FAQ
Q: How did you find the furry community?
A: I've loved animals since I was a child, so it was a natural progression from there. Growing up, I was enamored with films, cartoons, and literature that featured animal characters. In the early days of the internet, I discovered fanart of The Lion King on personal webpages and DeviantArt, and from there I came across anthropomorphics. I learned quickly that furries were mocked and looked down upon by the majority of the internet, and later, the world at large. While I still consumed art and kept up-to-date with the community, I did so in secret and took great pains to never label or associate myself with furries. It wasn't until a heartfelt conversation with a new friend decades later that I realized being a furry wasn't anything to be ashamed of. I started dating another furry around that time, who convinced me to finally bring Shetani to life.
In ▶️Cheetah Chat #2, I further discuss my discovery of the fandom and what it means to be a furry.
Q: Your fursona is so cute! How did you come up with her?
A: She's really just myself as my favorite animal! I've loved cheetahs since I was young, and as an adult, I find myself relating a lot to them. I chose a king cheetah in particular because Shetani doesn't have any unnatural markings or coloring, and I wanted her to stand out a bit more. Her physical appearance, personality, interests, and wardrobe are all reflections of myself, so compliments and positive comments are twice as meaningful to me! Her name was meant as an obscure reference to something unrelated, but I take pride in how I've redefined it as something uniquely my own.
I talk more about the thought behind Shetani's design in ▶️Cheetah Chat #1.
Q: Why do you like cheetahs so much? / Why did you pick a cheetah?
A:As I mentioned, cheetahs have been my favorite animal since childhood. Out of all the big cats, I was drawn to cheetahs in particular because of their uniqueness. They are the only big cats with non-retractile claws, can purr but not roar, are in a genus all their own, etc. In an inversion of the typical story you hear from furries, I initially didn't feel connected to cheetahs on more than a surface level. As I matured and progressed through life, I found myself heavily relating to many of their defining aspects, most notably how they endure a great deal of hardship and injustice yet continue to persevere. You should message me sometime so I can talk your ear off about it! :3
Q: Do you roleplay?
A: I do RP, but I charge for my time, the same way artists charge money when drawing a picture for somebody else. Drop me a line if you're interested in paying for a RP session!
Q: Who made your fursuit?
A: My fursuit was made by the lovely MagpieBones.
As of 2023, auxiliary parts by The Forgotten Imp and Gnoll Patrol are used in some of my photography.
Q: Why doesn't your fursuit have eyes?
A: It does - they are my own eyes. :) MagpieBones's fursuits are intended to be blended with the wearer's actual eyes using makeup to create a realistic effect. Her mission statement is to create living, breathing characters you can interact with like a person, as opposed to static mascot-like costumes.
Q: Is that your real hair coming out of the suit head?
A: By request, my fursuit uses my own hair in addition to my own eyes. Its color and length may vary depending on what I decide to do with it, but it's always my actual hair. This can be troublesome sometimes (I envy fursuiters who can just put their heads on and off at a moment's notice!), but having a fursuit that "auto-updates" when I change my look is pretty dang cool.
Q: What made you choose this style of fursuit?
A: My primary reasons for choosing MagpieBones as my fursuit maker were realism, aesthetic, and practicality.
I consider my eyes, my hair, and my glasses to be my best features, so I gave those physical attributes to my fursona - and they would need to be represented in a fursuit of her. Hiding my glasses and hair under a fursuit head and attaching false versions of both would be redundant, not to mention unsightly and high-maintenance. I had dealt with concealing my hair under wigs for years when I cosplayed, and it's an uncomfortable, cumbersome process that I didn't want to go through again. Fursuiting is strenuous enough as is, let alone adding elements that would be more physically taxing. I also didn't care for the unnatural "bobblehead" look of partials where the head is made larger to fit glasses underneath.
