# How to write non anthro animals in a furry world



## TheFurryFromJupiter (Sep 9, 2019)

I have been trying to write some fur stories and Im a bit lost in a particular aspect.
How do you write animals in an anthro/furry world?
you have characters that are anthropomorphic and sentient, they are your characters and the ones ou are going to build and explore, but what about the wildlife? how do you make it so it isnt awkward? do you create new species or just non sentient versions of already existing ones?
im looking for any advice you guys can give, also, i havent read a lot of furry stuff, so any reading material that you can recomend is much appreciated ^_^


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## Tallow_Phoenix (Sep 13, 2019)

I haven't read a lot of furry stuff either, but I imagine you can just write whatever animals you need. The anthro versions can just be a different species; if we can exist in the same world as monkeys, then anthro dogs can exist alongside feral dogs. That's what I think, anyways.


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## Amarok1959 (Sep 13, 2019)

This may not help at all, but I found a fanzine from the 1970s called OMNIVERSE that addressed meta-fictional problems like that.  They reviewed comics/cartoons/folktales/ Disney and concluded that there are 4 major groups of "beings" in the multiverse:  1) regular old human beings; 2) physically anthropomorphic animals (i.e., bipedal walk, wear clothes, speak human language); 3) animals that look and act more-or-less like real animals but are intelligent and talk, at least to one another (a la The Lion King; 4) ordinary, non-sentient animals as found on our earth.

I've kept that magazine article in the back of my head for years, and it seemed to work for a lot of shows, movies, and books.  TaleSpin -- if a lion charges you on all fours in the jungle, it's a lion.  If it stands upright and wears oily coveralls, it's your mechanic.

Recently read _The Dragon and the George_ by Gordon R. Dickson.  The book's hero can't understand why a badger he encounters won't speak to him like the wolf Aragh does but just wants to flee in fear.  "Well, obviously, it's a Type 4 badger and a Type 3 wolf!" I thought.

Of course, there would be gray areas and overlaps, and there are other ways to do it -- like Narnia -- if an animal can talk, it's a person.  Otherwise it's dinner.


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## Nyro46 (Sep 13, 2019)

I have different ways of going about it depending on the universe.
In one universe, there are feral and anthro versions of animals. For example the main character is an anthropomorphic cat, but she also has a pet cat. I suppose one difference between the anthros and ferals is that, my anthros can be in sort of weird colours (like the main character I mentioned has purple stripes) but the ferals don't. They are basically just like regular animals, albeit still slightly cartoonified/personified.
In another universe though, the anthros basically just ARE the animals, so their levels of how civilized they act actually depends on where/how they were raised. Though there are also creatures (which is what they are actually referred to as) that are completely wild that fill in the void. But they are not real species.


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## Keefur (Sep 13, 2019)

You are the one creating the world.  You just assume what is or isn't real and so will youre reader, as long as you don't make it too clunky trying to explain why things are the way they are in the world.  I mean, if you pick up a non fiction book and read it, the author assumes you "know" that, for example, things like unicorns aren't real.  He doesn't stop to explain it to you.  You just do the same in whatever world you create.


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## LorenSauber (Sep 16, 2019)

TheFurryFromJupiter said:


> I have been trying to write some fur stories and Im a bit lost in a particular aspect.
> How do you write animals in an anthro/furry world?
> you have characters that are anthropomorphic and sentient, they are your characters and the ones ou are going to build and explore, but what about the wildlife? how do you make it so it isnt awkward? do you create new species or just non sentient versions of already existing ones?
> im looking for any advice you guys can give, also, i havent read a lot of furry stuff, so any reading material that you can recomend is much appreciated ^_^



Personally, I refer to wild "feral" animals as just that: feral, while referring to anthropomorphic by species (or simply calling them people, folk, etc.). So far I have avoided writing about domesticated "feral" animals, in which case I will have to do some thinking.

Good luck!


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## Sir Thaikard (Sep 16, 2019)

I write them based on however the client wants them described. You want dogs and dogpeople? Dogs that become dogpeople? Dogs are extinct because the catpeople ate them all? You got it.


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## HazelCat (Sep 16, 2019)

These replies bring goofy and Pluto to my mind



I'm sorry


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## Sir Thaikard (Sep 17, 2019)

HazelCat said:


> These replies bring goofy and Pluto to my mind
> 
> 
> 
> I'm sorry



Pluto is a LOVER. How dare you kinkshame his lifestyle.


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## Faustus (Sep 18, 2019)

I can understand the awkward. Carnivores need meat to eat, but you can't feed them their natural prey if that natural prey is sentient and you're not writing something horrific, or at least darkly comedic. On the other hand, if you have both sentient and non-sentient animals of the same kind, people could be confused. I'd say you have a few options:

1) All Animals are Anthropomorphic and Intelligent
     a) don't depict anything eating meat - carnivores are vegans, or simply never seen to eat anything (Zootopia)
     b) carnivores are feared monsters, like vampires or werewolves
     c) play it for laughs - ho ho ho, that cartoon animal ate that other cartoon animal (Kevin & Kell, Wile E Coyote)

2) Some animals are not anthropomorphic and therefore edible
     a) pick a specific excluded group such as fish or reptiles (Madagascar, Jade Claw)
     b) only one or two animal species are anthropomorphic - make it clear from the start which these are
     c) work the awkwardness into the mythology - "Say something now, or I'll assume you are safe to eat!" (the Amazing Maurice)

Personally I favour quietly glossing over the awkwardness. You can usually infer from context whether an animal is sentient or not. The Chronicles of Narnia got away with it, although in that the default stance was most animals were 'talking' animals. The Spellsinger Chronicles also got away with it - otters and tortoises and bats riding around on horses? Well of *course* they were dumb horses. I guess a good rule of thumb is if it speaks, it's anthro. It helps if, like the two mentioned above, your protagonists are human because then it makes sense for them to wonder about all these talking beasties.

It can however be fun to draw attention to the problem yourself in the context of the story, if it's good for a quick joke or two, or for horrific effect.


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## MauEvigEternalCat (Oct 1, 2019)

I know with Sky Kingdom in particular, I tend to create "new species" that would replace the role of otherwise regular animals, but I have mixes of both in some of my other worlds depending on what I'm working on in that particular moment.


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## hara-surya (Oct 5, 2019)

It all depends on the particulars of your setting but in mine anthros are anthros and regular animals are regular animals. In mine the anthro races are genetically engineered from mostly human stock and my fantasy-like anthro world is simply the the far-off future of the scifi world.


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