The following is a rescued description of furcode v2, originally found on voidlynx’s website, which has been defunct for about a year now.

These are not my words, and I don’t know the original author either.

Here is a decoder for it

Furcode v2.0

One evening, while browsing Cohost, I’ve stumbled upon this post by A Strange Cat, where I discovered the existence of the Furry Code, originally made by Ross Smith. The original 1998 document can be found on this page.

It’s a sort of code that uses a compact series of symbols that is used to communicate your essential characteristics to other members of the furry community.

The code consists a series of letter, number and symbols, which are used to describe yourself in a specific category. If the description of a particular section doesn’t match you exactly - pick the closest one. You can omit a specific category if you would like to keep this information to yourself.

Each section consists of a prefix (a letter indicating the category) and a suffix (a set of symbols that indicate your placement in the category).

This is, unofficially, the version 2.0 of the original FurCode, because it has been over 25 years since the original document was last updated, at the time of writing, and… let’s just say that a lot has changed since then. Also I’ve taken liberty of making some semantic changes for simplicity’s sake. So expect that this is not backwards compatible with the original FurCode, though I’ve attempted to leave in a lot of things as-is.

General modifiers

These symbols can be attached to any of the standard sections to indicate a certain factor.

  • ? : Indicated that you are unsure of where you fall in the category, or that you have no opinion on this. This replaces the suffix. >Example: If you haven’t decided what species your fursona is, you would use F?.
  • ~ : Indicates an approximation. You normally fit the given code, but it varies from time to time, or you’re not completely sure. This is placed between the prefix and suffix, or sometimes between parts of the suffix. Example: If you haven’t quite decided what species your fursona is, but you are leaning towards being a fox, you might use F~CF. If you’re sure you’re some sort of canine, but not quite sure you’re specifically a fox, you might use FC~F.
  • & : Indicates that you fit into more than one type. This means two or more specific types, perhaps as a hybrid or centaur. This is placed between suffixes, more dominant first. Example: If your fursona is a hybrid of a fox and a lynx, you would use FCF&FX or FFX&CF, depending on which one you think is more dominant.
  • / : Indicates that you have several options in this category, makes sense with F and RL sections. This is placed between two suffixes. Example: RLA/M means that you specify in both Art and Music IRL.
  • ! : Indicates a positive refusal to participate in this category. Unlike ?, which means you haven’t made up your mind yet, ! means you have made up your mind that you want nothing to do with this subject. This replaces the suffix. Example: F! can be read as “I do not have a fursona and do not plan to have one in the foreseeable future”.
  • > : Indicates that you currently fit one specific suffix, but would like it to move into another. This is placed between two suffixes. Example: A+>+++ indicates that you’re currently an okay artist but would like to be a better artist in the future.
  • $ : Indicates that you make money IRL from this. It doesn’t have to be your primary job, just a source of significant income to you. This is placed after the suffix. Example: You could use A++++$ if you are a professional artist who earns money from their job.
  • # : Indicates that you prefer to keep this information undisclosed to the public. Consider omitting a section entirely instead of using this, if you want to. This can replace a suffix. Example: s# means that you prefer to keep your IRL gender and sexuality private knowledge.
  • [text] : Indicates a specific explanation of a category. Use this when you need a more specific designation. This can be used as a suffix. Example: RLM[drummer] can be used if you are a drummer IRL.

Part 1: Your furry side

F – Furry Persona

This section indicates what your fursona is. You can indicate your exact species, or just a general type if you don’t fit into a particular species.

Obviously the list of species here can’t cover everything. In some cases the suffixes can’t be broken down to individual subspecies (e.g. “deer” or “mongoose”). If you don’t fit into any of these, consider using the [text] modifier to indicate your custom species. Let me know if you think some species here are sufficiently common in the furry community as to deserve their own codes. For “Generic” species - feel free to expand subspecies/breeds using the [text] modifier.