After a ton of research, I decided on MagpieBones for her specialized experience, ability to work with my unique requirements, and creative vision that aligned with my own. This kind of fursuit is not for everyone, but it suits my needs perfectly (pun intended).
I speak at length about my fursuit and why I chose it in ▶️Cheetah Chat #5.
Q: Will you do a suiting up video or face reveal?
A: Nope! MagpieBones's public gallery shows many photos of fursuit heads (including Shetani's!) on mannequins, which should give you a good idea of how they are worn. There are some suiting up videos on YouTube from other MagpieBones suiters, though you won't be seeing one from me anytime soon.
Q: How does the fursuit head work?
A: I don't discuss the construction of my suit publicly because I prefer Shetani, and my portrayal of her, to be appreciated as a living character, not just the sum of a few parts and materials.
Also, I didn't build the fursuit myself, so I have to keep my suitmaker's business in mind. I don't know what elements she might or might not want her clients to publicly divulge. You'd probably be better off asking the person who actually made it!
Q: Can I draw you gift art?
A: I'd be honored! Here is Shetani's Refsheet.
Hit me up if you're on Instagram and I'll add your art to my gift art highlight!
Q: Can I interview you for a documentary, podcast, school project, etc.?
A: Absolutely! I've been interviewed for several different productions, and have done script consultation work for films pertaining to the furry subculture. Contact me via any of the links at the bottom of this page to discuss your project further.
Q: Why can't I see some of your Youtube videos?
A: I had to put a few protections in place to control what kinds of people have access to my videos. That affected embeds on the website, and you may have to click through to the Youtube page. Sorry about that! Youtube has really bad audience moderation tools.
Q: Why don't you do this with your hairstyle, eye makeup, clothing, glasses...? I would like your fursuit a lot better if you changed that.
A: I appreciate that Shetani evokes such an engaging response in people, and I do read every single comment and message I receive! When communicating with me, I strongly encourage you to take a minute and ensure your words are a genuine suggestion vs. a backhanded compliment or just flat-out being insulting. I wasn't born yesterday, it's very apparent when people do this, and I 100% don't permit it.
Do keep in mind that Shetani is a self-representation, and I present myself the way I choose. I fursuit for my own satisfaction, not for public approval. My existence is not an invitation for critique.
Q: I feel uncomfortable and this is your problem somehow, so can't you just put fake eyes in it/cut off your hair?
A: Statements that imply conformity or stripping me of my intentional unique elements are ignorant and should be kept to oneself. I didn't trip and accidentally throw a ton of money at an at-the-time relatively unknown costume artisan. No aspects of Shetani's design were by chance, and I don't need to disclose or justify my necessary accommodations to everyone.
Q: "Cat eye" contact lenses would look so cool with your fursuit, why don't you try them?
A:Why should I? My eyes are already a strikingly close match to a real cheetah's. Cheetahs and domestic cats have entirely different pupil shapes and eye colors. Cat eye contacts are very cool, but they would look fake and gross on me, and be inaccurate to the character.
Besides, if I used contact lenses, I wouldn't be able to wear glasses - one of the things I love most about the way I look.
Q: Will you make a video about (insert topic here)?
A: I love to hear about what interests you folks, and am always taking suggestions for future Cheetah Chat episodes! I used to have a "sponsor-a-topic" option on my Patreon and Ko-Fi pages, but no one ever took me up on that. So for now, I'll consider all requests as long I have some amount of knowledge or experience on the subject. If a different topic is repeatedly requested, I might have a special guest in that field or demographic come on for an episode.
Q: Would you recommend I get a use-your-own-eyes fursuit?
A: Every person is different. When considering a fursuit, think carefully about what goals you want to accomplish with your suiting, the way you wish to be perceived by others, and how prepared you are to deal with the limitations and quirks that come with it.
