lovely FA for :)

1.) To show off our stuff ;) If you own a DHC suit and have an interesting or
really nice photo of it (DHC suits in the photo only please) feel free to note us a link
and the desired description and we might upload it here :)

2.) To have one of those lovely icons that us furries love to use on our pages!
It you either are getting a DHC suit, have one, or just love our costumes and wanna show support just link us on your page with our pretty little icon

3.) To be able to update everyone about the next DHC meet, photoshoot or even party-yes we would like to have DHC parties at some cons in the future! How fun does that sound? So this would be the place to check out if anything is happening!

4.) For FUN! We really love forward to all your hi-jinks here on our desert-y page here :)
So have fun and feel free to email or note us any questions you might have.

*but please note this is not the place to get a quote from us, you have to go to our website : www.donthugcacti.com for that folks!*

Just let me know what else you folks might like to see around here :)

*hits the old dusty trail*

~DHC

*Lucky