Every time I start to write this, I keep backspacing over it because I find each thing requires an explanation. So, forgive me if this ends up really long.
Growing up, my family wasn't the wealthiest, but my parents were incredibly intelligent. Situations didn't permit them both to attend college, so my father worked as a brick layer and my mom was a bartender. To supplement their income, they drew on their love of animals and started an exotic animals breeding business. My parents were the first in Pennsylvania licensed to breed and sell hedgehogs and sugar gliders. My dad became the herpetology (reptile science) expert for the Pittsburgh Zoo.
That said, from a very, very young age I've been exposed to every type of animal. I had dogs and cats, sure, but I've also had a mountain lion cub and baby alligators. From that age I learned to respect and love animals like people. The Animal Planet was the only daytime TV that I watched.
In elementary school, I only ever brought live animals for 'show and tell,' and I was known around as 'the kid with all the pets.' I was attached to my animals, no matter how big or small they were. I once cried for and buried a deceased pet hermit crab.
In high school, I joined the ASPCA and my little brother and I volunteered at a local humane society, cleaning up and playing with the dogs and cats. I strongly considered joining the Whale Wars group aboard the Steve Irwin the summer following my high school graduation.
In college, we aren't allowed to have pets, but that rule has never stopped me. Freshman year I raised a kitten I found outside after efforts to find its mother proved futile. Sophomore year I had fish and hermit crabs again.
The summer after my sophomore year (this past summer) I went through a really tough break up with my (now ex) girlfriend, and was really depressed. My dogs were the only living beings I felt could ever sincerely love me and spent my summer working as a writer (specializing in herpetology) for online services and hung out with my dogs a lot.
It also turned out to be the summer that Pittsburgh hosted Anthrocon. I didn't go, but it piqued my interest to say the least. I've gone off to Vienna to study but over break as I've had some downtime I started looking more into it and found your community here.
What draws me to the furry community is more the animal root than the human morphology, and I do love how friendly everyone here is. It also interests me greatly that I've discovered a new community to write about.
So yeah. That was really, really long. Sorry about that.
Topic: How did YOU become furry? =) (Read 140429 times)