Each costume has its own benefits and drawbacks. My belief is that everyone who desires to fursuit absolutely can make it happen, though you sometimes have to venture off the beaten path. From my experience, I can say that a UYOE suit may be a challenging choice for someone who:
- has a cutesy or heavily stylized character
- wants to appear approachable and endearing to everyone they meet (e.g. working with kids, charity volunteering)
- is very shy and seeks to hide their true self when fursuiting
- desires a fursuit for popularity reasons
- is easily shaken when on the receiving end of criticism or negativity
Q: Are you a Khajiit, Tabaxi, Zootopian, Beastars character, Bojack Horseman character, or species/race/character from some other popular franchise?
A: No, I'm a furry and Shetani is my fursona. I started doing my thing before many of these media series existed. The concept of realistic anthro fursuits has been around for even longer! Though I appreciate the sentiment and try my best to see it as the compliment it's intended to be, being called "a character from such-and-such" tends not to sit well with me. Shetani is a unique self-representation, not a derivative character based on another person's work, and I feel such comparisons cheapen the years of time, effort, creativity, and personal connection I put into the creation of my fursona.
Q: What's your take on poodling¹?
A: As someone frequently met with backlash due to the style of fursuit I've chosen, it would be immensely hypocritical of me to police how others express themselves. There's no right or wrong way to wear a fursuit, cosplay, or any other costume - it's just for fun! Unless this is your job and the person complaining is your paying boss, neither they nor anyone else has the right to tell you how to wear YOUR suit that YOU own.
I choose not to display bare skin when fursuiting. That doesn't mean folks who do so are wrong, as they themselves have valid reasons for their conscientious decision. Personal opinions should never be used to dictate other people's behavior.
¹Poodling: wearing any combination of fursuit parts with revealing clothing in a way that bare human skin is intentionally visible. (Example)
Q: Am I allowed to make or get a fursuit like yours?
A: I don't own the concept of animal costumes showing the wearer's real hair and eyes. MagpieBones alone has made hundreds of use-your-own-eyes and use-your-own-hair costumes since 2008, and that's without even mentioning all the other fursuit makers and craftspeople who do too! I have no clue why people so commonly associate the aesthetic with me (many of my peers are more prolific than myself and wear the look better, IMO) nor why they think I have the power to gatekeep others' access. We're talking about a mask with extra holes in it, not a Dutch angel dragon. ;)
All that's to say, YES! I sought out this style of fursuit because traditional fursuits were incompatible with my needs, and I'll always support furries finding freedom in suiting as I have. Please do, and I'd love to see what you come up with!
Q: Do you work out in your fursuit for extra sick gainz?
A: No. In 2023, I signed up for a charity fundraiser called the Cheetah Fit Challenge, a 2-week fitness event during which I exercised in fursuit to raise money for charity. My video from the last day of the challenge unexpectedly went viral, resulting in >250,000 people seeing it completely without context. I work out in my fursuit about as regularly as people who raise money for ALS research dump buckets of ice water on their heads.
You can learn more about my Cheetah Fit Challenge participation by watching ▶️this Youtube video.
Q: Will you be at this or that convention?
A: My confirmed cons will be listed on the front page of my website!
I love attending, staffing, and participating in online furry conventions as a dealer and panelist. If there's an online con you think I'd enjoy, please tell me about it!
For the time being, I cannot attend in-person events which lack certain health and safety policies, or which require me to travel very far. This includes cons I used to frequent, like Anthrocon and ANE. Sorry.
Q: How can I help support you?
A: If you're financially able to donate, I have an online tip jar on Ko-Fi. Your generosity helps fund the production of my videos and photoshoots, purchase of equipment and costumes, doing livestreams and online cons, hosting this ad-free website, and just enabling me to try bigger and better things!
Are physical goods more your cup of tea? Click here to snag yourself some sweet stickers, pins, and who knows what else!
Of course, the easiest way to help me out is simply by following me on social media, giving me feedback, and sharing my creations with your friends whom you think would enjoy them.
I'm so very grateful for all of your support!