I'm currently looking to buy a furry art calendar, and I'm wondering, is there something like the Cheetahpaws calendar but with female characters?

I'm currently searching for an artist that I could commission for multiple pieces of artworks, possibly long projects, over a long period of time.

Basically, I have lots of smutty ideas I'd like to see illustrated. I don't have the skills necessary to draw them, but I do have money, and I'd really like to have an artist who has similar tastes that I could commission regularly, rather than having to commission a new artist each time.

If that sounds interesting to you, please contact me! NitramHu on Telegram, or here on FA, whatever is convenient for you.

Thanks!

Trying something I've always thought about doing. I do a lot of writing, but I never really post or share it anywhere. I'm curious to see if there's an audience for it, so here goes: https://patreon.com/NitramHu

(It's NSFW as all hell - it's pure smut.)

If you have feedback, please let me know!

If you browse my gallery, you'll see I've written a bunch of stories and commissioned a bunch of artwork for this world where Nitram lives as a servant in a fancy Manor serving cum to a cast of dominant ladies. I'd like to have a partner to write more of these stories with - someone to roleplay scenes from time to time, come up with new ideas, share artwork, that sort of thing. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in, drop me a line - feel free to send me a note, or hit me up on Telegram (@NitramHu).

These past few years have been interesting.

At 13, I discovered Furry porn on a Geocities website and liked it.

At 18, I was browsing Furry porn on a regular basis, but terrified of anyone finding out. It was a dark secret I would take to the grave. I made a secret Furaffinity profile for following artists and favoriting porn, and kept it completely anonymous. I would never want my name to be associated with Furries.

At 27, I took a chance, stepped out of my comfort zone and went to an actual Furry convention, expecting to hate it. I had one of the best experiences of my life and it remains one of the best decisions I've ever made. I made this account immediately afterwards.

For the past three years, I've kept this account "clean" - I was willing to admit to "being a Furry", but refusing to avow to enjoying the adult parts of that, in fear of the wrong people stumbling upon this account and finding something embarrassing about me.

Last month, I stepped out of my comfort zone in major way. What I experienced put things into perspective, and I'm not really concerned about hiding who I am and what I like anymore.

So, if you're an acquaintance, friend, co-worker or family member of mine, welcome! You've found this somehow and probably learned something about me. If it makes you uncomfortable, that's unfortunate.

For the rest of you, I'm about to upload all the porn I commissioned these past few years. Enjoy it. Consider it my gift to the community who welcomed me and brought me joy.

Where are you staying?
The Courtyard! Never stayed there, but I'm told it's good

What day are you getting there?
Wednesday evening! Flying out from the West Coast.

How are you traveling?
In a plane, with two fursuits.

Who will you be rooming with?
Some people I've never met before! I'm sure it'll all go well.

How is the best way to find you?
Look for either of these! https://imgur.com/a/2wOdS
Or just message me on Telegram, NitramHu

Are there any panels you might be attending?
A few! Might stop by the panda meetup.

What do you look like?
Sometimes a large red-haired male human, and sometimes a blue and purple panda! https://imgur.com/a/2wOdS

Will you be suiting?
I'll bring two suits, hug me if you see either! Just be gentle :3

What is your gender?
Male, I'm pretty sure!

How tall are you?
6'2"

Can I talk to you?
Yep!

Can I touch you?
Gently, I hope :3
I'm fragile! And sensitive >///<

Can I visit your room?
Um, that all depends...

Can I buy you drinks?
I don't drink, but maybe I'll break that rule :3

Can I give you stuff?
I like stuff!

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
I like both of those things, especially from cute females or cute fursuiters :3
Goes double for cute female fursuiters!

Are you nice?
I try!

How long are you going?
Landing wednesday, flying back monday!

Will you be going to parties?
I'd like to! Invite me to your parties!

Will you be performing?
I might bring my juggling clubs if I find room for them!

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Just call out to me! I respond to "Nitram" :3

Where will you be most of the time during the day/s?
Wandering around the convention space, most likely :3

What/where will you be eating?
Whatever's available! I do like to go out to a nice sit down restaurant to relax.

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Sure!

Can I take your picture?
Only if you send me the picture after! :3

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Meet new and interesting people, have new and interesting experiences, and alter my state of consciousness for a few days :3

Do reach out to me if we haven't hung out in a while! I'm currently making plans, chat me up on Telegram Nitramhu

I'm currently looking for an artist to draw some pieces of Nitram. PM me if that strikes your fancy!

DISCLAIMER: Everything I talk about here is my experience. It may not apply to everyone who suffers from scoliosis. I am only describing my own experience.

In the past I've talked about my scoliosis. For those who don't know what I'm talking about, here's a picture of my x-rays.

http://imgur.com/8ow4FYI

Yes, that is my spine. That is what it looks like when I'm standing perfectly straight. If this picture makes you feel uncomfortable, imagine having to live with it.

It was discovered late in my life, at 25. At that age, it is too late for correction. If discovered during childhood, it can be corrected via bracing. At my age, nothing other than surgery can fix it.

The surgery is called spinal fusion (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinal_fusion ) Here's a brief description:

"Spinal fusion is a surgical procedure used to correct problems with the small bones of the spine (vertebrae). It is essentially a "welding" process. The basic idea is to fuse together the painful vertebrae so that they heal into a single, solid bone."

In other words, your back is cut open, bone is grafted to your spine along with screws and titanium rods in order to fuse part of your spine into a solid, unbendable bone.

Having met and talked to someone who has gone through the procedure, it is even more unpleasant than it sounds. Beyond the obvious problems that come with not being able to bend your spine, my friend described sensations like the following:

"The metal parts become intensely cold during the winter, and nothing can warm them up, you have this freezing cold inside you all the time"

"Your muscles and tendons feel like they're forcing against the metal, tearing themselves apart"

"It feels like liquid is flowing down inside you around the rods"

This is the only treatment for scoliosis in adults that is known to work consistently. I'm sure you can imagine why I'm not eager to go through with it.

I've talked to a lot of doctors and specialists. The best that I can do is manage the pain that comes with it and wait until the curvature worsens, at which point I'll need to have the operation or my bones could start crushing my nerves and vital organs.

I've been told that scoliosis of my severity is expected to worsen at a steady rate each year, roughly 1-2 degrees a year.

---

Let's talk about the pain.

Medical literature says that scoliosis is not a pain-causing condition. Instead, what happens is that scoliosis causes other problems such as spondylolysis - bone defects, stress fractures. The end result, in my case, is that it hurts.

A lot.

All the time.

It hurts as I'm writing this. It hurt when I went to bed last night. It hurt when I was trying to sleep. It hurt when I got up this morning. It hurt as I took a shower. It hurt as I made myself breakfast. It hurt as I walked to the metro. It hurt as I stood waiting for the train. It hurt as I sat in the metro's hard plastic seats.

It. Never. Stops.

You can get used to anything - you can ignore a bad smell if you hang around it long enough. You can get used to eating food you don't especially like. You can learn to endure unlikeable people. You can work an unpleasant job and get used to it.

Except for pain.

You can never get used to pain. It is as unpleasant today as it was years ago. It incapacitates me in the exact same way it did the first time I tried to stand in place for hours at a concert. It will make you cringe and will suck the enjoyment out of whatever it is you're doing, until all you want is to go home, collapse into bed and cry.

On a bad day, I will be in agony before I even reach the train that brings me to work. I will have so much pain I'll choke back tears while waiting for the metro.

