I just really like anthro animals. I always have and likely always will. I think that's just it in my case.

Fandom-wise, it's a welcome change from the elitism and judgemental attitudes found in the therian/otherkin community. As a matter of fact, when I was taking my break...I was hanging out in furry areas (while I could be called a "furry" before, I was never really involved with the fandom until recently).

This also allowed me to introspect a bit more and I started realizing that I'm very likely wrong about being a coyote and am some other animal who has some similarities. My primary fursona is a spotted hyena and that led me to learn more about the actual animal and realize that it fit better than coyote ever did, better than anything ever did (though I am not yet entering it into "theriotype" fields or anything...more time wanted, let me wean myself off of forced behaviors that got ingrained first).

I took a break.

Most information in my old intro is still up to date. However, the "coyote therian" bits are not. I'm starting to realize more of a separate entity and that my actual theriotype leans way more towards hyena. Spotted hyena, if specifics are wanted. For now, I am taking my time and not labeling officially (though I have decided to make a fursona based on this earlier this month and that's what made me start reading more about spotted hyenas and caused a realization).

Hit me up with a invite code

I've never really understood the desire to dress up like my theriotype. It'd never match up with my feline self, ears for example wouldn't move in time with my phantom ears, so it'd be like having a pair of fake ears stuck on over the top of my real (phantom) ears.

I think a lot of it has to do with my self perception and constant phantoms.
I know I'm currently a human, but my default base self-perception is feline. I'm a cat. I don't need to dress up like one, I already am one. I can feel my ears and tail, feel the way my claws flex, I feel the wind ruffle through my fur and the way my canine teeth hug my lips. In my mind I always look feline, so I've never felt the need to make myself look more cat when I already am cat.

That said I don't have any issue with people who do like to dress up. I don't see it as a mockery or anything bad. If it helps some people then it's a good thing. Everyone's different.

Well, I can't speak for any therians as I am not one myself. And I certainly can't tell anyone what they should or shouldn't wear. You do you.

As an animal-person I have a neutral opinion on fursuits overall. My opinion is based entirely on what I personally prefer... and that's mostly based on aesthetic value, haha. I prefer realistic fursuits to cartoonish ones, the more convincing the better, and the more likely I'd be to actually want to try it out. I actually lean more towards a mix of costuming and special effects makeup/prosthetics because that, to me, delivers the most realistic looking transformation. Basically, I'd rather look like a real monster than a giant stuffed animal.

However, with any sort of costuming I always wonder how limited you are physically. Even if I looked 100% like my animal-side via costuming, it doesn't mean much if I can't actually do any animal things. Like running and jumping and other athletic stuff. THAT would make me feel more like my animal-side than any amount of aesthetic fixes.