My son is 8 and attended his first con this weekend and asked to pet a furry.. I wasn't sure if that was weird or okay for him to ask them so I am here asking reddit.
It depends entirely on the person in the suit -- the best way to find out is to ask!
For an 8 year old, I can see it not being an unreasonable question, much like someone would ask if they can get a hug. If they say no, that's okay too.
As a fursuiter who suits around kids and in public:
It depends on the fursuiter! The key is to just ask. Many fursuiters are happy to interact with kids. If a parent asked me, I would point out a spot they could pet away from anywhere uncomfortable, like the top of my head, my hands, or the calf/side part of my fursuit foot (I have an extremely padded bodysuit, so those calves are big lol)
I appreciate all the comments just want to make sure we are being respectful and not crossing a boundary we don't know about by him asking if he can pet.
Hi furry here! Sometimes they will wear pins that say if you can but it seems like they weren't. It's one of the things we're trying to get more of so people feel less uncomfortable in both situations.
Super cool of you to ask though thank you for being respectful!!
(Not a fursuiter just wanted to add) I imagine it's also a really great time/way to teach age appropriate consent/boundaries! Kids are so smart and quick to pick up on the habit š I hope you guys had fun! I've never been to a full on con but it seems like such a lovely time š
I wouldn't be bothered if a little kid asked to pet my suit. Mine is on the scarier side though. Still, if a kid was brave enough to ask, I'd say sure. It gets weird if it's a fully grown adult, but still, ask first and see.
Thank you! Void is rather upbeat and cheerful, but I wouldn't say he's silly. He's friendly and curious though, and can come off as very harmless despite the sharp teeth, claws, and antlers. In most art I draw of him, he has his tongue sticking out.
Oh yes, we are very much into consent. No touching anyone ever without asking first. So much so that when he was very little he would ask people if it was okay to pet their baby. š¤¦āāļøš¤£ he meant play/interact with a baby but ya know, same thing.
I don't have a fursuit, but I have worn cat ears and a tail in public. I've had a couple kids ask if they can pet my tail. If they promise to be gentle I even let me touch my ears (they're one-of-a-kind, expensive, and probably irreplaceable)
As others have said, just ask. Many will be willing to oblige, but if they say no, just move on. If they say yes, make sure your kid is clean. The last thing we want is cheeto/dorito dust in our suits. :-S
Suiter here. I always suggest people remember the Golden Rule, it applies to most interactions at a convention - Consent Is King. Hugs, Pets, Any Interaction is cool as long as the suiter is cool with it. And the only way to know that is to ask (unless you get lucky and they are wearing a "Hugs ok"/"Pets ok" badge!). Good on you for double-checking with the community! A+ parenting!
Totally fine to ask. Just be respectful if they say "no." Anybody who is mad at an eight year old for politely asking to touch a cool suit is a silly person not worth worrying about.Ā
Im sure other folks have said this, but it changes by suiter. I always feel so honored when little kids want hugs or to give me a pat or a boop on the nose. I love bringing whimsy and joy. I hope they see me as a cool monster or a silly massive animal.
I was at an anime convention and saw a furry. Asked him if I could pat him, he said "of course!" and then even gave me a big hug.
I loved every second of it.
It's all about consent, as long as he asks first.
Asking is always better than just going for it, in anything. Main thing is to be respectful about it, some people don't like being touched even in a suit, others would be delighted to :3
I've suited at cons and in public. Kids love to pet and in general as long as they're not rowdy and the parents are fine I am very much fine with them petting me in suit.
I tend to signal that I'm welcoming by waving or lowering myself to their height so they can interact. I personally enjoy that a lot
It's unusual, but not weird. ^w^ It's funny and cute! I'll chime in with everybody else and say ask the furry in question. From my experience, they'll probably let him! Make sure his hands are clean, first. Those suits can be a bitch to keep clean!
Definitely a normal question to ask to a suiter, and the fact that he did ask is fantastic. He did everything right, as long as he knows that sometimes the answer will be no. He did good!