Standing is one of the most painful things I have to do. Cooking, peeling eggs, washing dishes - all of these come with constant pain.

Sitting can be equally scary. My desk chair at home is comfortable and eases the pain - most other seats in the world do not. Going to a restaurant comes with a promise of an hour of pain. Road trips are agony. Plane rides mean being trapped for hours at a time with no possibility of relief from the pain.

Imagine being stuck in horrible pain, with no possible source of relief, for hours, and knowing this will never ever improve. Meanwhile no one around will see or even acknowledge your pain, because it is invisible to them. Externally, you look fine. Stop complaining.

It is a species of Hell.

---

To illustrate, let me share with you how my evening dinner with a friend went.

I arrived at a local Japanese restaurant to meet my friend. He already had a table - our chairs were tiny, back-less stools. From years of experience I knew sitting on one of these for longer than 5 minutes would be agony - so I started looking around for a better kind of chair.

Good chairs are hard to find in the wild - most restaurants either have cheap chairs or "stylish", completely non-functional chairs. In both cases the chair provides absolutely zero lower back support and makes me want to die within minutes.

The waitress approached me and asked what I was looking for. I asked her if they had any chairs with an actual back - she pointed to a stool with a 3-inch block of wood for a chairback.

Those don't work.

I asked her if they had any booths - booths are generally the least bad option, in most restaurants. Not comfortable, but less painful.

She said no.

I could see half a dozen empty booths just around the corner.

"What about those? Could we have one of those?"

"Ahhh, these are for six people. We don't have any for just two."

In most cases, at this point I would've given up. I hate having to ask for special treatment, and I hate being reminded that I have this problem - and so I would rather endure the pain than have to convince people that I actually need a proper chair.

That evening I decided to try and advocate for myself.

I pulled out my phone and looked up a picture of my X-rays.

"Look, I have this medical condition," showing her a picture of my spine. "Can I please get a proper chair?"

She didn't seem terribly interested in what I had just showed her.

"Let me ask my supervisor if we have any special chairs..."

Her supervisor showed up.

"No, we don't have any other chairs."

"Okay, so can we please have a booth then?", gesturing to the half-dozen empty booths.

The waitress chimed in "Ah, I don't know, you can take it, but you'll have to move if a party of six comes in..."

Half the restaurant was staring at me. I was thoroughly regretting standing up for myself.

"Forget it. I'll just sit here," walking back towards my friend's table.

The supervisor stopped me: "Ah, wait! You can have the booth, it's okay!"

And so my friend moved over to our new table.

I sat down, only to discover that for some idiotic reason, the booth's back was an entire foot too far back, and thus offered absolutely no support when sitting in a normal position.

Yes, I went through all this bullshit for nothing. I was in pain for most of dinner and spent the majority of the evening leaning against the wall, shifting positions every few minutes in a futile effort to find a comfortable pose.

Now imagine you have to go through this at EVERY SINGLE RESTAURANT YOU VISIT.

---

I've taken bottles and bottles of a variety of painkillers, knowing fully that using them consistently leads to liver and kidney damage. They give me no noticeable relief from the pain any more.

Travelling is a nightmare. Standing around waiting in line at airports, wanting to die in endless agonizing plane rides, spending entire days on your feet; I spent five days in Disneyland, in excruciating pain from morning to evening, chugging Advils desperately looking for some sort of relief.

I -hate- Disneyland.

Let's talk about exercise.

People love to tell me that this can be solved with the right exercises. Just do Yoga! Just do these stretches! Just strengthen your core muscles!

I've tried all this. I've spoken to dozens of specialists and tried dozens of methods. If there was something out there that provided pain relief from scoliosis, I'd know.

Exercise -hurts-.

Anything that involves stress on my back will in very short order put me in a huge amount of pain.

Running? The impact of my feet hitting the ground will be absorbed by my back, causing pain.

Squats? The weight on my shoulders is transferred to my spine. Deep squats hurt more the further I go.

Anything involving a deadlift is my personal Hell, and brings me to the verge of tears.

I used to enjoy exercising. I used to enjoy pushing my limits, seeing if I could lift more weight than I did the previous time. In the past two years I watched my lifting capacity fritter away due to ever-increasing back pain. I can't lift half of what I used to be able to do, and I only expect to become weaker as the pain worsens.

---

Let's talk about what scoliosis does to your psychology.

Being in constant physical pain is not good for your emotions. When you're at your absolute lowest, stressed out, tired, upset, depressed - your scoliosis will be there to provide you with a sharp, stabbing pain in your lower back.

Your scoliosis does not care that your boss just yelled at you. It does not care that you got into a fight with your friend. It does not care that your girlfriend just dumped you. If you feel like shit, it will be there to make you feel worse.

"Remember, your body is slowly breaking down and failing. You'll never get better. It's going to stop working pretty soon, and you'll die after going through decades of pain."

Imagine having that reminder of your mortality whispered to you every minute of every day. Or screamed at you, if you try standing for too long.

Remember the phrase, "at least you're healthy"?

You'll never be healthy. You'll never be pain-free ever again.

Expect no sympathy. As a healthy-looking fit young adult male, no one will believe that you might have some medical condition that requires accommodation. Telling people about it or showing them x-rays will lead to the exact same answers:

"Oh wow! You should get that fixed!"
"Why don't you just go to a chiropractor?"
"Can't you wear a brace?"
"Did you try going to a doctor?"
"Have you tried doing [this one variant of Yoga I do]?"

Yes, I have tried getting treatment. No, there is no treatment. No, there is no option other than surgery. Surgery would make my situation worse.

I hate my scoliosis. I hate that I have it. I hate that it could've been prevented had my parents taken me to routine medical check-ups. I hate that it puts me in constant pain. I hate that it prevents me from sleeping. I hate that it prevents me from doing things other people do effortlessly.

Call it pride, but I hate admitting weakness. I hate admitting to myself that I have this condition, this disability. And even more than that, I hate admitting this to others. I have far too much pride to ask for help or special consideration from others.

I see myself as a strong, independent individual. I am capable of anything, and I have no limits.

Asking for help means throwing all that out of the window. It means admitting I'm not strong enough to function as a normal human being - it means "I'm broken, please have pity on me." It means giving up status.

Having scoliosis means having to constantly choose between losing face or enduring pain.

---

There is no punch-line or happy ending to this. Scoliosis just makes my life miserable, and every day brings a new amount of misery.

So what can you do to help?

Well, if you're a massage therapist, you can give my lower back a massage, and I'll be forever in your debt.

If not, just try to not make it worse. Don't push me - don't shove me - don't tackle me - don't jump on me. If you hug me, please, for the love of God, don't squeeze me too tight, and don't squeeze my lower back. Whatever you do - don't pick me up. You'll cause me a week of pain if you do. The last person who picked me up (as I screamed "NO NO DON'T PICK ME UP") ended up getting punched in the face.

I assure you, that punch was not even one percent of the pain you inflicted on me that day.

Created with http://meme.fursuiters.net/

Where are you staying?
The main hotel!

Means of transportation?
We'll be arriving by car, driving in from Montreal!

Sharing a room with:
Arguan and Anvil!

What is your gender?
Male!

Relationship Status:
Single and available ;3

How old are you?
27

How tall are you?
~6'2"

Which languages do you speak?
English and French!

Where will you be most of the time during the day?
Probably running around in suit!

Who will you be with?
Whoever is able to keep up with me or hold me down for long enough :3

Do you do free art?
Free stick figures for everyone!

What suit(s) will you have?
Nitram will be on the scene!

Can I dance with you?
Go for it!

Can I touch you?
Go for it, just be gentle I'm fragile :3

Can I talk to you?
Don't be shy, I don't bite :3

Can I hug you?
Of course! But please please please, do not try to physically pick me up or squeeze on my lower back - that is extremely painful for me ><

Can I take photos of you/with you?
Sure, as long as you send me the photos afterwards :3

Can I buy you lots of drinks?
I don't drink, but I do accept food as a substitute :3

Do you drink Alcohol/Smoke?
I don't usually drink, but I've been spotted smoking once or twice.

Can I give you lots of money?
If you like!

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Aw :3 Sure!

Can we hang out?
If you're able to keep up with me, go for it!

Are you nice?
As long as you're nice to me!

Other cons you may go to?
Concentrate and ask again

Attending any events?
Not sure! Haven't looked at the schedule yet :3

How can I find you at the con?
Look for this handsome fellow: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aPaQeLOlx.....-U/s1600/j.jpg

I may be wearing a partial suit most of the time, so also look for the Blue Panda in the Purple Shirt!

Can we go out for a dinner?
If you know any good spots in the city, absolutely :3

Are you buying art?
Probably not, unless I see something amazing/made for me.

What do I have to watch out for, when I am meeting you?
Look out: I am super happy, friendly and cuddly when going to cons :3

What is the best way to contact you?
You can tweet at me! https://twitter.com/NitramHu

May I kidnap you to my room?
Oh gosh >///> You can certainly try - I usually can't say no to a cute fursuiter :3

You look pretty tired, are you ok?
I am probably deep in Furry Nirvana, so yes, I am more than ok :3

Last time/last con/last meet/last chat we talked so much and now you forgot my name? Why???
Sorry! I am bad with names and meet over a hundred people every convention I visit - it's nothing personal! I like you :3

Will you tell me your room-number and can I surprise visit you?
You can certainly ask :3

I have a personal question for the convention. May I ask you that?
Go for it, don't be shy :3

Hope to see you all there!

I'll be bringing my juggling gear and should be receiving my juggling handpaws at FE; if you're a juggler, bring your gear and let's meet up!

This is an experiment.

I work in the games industry and I'm curious to find other furries working in gamedev.

If you've worked in the industry, PM me!

The other day I received an interesting question on Reddit. I typed up a decent answer and figured I'd post it here:

"Hey so I see that you have a red panda suit and I was wondering what you think a good tail length is. I'm getting ready to make mine and I was thinking around 4 1/2 feet but I'm wondering if that's too long for a first time suiter. Thanks!"

A good tail length is whatever you want it to be.

There are two main things to take into consideration when picking out your tail:

1. Does it drag on the ground? 4.5 feet will definitely drag on the ground, which brings about a host of problems. Generally, it means you have to babysit your tail whenever you're in suit, since it will pick up dirt, get kicked around by people, get stuck in furniture, etc.

My tail is 6 feet long, which means about 3 feet of it drags on the ground. It's a major part of the character, but it's also a major hindrance. I generally carry the tail in my hands whenever I can to avoid getting it dirty - I drop it at times to pose for pictures or if I plan to be stationary for a while and I know the floor is relatively clean.

Having a huge tail is both a blessing and a curse. It's an instant prop - you can use it to act out, offer it to people, bash others in the head with it, dance with it, wrap it around your neck like a feather boa, etc. It's hugely popular - people will love to point at and play with your giant tail. If you speak french, where "tail" is slang for "penis", it's also a wonderful source of innuendo.

But a huge tail is also a logistics nightmare. You can't just wear your tail and forget about it - you have to constantly give it some part of your attention. You have to monitor it at all times, which is another thing to keep track of while you suit. At least one of your hands is always busy, which can severely restrict your acting. If you're partial suiting, you'll probably forego your tail - I know I leave the tail home if I'm looking to just casually suit up.

2. Carrying/storing the tail. Fursuiting means travel, and this means carrying your suit to various events. The larger your tail, the more trouble this will give you.

Bunnies and huskies have an easy time - their tails are small chunks of fur which can easily be stored in a small suitcase. My own tail has to be folded in half and compressed to fit inside the largest suitcase I own - and even then, the tail takes up 90% of the suitcase by itself.

A huge tail means an extra checked bag at the airport, meaning an extra ~50$ every time you fly to and from a convention.

Just keeping the tail at home can be troublesome. A shorter tail can be hung like a shirt or pair of pants - a 6' tail is unlikely to fit in any of your closets, and mine needed an improvised rack to hang off.

Go with whatever length you want, but know that the longer your tail, the more problems you're creating for yourself.

Some days I curse my huge tail and wish I had gotten something more reasonable - but then people fall in love with the tail and hug it. I use it as a skipping rope on the dance floor. At this point, it's an indispensable part of the character, and I can't really imagine fursuiting without it.

Good luck!

Created with http://meme.fursuiters.net/

Where are you staying?
The Aloft, which is a short walk away from the Main hotel.

Means of transportation?
Flying in from Montreal. First time flying with a fursuit and more than a little worried, to be honest.

Sharing a room with:
Dis guy  Vintage_the_lynx

What is your gender?
Male!

Relationship Status:
Single and available :3

How old are you?
27

How tall are you?
~6'

Which languages do you speak?
French and English!

Where will you be most of the time during the day?
Running around in the convention space, suiting and attending events

Who will you be with?
Whoever wants to tag along and is capable of following me :3

Do you do free art?
Free stick figures for everyone!

Do you do trades?
I will trade you my stick figures for your art, no problem :3

What suit(s) will you have?
The Nitram suit, of course!

Can I dance with you?
Go for it!

Can I touch you?
Go for it, just be gentle I'm fragile :3

Can I talk to you?
Don't be shy, I don't bite :3

Can I hug you?
Of course!

Can I take photos of you/with you?
Sure, as long as you send me the photos afterwards :3

Can I buy you lots of drinks?
I don't drink, but I do accept food as a substitute. I am a sucker for free pizza, and I'm eager to try Chicago-style pizza!

Do you drink Alcohol/Smoke?
I don't usually drink, but I've been spotted smoking once or twice.

Can I give you lots of money?
If you like!

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Aw :3 Sure!

Can we hang out?
If you're able to keep up with me, go for it!

Are you nice?
Very much so, as long as you're nice to me!

Other cons you may go to?
Reply hazy, ask again later...

Attending any events?
There are quite a few I'd like to attend, but I play it by ear. We'll see how things unfold!

How can I find you at the con?
Look for this handsome fellow: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aPaQeLOlx.....-U/s1600/j.jpg

I may be wearing a partial suit most of the time, so also look for the Blue Panda in the Purple Shirt!

Can we go out for a dinner?
If you know any good spots in the city, absolutely :3 I want to try some deep dish pizza!

Are you buying art?
Probably not, unless I see something amazing/made for me.

What do I have to watch out for, when I am meeting you?
Look out: I am super happy and friendly when going to cons :3

What is the best way to contact you?
You can tweet at me! https://twitter.com/NitramHu

May I kidnap you to my room?
Oh gosh >///> You can certainly try - I usually can't say no to a cute fursuiter :3

You look pretty tired, are you ok?
I am probably deep in Furry Nirvana, so yes, I am more than ok :3

Last time/last con/last meet/last chat we talked so much and now you forgot my name? Why???
Sorry! I am bad with names and meet over a hundred people every convention I visit - it's nothing personal! I like you :3

Will you tell me your room-number and can I surprise visit you?
You can certainly ask :3

I have a personal question for the convention. May I ask you that?
Go for it, don't be shy :3

Hope to see you all there!