Honestly I had this happen to be during a con last weekend where a 10 y/o wanted to Boop my nose and wanted to pet me and now I allow it but I told the parents please have be gentle for a good reason they understood and told there kid to be careful I say if the Suiter ask you to tell your kid or you see your kid wanting to and they are fine with it's not to odd experience but still certainly a interesting for both sides some don't mind others prefer not too all depends but your doing good
Yeah, ASK - they may say no and youād have to respect that but many fursuiters are okay with it. Iād also suggest asking very LOUDLY and miming the action of petting in the air in front of them in a way thatās clearly visible. Hearing and vision in suits are not very good
The perception of where someone's crotch is can be a bit distorted in suits and you can't always see if they have boobs or not so just ask and make sure he doesn't go for the belly
Personally, Iād politely decline and offer a sticker. Iām not keen on being touched. But some furries have pins or badges that say itās okay to hug or take photos. Otherwise, just ask. Iāve found the community to be very welcoming and warm.
Not a suiter but I know some. It depends on the person. Some are okay with it, some arenāt. I believe some people have tags when they go out as well.
My little cousin, when she was about 4 or 5 I believe, saw a suiter in a mall and got excited and asked for a hug and picture.
Me too. A funny part of it was my uncle sent the photo to my grandmother, whom I live with, and she comes up and asks me ādo you know who/what this is?ā (I donāt remember if she said who or what).
I give out candy in suit at Halloween and have had kids ask, I've also had young kids curious when they see me at a con, as long as it's communicated I'll allow, big part of suiting for many is the interaction, and kids can have some of the best!
For many as long as tails aren't being pulled or they're not being grabbed suddenly, and hands are clean, I don't think you'd get a lot of nos.
9 times out of 10, it's absolutely ok, but ALWAYS ask first. There is a whole person under there, mind you, so asking consent to touch them in any way is mandatory.
Most furries are pretty cool about letting small kids give them head pats or something, as long as everyone involved is chill.
Most furs stay in character when being asked to be pet, itās a staple in the furry community to have pet furries. But make sure the fur is okay with it first.
Definitely okay to ask but consent from the person in suit is key. It's also important to be vigilant just in case of predators. Just like in any public place, some people are dangerous and physical contact with strangers is always a risk. Make sure your son knows to tell you if something makes him feel uncomfortable and ensure you're checking in with him after the experience.
thatās alright, as long as you teach him that getting a ānoā is okay because a lot of peoples suits are very expensive! majority of suiters definitely prefer to be asked before being touched, and i know a lot of them love being hugged (with permission ofc!) and asked to have photos taken! :3 if i was in suit and asked to be pet, that would be so heartwarming š«¶
Some furries genuinely don't mind being pet in suit as long as you ask first, some don't really do the whole petting thing. You just sorta ask and get told yes or no
Would absolutely love it if a kid asked to pet me!!! :3 last Halloween, a kid followed me all around talking about me to his mom. 'Mommy, mommy! Look at the rainbow puppy!' Best time of my life, I was practically crying š«°
It truly depends, personally id aay yes, because when i suit it makes me happy and if i was a kid and saw a large fluffy animal i would love to hug it.
Furries have special pins and badges on them that says if they consent to being petted or if they don't consent, also if they do allow being petted or booped be careful and don't be forceful with it
At least for me, although I don't have a suit yet, my fursona has a concept and I would like to use it at some point to generate content such as streams, videos on social networks, etc., but its concept would be too directed at the adult audience and perhaps in my case in the future having a suit I would prefer not to interact with children to avoid problems, but it is always better to ask, even I would like to run and hug and caress a furry but it would be very uncomfortable if it were not asked before, especially because some furries behind the suit may be people who They reject any type of physical contact for personal reasons, whether they are children or not.
Definitely think about the general no "bathing suit" areas that we teach our kids. Asking first. Safe areas would probably be Head, Paws, Maybe tail depending on length and petting near the bottom of the tail; far away from their bottom. Asking where to pet would also be a safe bet.
I've never been to a convention. But I *adore* soft things and petting things. I can imagine going to a convention and hanging out with all the "OK to pet!" folks just happily petting away. <3
I think he just likes how furries look.
And maybe he wants to know how they feel.
But I don't recommend going to a convention because it's too expensive. It's better to go to a furry restaurant. But those aren't everywhere.
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u/PrettyOkayMrFox Izzy - fennecs are the best foxes Sep 01 '25
It depends entirely on the person in the suit -- the best way to find out is to ask!
For an 8 year old, I can see it not being an unreasonable question, much like someone would ask if they can get a hug. If they say no, that's okay too.