DISCLAIMER: All that is written here is personal and may not apply in your situation. It is what I’ve learned as a result of my own personal experience.

So I’ve had the Nitram suit for about three months now, and I’ve done more than a fair bit of fursuiting. But before Furpocalypse, I had never attended a furry convention with my fursuit. I actually had a lot of concerns on the best way to fursuit while at Furpocalypse.

Furry cons are unique in that a fursuit is appropriate attire for pretty much any event:

• Walking around in the dealer’s den? You can do it in fursuit.
• Going to a panel? You can do it in fursuit.
• Hanging out in the games room with friends? You can do it in fursuit.
• Going to a room party? You can do it in fursuit.
• Heading to the dance for the evening? You can do it fursuit.

Short of heading out to a restaurant to eat, you can fursuit anywhere while at a furry con. And being in fursuit is generally seen as a positive thing, so you’ll probably want to fursuit as much as possible. Sadly, fursuiting comes with a number of drawbacks:

• Fursuiting is physically exhausting. The heat, the sweating, the limited vision, the bumping into things, the dehydration, the limited breathing, the trouble that stairs give you, the fact that you’re carrying ten pounds (or more) of fur on your back, the tail that you have to manually haul around to avoid having it drag on the ground…

• Fursuiting is heavily impractical. Your voice is muffled (if you even speak), you have virtually no dexterity, you cannot carry or use a phone, you have no pockets to carry your wallet, you have no peripheral vision, your face is unable to show emotion, going to the bathroom is a nightmare, you cannot eat, drinking is impaired and you are at all times at risk of having your $2000 toy damaged (if, for instance, a drunk person spills a beer on you)

• Fursuiting is demanding. As a fursuiter, you’re bringing a character to life, so acting as your normal self is not enough. What that means depends on your character – it might mean adopting a different way of walking, jumping around, completely foregoing speech, speaking in a modified voice, making animal noises, using a squeaker, etc. Fursuiting is a performance that you’re giving for the enjoyment of others, so you need to be on your A-game whenever your suit up.

• Fursuits get dirty just from wearing them for too long – and they are very difficult to clean. Fursuiting for three days back-to-back at Otakuthon was not too hard for me, since I was local I could just dump my smelly suit in the washing machine and have it be ready the next day. But when you’re attending a con in a different country, staying in a crappy motel, washing your suit is not usually an option. You have to mind your suit’s cleanliness very carefully – no one wants to hug a funky fursuit. If you don’t want to end up sweating through the fur, you have to keep each suiting session short.

• Hugs from a fursuiter feel amazing – however, hugs while wearing a fursuit are not as great. You can’t appreciate the texture of the fur when you’re wearing a thick layer of fur yourself, and the enjoyment is dulled. Hugs while fursuiting are also often uncomfortably warm, and they’re often the last thing you want while burning and sweaty inside your fursuit.

Overall, fursuiting limits your ability to just relax and enjoy the con.

After Furpocalypse, here’s what I’ve learned:

Lesson 1: Learn to love the partial.
When I first attended a furry con, I thought partial suits looked like crap – fullsuits looked so much better. “When I do get myself a fursuit, I’ll always wear the whole thing, not just a crappy partial.”

Turns out partial suits are hugely more practical. You can stay in a partial suit pretty much forever, and you can be completely independent and functional with it. My go-to partial is “Party Mode”, meaning just my head and handpaws. I skip the tail, since my tail is a massive hassle to wear – if you have a tail of reasonable size then you can wear it, just mind how you sit. I also skip the footpaws – my footpaws are very very loose (making walking difficult), get damaged very easily and get very very dirty after every single session. Plus, my shoes match my suit, and they’re awesome.

Get a good outfit that you use for partial suiting – I bought a purple shirt to exclusively wear when suiting as Nitram, and I’m still looking for a decent pair of purple/teal pants to go with it. This is easier if you’re a woman/wear women’s clothing – men’s clothing is pitifully devoid of bright colors.

Being in Party Mode is not too difficult physically. It’s still hot, but good head-fans go a long way to mitigate this. You still have limited vision, but you can do almost anything a human can – if you need to use your phone (which you’re carrying because now you have pockets) then you just need to remove one handpaw, use your phone then slide the handpaw back on. No need to muck about with getting your bodysuit over your handpaw, since you’re not wearing the bodysuit.

You can go from Party Mode to completely human in under a minute – slide off both handpaws, set them down on a table somewhere, unzip your head, take off the head, turn off the fans, take off the balaclava, done. You can also carry all this very easily by sticking the balaclava and handpaws inside your head – and you can set it aside somewhere safe if, for instance, you need to eat.

Party Mode takes away a lot of the stress and impracticality of suiting. You’re still keeping the illusion of being your character (eg: not showing any skin) while keeping most of your ability to function. You can dance for hours while in Party Mode, something that would easily kill you in fullsuit. Yes, it’s a small aesthetic sacrifice – fullsuiters still look better, but I’ll take a clean partial over a sweaty fullsuit any day.

Lesson 2: It’s okay to break character.

I had a notion that fursuiting has to be done “correctly”, which meant following all these rules:

• Never break character (eg: never speak)
• Never take off any part of your suit where people can see you
• Always wear the full suit when going out, no partials allowed
• Always fully wash the suit (including undersuit) and brush everything between each outing

When you’re suiting at a furry con, you’re going to have to break some of those rules. The cleanliness rule requires a blend of good judgment and adhoc stopgap solutions, which we’ll cover later. The partial should be employed judiciously, as a good compromise between fullsuiting and not suiting at all.

Taking off parts of your suit in public (especially the head) is frowned upon, since it “breaks the magic”. It’s absolutely true that you should avoid taking off your head if you’re around children/members of the general public or acting in some official capacity (eg: volunteering at an event). But when you’re among peers, at a furry con? No one cares.

Initially, I never wanted to take off any part of my suit unless I was done suiting for that day. I didn’t want to go to the headless lounge, take off my head and sit down in front of a fan. For one, I can take the heat. I’m in good shape, so I have a massive amount of endurance when it comes to tolerating physical exertion. And second, taking off a sweaty balaclava only to need to put it back on fifteen minutes later is Really. Gross.

I’ve since relaxed that policy. One major reason is that I’ve gotten a lot more used to suiting/unsuiting quickly. I used to hate putting on my head – having to pull and stretch the balaclava so it doesn’t roll back over my eyes as I slide on the head, having to deepthroat the camelbak tube as I put on the head to keep it in my mouth, having to fiddle with the head zipper and having it get stuck with fur clogging it up - you get the idea. After months of doing it, I’m now a lot better at it. I got a looser balaclava, which now generally stays out of my eyes. I stopped keeping the camelbak tube in my mouth at all times, which also means that I can speak now. And I just got better at handling the zipper – or maybe I just ripped out all the spare fur that was around it, so it doesn’t get stuck anymore.

Also, the headless lounge is like the best place to socialize, ever. It’s fursuiters-only (no plebs allowed, doh-ho-ho), there are free drinks, free food, good ventilation, beautiful fursuits everywhere and dozens of cool people just chilling out.

As I said – no one at a furry con really cares if you take off any part of your fursuit. Furry fashion is an eclectic mix of fursuit parts, harnesses, badges, collars, baggy pants and undersuits. You will see all possible permutations of these items during your weekend. It is perfectly ordinary to see a man stroll onto the dance floor wearing nothing but a skin-tight black lycra bodysuit – he’s a fursuiter, temporarily out of suit, you’re at a room party and this is his room. No big deal.

Take off your handpaws whenever you need to use your phone, check the schedule, write something, whatever. If you sit down to play a board game, take off your head and set it aside. In my experience people are very respectful of fursuit parts and theft doesn’t seem to be a concern - likely because most fursuits are unique and easily identifiable, so anyone wearing a stolen fursuit would be quickly caught.

Most important: talking in fursuit. Socializing and fursuiting for me used to be completely incompatible – I had a plastic tube in my mouth at all times and I dogmatically refused to speak in an effort to not break character. This made it very difficult to meet new people, make new friends and socialize – whenever I got into a conversation, I would just stay silent and eventually wander off because I couldn’t contribute.

On the first day of Furpocalypse I suited up and forgot to put the camelbak tube in my mouth before putting on my fursuit head. When I noticed, I decided “screw it” and went out anyways. It turns out:

• This is immensely more comfortable (seriously, having a chunk of plastic in your mouth at all times is not fun)
• I can still drink by placing the tube into my muzzle
• This allows me to speak.

The only downside is you can see the tube hanging at my side, but it is worth it.

What happened afterwards is that I magically found my voice. Rather than staying completely silent, I started vocalizing – making cute little animal noises and very basic words. I naturally developed my own fursuit voice, which I describe as “a derpy bear”. I spoke in a very low tone, stretch out each word, making vowels and “H” sounds as long as they can be – my favorite word is “halloooo~”. This happened without any conscious effort on my part – being in character and wanting to speak, this is what came out.

I also found I could now allow myself to break character, have a conversation while in fursuit and then slip back into character as needed. Rather than force myself to stay in character at all times, I could switch between the two as needed. If I’m around little kids, then of course I’ll stay in character. But if I’m with three other furries who are having a conversation, there’s nothing wrong with breaking character to join in.

You don’t have to be giving a performance 100% of the time you’re suiting. You’re not working for anyone and you’re not a volunteer – so if you want to break character, go ahead and do it, as long as you exercise good judgment. It’s okay to relax when you’re suiting around other furries.

Lesson 3: Some stop-gap solutions for cleanliness

Washing your suit while at a con is not really practical – you likely don’t have access to a washing machine, and even if you do you don’t want to spend valuable con time washing and drying your suit. You’ll need to have a pragmatic approach to cleanliness.

The most basic rule is to limit the amount of time each fullsuit session lasts. Depending on how much you sweat (I sweat a lot) you can be in suit for a good 1-2 hours before excess sweat goes through your undersuit and starts soaking your fur. If you stay outside (where it’s cold and windy), occasionally step into the headless lounge for a few minutes to just stand in front of a fan or just stay close to the guy with the portable blower (<3  icepaws) you can go for a solid two hours without having your suit accumulate any notable funk.

Your undersuit and balaclava will be gross – this is fine. You can freely rinse them in a hotel sink and/or douse them heavily in Lysol. Lysol cans state very clearly not to apply to acrylic plastics (which your fur is) but there’s nothing wrong with using it to mask the funk of your undersuit, at least for a day or two.

Judicious use of partial suiting will sidestep the whole cleanliness issue – if you’re not wearing your bodysuit, you won’t accumulate any real funk.

If you’re fullsuiting a lot, fursuit “perfume” is something that exists – while it’s no substitute for regularly washing your suit, it can allow you to suit up and not be gross on the last day of the con. Get a bottle of fursuit cleaning spray from WashYourPaws, pick one that smells nice and give your bodysuit a few hits of it to hide the musk.

I had a small portable fan in my luggage – I would leave my fursuit head on top of it to dry the foam whenever I wasn’t wearing it. This can also be useful if you need to dry your undersuit in a hurry, as long as you have a way to hang it up.

Lesson 4: Eventually fursuiting becomes second nature

After you’ve suited for long enough, you begin to adapt and your fursuit becomes an extension of yourself, not unlike regular clothes. With enough practice, you’ll develop tricks to do basically anything. Going to the bathroom while in partial is still somewhat difficult, but doable.

Eventually fursuiting stops being hard. Your senses somehow adapt to having two inches of foam surrounding your head. Your body can adapt to almost anything, and if you wear a partial suit long enough it’ll become a natural part of you.

---

That is all for today. These are the most useful lessons I learned in my time at Furpocalypse. I have no doubt I’ll continue to learn and improve as I continue to fursuit.

There’s a lot more advice I could give, like “you don’t have to suit up if you don’t want to”, “plan in advance which events you want to attend”, “plan your suiting and unsuiting times to match your schedule”, “don’t bother suiting up if you’re just attending a panel or a show, there’s no point in wearing a fursuit if you’re gonna be sitting down for an hour” and “Have a handler/photographer if you’re wandering off in fullsuit so you have someone to take pictures/check the time/use a phone” but those are really no-brainers that should go without saying.

I will share one last trick with you, which was inspired by  Shawshank_Crux – if you’re fullsuiting alone and have no pockets to carry your room card, you can keep your card inside one of your footpaws, underneath your foot. Guaranteed to not lose it. This is especially helpful if you suspect your handler will wander off and leave you stranded on your own.

Happy suiting!

Thanks to everyone I met at Furpocalypse - I had an immense amount of fun. It was a pleasure seeing all of you, and I hope to do it again soon. I'll see you all at MFF next month!

If you took any pictures/video of me in suit or out of suit, I would love to see them! I know there's at least one video of me juggling in fullsuit out there, I'd really like to see it.

Thanks!

Because why not.

Where are you staying?
Not the main hotel, but a nearby one.

What day are you getting there?
Sometime thursday in the evening.

Who will you be rooming with?
Arguan, Anvil and Matti.

Who will you hang out with during the convention?
My roommates, and whoever else wants to join me!

What is the best way to find you?
Send me a facebook message (Nitram Hu) or just look for the big blue panda.

Are there any panels you might be attending?
Maybe. I like to play it by ear.

What do you look like?
Out of suit, I look something like this: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aPaQeLOlx.....-U/s1600/j.jpg

Will you be suiting?
Yup. I'll be practicing my fursuit juggling.

What is your gender?
Male

How tall are you?
Roughly 6 feet tall, ~190 pounds.

Are you mated/in a relationship?
Nope, I am single.

Can I talk to you?
Sure, go for it!

Can I touch you?
As long as you're polite about it, sure. Please ask first.

Can I visit your room?
Not unless I invite you in, no.

Can I buy you drinks?
I don't drink, but thanks :3 I will accept food as an alternative, I am a sucker for treats.

Can I give you stuff?
If you like, I won't say no :)

Can I hug or snuggle with you?
Yes, but please ask first - if I'm suiting, make sure I can see you first. Please don't pick me up, and please don't be rough - to avoid damage to my suit, and to avoid damage to my back. Thanks.

Are you nice?
I try hard to be as nice as I can be, as long as you're nice to me!

How long are you going?
Arriving Thursday, leaving monday.

Will you be going to parties?
Maybe, if I find one I like. I don't drink, but I do enjoy good company.

Will you be performing?
I'll have my juggling gear with me! Look for the juggling panda :3

If I see you, how should I get your attention?
Call out "Nitram!"

Can I come with you for food/fun/etc?
Sure, it's always nice to have company!

Can I take your picture?
If I'm in suit, sure! If I'm out of suit, please ask me first.

What's your goal(s) for the con this year?
Suit up, meet new people, make new friends, have fun and discover what the convention has to offer! I'm always eager to have new experiences :3

See you there!

https://www.weasyl.com/journal/8933.....-head-and-more

A cool contest. Good luck!

Another furry blog post, much like my last one.

It's aimed at non-furries, but furries should grasp some of the deeper meanings in the article.

http://nagnazul.blogspot.ca/2015/09.....re-part-1.html

Enjoy!

I recently wrote a piece for my blog, detailing how I initially joined the fandom.

It's aimed at non-furries, but it should still be interesting as a furry origin story:

http://nagnazul.blogspot.ca/2015/09.....urries_18.html

Enjoy!

Fursuiters face many challenges. Fursuits are famous for being extremely hot - anyone can look at a Fursuiter walking around in the summer and go "the poor person inside must be dying of heat." The omnipresence of Headless Lounges at Furry conventions makes it impossible to not know how hot Fursuits are. Anyone interested in fursuiting will quickly learn about all the discomfort and danger associated with suiting - limited vision, limited movement, limited ability to breathe, limited speech, limited dexterity, dehydration, risk of heat stroke, potential tackle hugs from fanboys. Anyone who wants to take up the mantle of fursuiting is well-aware of all these realities.

One other huge challenge is cost. Fursuits are expensive - again, this is impossible to not know about if you are interested in fursuits. It's a prime subject of conversation.

One challenge that isn't a prime subject of conversation, however, is fursuit maintenance. It is entirely possible to get blindsided by the amount of work necessary to take care of a fursuit - I certainly was, and no internet guide can prepare you for the logistics nightmare that is carrying, cleaning and storing a fursuit. Virtually no one ever talks about it, and even visiting a few furry conventions will not give you an appreciation for the amount of work involved. It is entirely invisible to the public, and with good reason: nothing kills the magic faster than having to take a gross, smelly fursuit home and spend hours cleaning every single part by hand.

I often mused that, if I had a fursuit of my own, I would wear it multiple times a week, just for fun. I couldn't understand why fursuit owners didn't wear them on a regular basis, just going out to walk around town in fursuit flippantly.

I learned why on the evening of the first day after I got my suit as I was on my knees in front of the bathtub squeezing dirty water out of my wet bodysuit.

Putting on and taking off a fursuit is a lengthy, complex, involved, difficult and time-consuming process.

Cleaning a fursuit is also all of those things, but several orders of magnitude moreso.

I am, by any definition, a newbie fursuiter. I've had my Nitram fursuit for less than a month - I've worn it six or seven times so far. Don't take anything you read here as gospel - there are much better sources of hard information out there, with my personal favorite being this one: http://forums.furtopia.org/kobuk�.....care-tutorial/ You should always defer to your fursuit maker's advice whenever possible, and in all cases exercise your own judgment. Ultimately, it's your fursuit, and no one is responsible for it other than you. If you ruin it, it's on you.

Fursuit maintenance is half inexact science, half black art. Fursuiting is not a mainstream activity - most people know nothing about it. There is no Fursuit store you can visit at the mall to pick up everything you need for your fursuit. Just like fursuit makers, fursuiters borrow an array of objects meant for various (non-fursuit) purposes and apply them to fursuiting. None of these products were designed with fursuiters in mind - they are products that, coincidentally, happen to work well with fursuits, as past fursuiters have learned and discovered.

You will need to haunt sporting goods store for your dryfit undersuit, as well as dryfit socks and gloves if you choose to use them - I wear $20 dryfit socks but could never find dryfit gloves. When clerks ask what you're looking for, the best short-hand explanation you can give is that you're a sports mascot - while they probably don't see those often, it's something they're familiar enough with to help and direct you. While picking up your undersuit, I recommend you pick up a Camelbak as well - it is a literal lifesaver and the best purchase you can make beyond the essentials. Try to find one that matches your suit's color - easy enough if you're a black wolf, harder if you're a purple panda. Don't go for a $12 knockoff on Amazon, which will leak into your suit during your first outing - go for the actual, $80 2L Camelbak. As a side-bonus it can hold your wallet, phone and keys while you suit - remember that most fursuits have no pockets.

Your fursuiting gear will need to be assembled from a mish-mash of sources. Finding a balaclava in the summer is surprisingly difficult - sporting goods store will tell you to come back in the winter. Furry conventions sometimes stock them - fursuit makers also sometimes have them. If all else fails, the internet has what you need, provided you're willing to pay shipping costs and wait a few weeks.

Pet stores and hardware stores are mainstays for fursuiters. Pet stores have the brushes you need to keep your fur looking nice - brushing your fursuit is NOT OPTIONAL. Get a nice slicker brush and brush using its reverse side, which tears out less fur - or so they say. I've never made the experiment - for some reason, I feel ill at ease experimenting on my $2000 one-of-a-kind custom-made irreplaceable art piece. While visiting the pet store, you may buy a collar (and maybe a leash) for yourself if you're into that. You may get some weird stares if you try on a collar at the pet store.

Hardware stores have a multitude of products you need for fursuit maintenance. Detergents and cleaning products are essential - Woolite is the gold standard for fursuit washing, although which variety you should get is a complete mystery. Carpet cleaners such as Folex or Spot-Shot have a good reputation when it comes to spot cleaning stains off of parts which you can't submerge in water - that is, anything made with foam such as footpaws, tails or heads. Lysol seems hotly debated - some people swear by it while others claim it damages foam, eating it away over time. The warning label clearly states not to apply it to acrylic plastics (which your faux fur is) so at the very least, never apply Lysol to fur. I use it to disinfect the inside of the my head and footpaws. While the inside of my head doesn't smell too bad after a fursuit outing, the inside of my footpaws certainly do.

Oh, and speaking of acrylic plastics: ACRYLIC MELTS. NEVER APPLY HEAT TO A FURSUIT. Cleaning a fursuit in hot water means permanent, irreparable damage to the fur. Cold water only. If that. Foam and airbrushed markings both hate water - never submerge foam in water, and never apply any water to airbrushed fur. Stay the hell away from rain. Stay away from food, stay away from drinks and stay away from anyone who's had too much to drink.

Don't expect hardware store clerks to be of any actual use when it comes to buying cleaning products. They don't know what a fursuit is, and they certainly don't know how their miscellaneous carpet stain remover will interact with it. Your fursuit maker might know, and if not the internet might know. The internet might also provide conflicting advice, so hey: good luck.

There is no established scientifically-backed standard for how much of a product you should use when cleaning a fursuit, or even which product you should use. The best you can find is a mixture of guidelines, hearsay and folklore. Part of doing fursuit maintenance means taking in a lot of knowledge and advice and synthesizing it into a cleaning routine that works for you, with the tools you have at your disposition. You will have to improvise quite a bit the first time you clean your suit, but it gets easier over time.

Speaking of tools, hardware stores also have the actual hardware you need. If your suit has fans (and really, it should) then you can get batteries and battery chargers there. While you're at it, you can get a clothes dryer to hang your bodysuit to dry, some hooks or portmanteaus to hang your fursuit parts on for storage, some garment bags for storing or carrying parts of your suit, some fans to dry your fursuit parts, and so on.

Neverwet for fabric is something that can be applied to a fursuit to render it hydrophobic, although it does make fur noticeably less soft to the touch. My footpaws are coated in it, but it certainly doesn't magically keep dirt stains away. Use it or don't - I haven't noticed it helping much.

You might wonder why it's necessary to clean a fursuit. If that's the case, go find a fursuiter and hang around them for a few hours. Just before they go off to unsuit, give them a hug. The gross, icky feel of sweaty wet fur on your hands should be all the answer you need.

Fursuits are hot. Fursuiters sweat. Fursuiters sweat through their undersuit and into their bodysuit. Bodysuits become gross alarmingly quickly, and an unwashed body suit reeks not unlike a pair of old gym shorts.

How much work is it to clean a fursuit? Rather than give a hard number of hours (and it is hours, plural) I thought I'd list out every single step from my own personal fursuit cleaning routine. This is, at minimum, what I go through whenever I finish a long fursuiting session. Note that this is only applicable to myself and my fursuit - every fursuit is different, and you shouldn't take this as advice on how to maintain your fursuit.

Nitram's cleaning routine:

Unpacking:
1. Clear off a section of the bed to hold the tail
2. Remove the tail from its giant garment bag and lay it on the bed
3. Pull the bodysuit out from its suitcase and hang it on a clothes-hanger on a nearby door
4. Pull out the handpaws and lay them somewhere
5. Pull out the footpaws from their individual plastic bags
6. Throw away the dirty individual plastic bags
7. Pull the head out from its cloth bag, setting aside the bubble wrap coating

Pre-cleaning:
8. Scrub the bathtub clean, using a coarse handbrush and some detergent
9. Rinse off the bathtub and wipe off any residues with a clean rag
10 & 11: Repeat 8 & 9 for the bathroom sink

Cleaning the bodysuit:
12. Plug the bathtub drain using a rag
13. Fill up the bathtub with cold water
14. While the bathtub is filling up, add a small amount of Woolite Extra Delicate care to the bathtub. What "a small amount" means is completely up to you.
15. Take the bodysuit and CAREFULLY turn it inside out, making sure not to rip off any fur fibers
16. Once the bathtub is full of cold, sudsy water, drop your bodysuit into the bath
17. Using your hands, CAREFULLY move around the bodysuit in the water to help the soapy water get into every corner. Try not to rip off any fur
18. Try not to think too hard about the fact that you're sticking your hands in a detergent solution that explicitly warns you not to get any on your skin.
19. After shaking your suit around in the water for a while, you can stop. Optionally, you may leave it to soak in the tub for a short amount of time. Should you? It is a mystery.
20. Unplug the drain and watch the soapy water drain out. You'll have to move your suit out of the way to let the water drain properly. This takes a while.
21. Try not to feel bad about all the fur you'll see go into the drain (spoilers: this is impossible)
22. Once all the water has drained out, re-plug the bathtub drain.
23. Re-fill the bathtub with cold water, but this time don't add any Woolite.
24. Again, gently move your suit around in the water to get all the soap out.
25. You can let it soak if you feel like it.
26. Unplug the drain (again) and watch the clean water drain out (again). You'll have to move your suit out of the way to let the water drain properly (again). This takes a while (again).
27. Gently compress the suit using your hands in order to squeeze out the excess water.
28. Leave it there for a while while the water slowly seeps out.
29. Come back and re-position the suit (GENTLY) on the side of the bathtub so that gravity will work to pull water out of the suit.
30. Leave it there for a while again. If you try to hang your suit while it is still soaking wet, you will most likely cause permanent damage to it.
31. Squeeze some water out of the extremities of the arms and legs.
32. Re-position it a bit higher to let it drain more. Having a specialized dryer is helpful for this - I don't have one but I should get one.
33. Wait some more.
34. Find a spot where you can hang a wet fursuit to dry. This is harder than it sounds. You cannot hang it outside on a clothesline - sunlight damages the suit and you run the risk of it getting stolen. The bodysuit is incredibly tall and you don't want the legs sitting on the ground, so most locations are too low. A wet fursuit still holds a ton of water, so hanging it off a door and leaving a towel underneath is not viable.
35. What I settled on personally was hanging it off the showerhead. Water drips into the bathtub which is convenient, but I still worry the showerhead will break off one day.
36. Leave the fursuit to dry there until your roommates hate you.
37. Build an improvised fursuit drying station: you will need a chair, a cardboard box, an extension cord, a large fan, a clotheshanger, a tall door and a dry towel.
38. Put the chair in front of the tall door
39. Balance the fan on top of the chair and point it towards the door
40. Plug the fan into the extension cord and the extension cord into the nearest power outlet.
41. Block the door from moving using the cardboard box
42. Put the dry towel at the base of the door to catch any dripping water
43. Take the damp fursuit and take it to your improvised fursuit drying station.
44. Your fursuit is now mostly dry and is being fanned to get all the moisture out.
45. Leave it there overnight and pray your roommates don't spill food on it as they walk past your improvised fursuit drying station.

Cleaning the handpaws (this is the easiest part)
46. Plug the sink drain
47. Fill up the sink with cold water
48. While the sink is filling up, add a tiny amount of Woolite Extra Delicate care to the sink. What "a tiny amount" means is completely up to you.
49. Once the sink is full of cold, sudsy water, drop your handpaws into the sink. You can't turn most handpaws inside out.
50. Using your hands, CAREFULLY move around the handpaws in the water to help the soapy water get into every corner. Try not to rip off any fur
51. Try not to think too hard about the fact that you're sticking your hands in a detergent solution that explicitly warns you not to get any on your skin.
52. After shaking your handpaws around in the water for a while, you can stop. Optionally, you may leave them to soak in the sink for a short amount of time. Should you? It is a mystery.
53. Unplug the drain and watch the soapy water drain out.
54. Once all the water has drained out, re-plug the sink drain.
55. Re-fill the sink with cold water, but this time don't add any Woolite.
56. Again, gently move your handpaws around in the water to get all the soap out.
57. You can let it soak if you feel like it.
58. Unplug the drain (again) and watch the clean water drain out (again).
59. Gently compress the fingers of your handpaws using your hands in order to squeeze out the excess water.
60. Leave the handpaws there for a while while the water slowly seeps out.
61. Handpaws soak up a lot less water than your suit, so drying them is much simpler. You can pull them up and let them hang vertically without too much fear of damaging them, as long as they're not exceedingly wet.
62. After your handpaws have dripped for a while, pick them up one by one, give the fingers one last squeeze and go lay them to rest on a horizontal portable fan.
63. Leave your handpaws on the fan overnight.

Cleaning the tail
64. Lay the tail on a long, clean surface. I use my bed.
65. Gently brush the length of the tail (all six feet of it) using the reverse side of a slicker brush.
66. Feel bad every time you hand to remove a huge chunk of fur from the slicker brush which is supposed to not pull fur out.
67. Flip the tail around and brush the other side (this takes a while)
68. As you brush, throw away whatever gunk or pieces of dead vegetation your tail has picked up since your last outing.
69. Silently envy all the fursuiters who went with a tail of reasonable size.
70. Lovingly caress the length of your now freshly-fluffed soft tail with your hands. You may optionally hug it.

Storing the tail
71. Look around your apartment for a place to hang a 6' tall tube of fur.
72. Look for portmanteaus that go higher than 6' (spoilers: there are none)
73. Make plans to install hooks on the ceiling
74. Improvise a tail hanging station: first, strap the belt into the tail
75. Loop the belt around a heavy cardboard box which is resting on top of one of your cupboards next to your bed.
76. Admire your ingenuity as the tail spans nearly from the ceiling to the floor
77. Cover up the tail with an improvised tarp made from tape and garbage bags

Head maintenance
78. Pull the batteries out of the fan battery pack
79. Hook up the batteries to a battery recharger
80. Hit the inside of the head with a few shots of Lysol to disinfect it
81. Pull out the scraps of fur stuck inside the head's zipper. You may need to apply force - you may need to apply scissors. You may feel terrible.
82. Brush the fur on one side of the head
83. Awkwardly attempt to avoid undoing your work as you try to rest the head on its brushed side to brush the other side.
84. Attempt to brush the airbrushed bits of fur on the head. Airbrushed fur tends to be stiff and matted - brushing it is extremely awkward and near futile.
85. Wait a few hours for the batteries to recharge, then stick them back into the fan battery pack
86. Struggle to close the battery pack, which is crammed inside a chunk of foam and behind a sheet of fur
87. Re-line the cloth bag with bubble wrap
88. Put the head back inside the cloth bag and leave it wherever.

Footpaw maintenance
89. Lament the sorry state of your footpaws. If you go suiting outside like I do, your footpaws will end up dirty and damaged after every session.
90. Pull out the chunks of grime and dead vegetation from your footpaws
91. Wipe the fur back into place using your hands.
92. Hit the inside of each footpaw with a bit of Lysol to disinfect them.
93. Get your bottle of Folex and spray every stain with it
94. Scrub the stains with your hand to get the cleaning product in there
95. Get a clean rag, rinse it in cold water and wipe off the Folex.
96. Leave your footpaw to dry on a running horizontal fan.
97. Repeat steps 92 through 96 for both footpaws until the stains have disappeared or until your standards for cleanliness are lowered.
98. Take note of the tendency for Folex to leave behind a nasty sticky residue that turns fur into an ugly clump of dirt which you have to rip out.
99. Brush your footpaws to the best of your ability
100. Store each footpaw in an individual plastic bag. Leave the bags wherever.

Next morning
101. Your handpaws should now be dry. Brush them and put them away.
102. Your bodysuit should be mostly dry. Turn it inside out again, GENTLY without ripping out fur
103. Brush your bodysuit. This is a lengthy undertaking.
104. Lament the matting of the fur where you sweat the most: your armpits, crotch and ass. The fur in those locations will NEVER look nice.
105. Store your bodysuit. I hang it off the belt holding the tail and cover it with a garbage-bag-tape-tarp.
106. Your suit is now fully clean! Congratulations. Swear off fursuiting forever, until your brain forgets all the work it just took to clean it and goes "Hey, I should go walk around town in suit, it'll be fun!"

As I write this, I've finished steps 1 through 88, I'm waiting for my bodysuit to dry off so I can move it to my fursuit drying station and I'm dreading having to clean my footpaws, which I'll most likely push off to tomorrow.

My last fursuiting session was a relatively short one, and I thought I could get away with not washing the whole thing. One whiff of my bodysuit as I took it out of its suitcase told me how wrong I was.

So, the next time you hug a fursuiter, if their fur feels nice and soft and smells good, know that it took a lot of work to get it that way. Hold them close and whisper tenderly into their ear: "you smell sooooo goooood..." * A normal person might find that creepy, but I'd take it as a badge of pride for my fursuit cleaning discipline.

* Note: please don't actually do this. Thanks.

Some resources:

http://forums.furtopia.org/kobuk�.....care-tutorial/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IEY.....GAAW8tT51AYSjK

So last Sunday was the Montreal Pride Parade, which I decided to take part in. I joined a group of costumers called Heroes of Hope (https://www.facebook.com/Herosdelespoir) that was walking in the Parade - roughly 40 costumers, maybe 10 of which were furries. The Parade had 7-8 fursuiters, 3 of which were in fullsuit.

You can see some pictures from the event in my gallery and a compilation here: http://imgur.com/a/8Emq6

These pictures were taken during the Montreal Pride parade, on an extremely hot and humid summer day in the middle of August. We walked over 4 kilometers over the course of four hours - from 11:30am to 3:30pm. I went through the entire Parade without ever removing any part of my suit.

Every time someone in the Parade complained about the heat, I silently smiled under my fursuit mask and drank a little bit of water from my Camelbak. I never ever felt thirsty, but I drank anyways. Your body won't tell you need water - it will only tell you you have enough water. Drink until water becomes physically unappealing. Drink until you have to pee. (spoilers: you won't have to pee. Your body will sweat it out.)

I was one of the three furries insane enough to wear a fullsuit in this kind of weather, and as I walked I wondered how far I would make it before I passed out. The heat in the suit was beyond scorching, and I envied the brilliance of the two furries who showed up wearing nothing more than handpaws and a head.

I drank over 4L of fluids throughout the parade - my handler had to refill my Camelbak three times. You can imagine how gross my suit was near the end.

I did not pass out, and in fact I was still functional after the Parade (though exhausted) thanks to a combination of factors:

-My Camelbak (seriously, if you suit, get a Camelbak. You need one)

-My head fans (if you're commissioning a suit, get all the fans you possibly can)

-My handler (Who diligently refilled my water whenever I ran out and who found a bottle of cold water near the tail end of the parade)

-The parade cart (so I could sit down and take a break from walking when feeling woozy)

-The girl who fanned my head a few times with her hand fan (I would've had her do that the whole time if I could)

-The occasional life-saving gust of wind

-Strong, focused breathing technique; breathing with my mouth, exhaling air as strongly as I could aimed directly through my head's muzzle, and sucking air in as strongly as I could from the outside. You can force a good amount of hot air out of your mask just by aiming your breath, and it makes a huge difference.

I made it out of the Parade alive, although I'm pretty certain I injured myself - I felt genuinely ill/feverish for hours afterwards, and I'm still recovering two days later. I don't think I'll ever attempt anything this extreme ever again, but I'm glad I did it - if I can fursuit there, I can fursuit anywhere.

Our parade cart was fully supplied with bottles of water and VitaminWater - I drank one bottle of VitaminWater before suiting up, and had my handler fill my CamelBak with a bottle of VitaminWater after went through all the water in my Camelbak. The sugar water did wonders for my energy levels, and I felt immensely better after drinking it. I drank a few more bottles of VitaminWater after I unsuited and inhaled calories in whatever form I could find - mostly bags of chips and tuna wraps.

My heart was racing during most of the parade, especially near the end when I started feeling woozy and had to sit. I could feel and hear my pulse throbbing in my head, and while it wasn't painful it definitely was worrying. I had to focus on breathing slower in order to try and slow down my heart rate. Sitting down helped, and controlled breathing also helped.

Note that I wouldn't recommend what I did to anyone - one factor I failed to mention earlier is that I'm in really good physical condition. I've been doing physical training for years, I do high-intensity workouts five times a week on a regular basis and my body is in its prime. I'm no stranger to pushing against my physical limits, and I'm usually cognizant enough to know where the point of failure lies. Doing this was as challenging and exhausting as any workout.

My kudos to everyone who performed in the Parade in a warm outfit.