  • FA : Avians
    • FAA Albatross; FAD Duck; FAE Falcon; FAG Seagull; FAH Hawk; FAK Kiwi; FAO Owl; FAR Raven; FAS Sparrow; FAW Wren
  • FAr : Artiodactyla (two-toed hoofed animals)
    • FArA Antelope; FArB Buffalo; FArC Cattle; FArD Deer; FArE Camel; FArG Goat; FArL Llama; FArM Moose; FArN Gnu; FArP Pig; FArR Reindeer; FArS Sheep; FArW Warthog; FArZ Gazelle
  • FB : Bugs and insects
    • FBB Bee; FBM Moth; FBS Spider; FBT Butterfly
  • FC : Canidae (dog family)
    • FCA Arctic fox; FCC Coyote; FCD Dingo; FCE Fennec fox; FCF Generic fox; FCG Generic dog; FCJ Jackal; FCT Tanuki; FCW Wolf; FCX Maned wolf
  • FCe : Centaur
    • Consider using the t indicator, mentioned below the species list, if you have a taur fursona. This is for half-human half-animal sonas.
  • FCh : Chiroptera (bat family)
    • FChF Flying fox or fruit bat; FChV Vampire bat
  • FD : Dragons, dinosaurs and other reptiles
    • FDA Alligator/Crocodile; FDC Coelurosaur (Velociraptor, etc.); FDD Dragon; FDK Carnosaur (Tyrannosaurus, etc.); FDL Lizard; FDS Snake; FDT Tortoise/Turtle
  • FE : Equidae (horse family)
    • FED Donkey; FEH Horse; FEZ Zebra
  • FF : Felidae (cat family)
    • FFB Bobcat; FFC Clouded leopard; FFD Generic cat; FFH Cheetah; FFJ Jaguar; FFL Lion; FFM Puma/Cougar/Mountain lion; FFO Ocelot; FFP Panther/Leopard; FFS Snow leopard; FFT Tiger; FFV Serval; FFW Wild cat; FFX Lynx
  • FG : Generic furry
    • This suffix means that you do have a definite furry shape, but it does not conform to a species. This is here for backwards compatibility, mostly.
  • FH : Herpestidae (mongoose family)
    • FHK Meerkat; FHM Mongoose
  • FHy : Hyaenidae (hyena family)
    • FHyA Aardwolf; FHyH Hyena
  • FI : Insectivora
    • FIH Hedgehog; FIM Mole
  • FL : Lagomorpha (rabbit family)
    • FLH Hare; FLP Pika; FLR Rabbit
  • FM : Mustelidae (weasel family)
    • FMA Sable; FMB Badger; FME Ermine/Stoat; FMF Ferret; FMK Mink; FMM Marten; FMO Otter; FMP Polecat; FMR Ratel/Honey badger; FMS Skunk; FMV Wolverine; FMW Weasel
  • FMa : Marsupialia
    • FMaB Wombat; FMaK Kangaroo; FMaO Koala; FMaP Possum; FMaT Tasmanian devil; FMaW Wallaby
  • FMo : Monotremata
    • FMoE Echidna; FMoP Platypus
  • FP : Procyonidae (raccoon family)
    • FPR Raccoon
  • FPi : Pinnipedia (seal family)
    • FPiL Sea lion; FPiS Seal; FPiW Walrus
  • FPr : Primates
    • FPrL Lemur; FPrM Monkey
  • FR : Rodentia
    • FRB Beaver; FRG Grey squirrel; FRM Mouse; FRP Porcupine; FRR Rat; FRS Red squirrel; FRU Muskrat
  • FS : Fish-like
    • FSD Dolphin; FSN Narwhal; FSO Orca; FSS Shark; FSW Generic whale
  • FU : Ursidae (bear family)
    • FUA Polar bear; FUB Black bear; FUG Grizzly/Brown/Kodiak bear; FUP Panda
  • FV : Viverridae (civet family)
    • FVC Civet
  • FX : Mythical creatures (other than centaurs and dragons)
    • FXA Gargoyle; FXC Manticore; FXG Gryphon; FXH Hippogriff; FXK Kobold; FXL Generic alien; FXM Mermaid; FXN Nevrean; FXP Protogen; FXS Synth; FXV Avali; FXY Yinglet
  • FXe : Xenarthra
    • FXeA Anteater; FXeR Armadillo; FXeS Sloth
  • FZ : Polymorph (can shapeshift at will to any species, with no “normal” shape)

After identifying your basic species, optional modifiers may be added to indicate thematic variations:

  • d : Demon
  • i : Rubber/Inflatable
  • g : Goo
  • h : Were-human (can TF between human and animal form)
  • m : Has magic/psychic powers (other than those covered by other modifiers)
  • p : Polymorph (given species is your “normal” form, but you can shapeshift)
  • r : Robotic (if species isn’t normally robotic)
  • s : Plush
  • t : Taur (see below)
  • u : Unicorn
  • w : Winged (if species isn’t normally winged)

For FurCode’s purposes, a “taur” is a variation on the animal theme, while a “centaur” is half-human, half-animal and is counted as its own species (see FCe). So if your sona is half-human half-zebra, then your identifier could be FCe&EZ, but if you are overall a zebra with 4 legs and 2 arms, then you’re a zebra-taur and your identifier is FEZt.

Next, add a number to indicate your fursona on the human-to-animal scale:

  • 1 : Basically human, but has minor furry features (like eyes, nose, ears, claws, some fur, etc.)
  • 2 : Humanoid with significant furry features (muzzle, tail, etc.); includes centaurs and mer-people
  • 3 : Anthropomorphic animal
  • 4 : Equally comfortable on 2 or 4 legs (or, if you’re a taur, on 4 or 6)
  • 5 : Animal shape with some unusual features (like hands, speech, etc.); includes most dragons, gryphons, etc.
  • 6 : Normal animal shape (feral)

Finally, add one or more letters after the number to indicate your relationship to this character:

  • a : General alter-ego
  • c : A costume you wear
  • d : Someone to draw art of
  • r : Roleplaying character
  • s : Guardian spirit/mascot/totem
  • w : Someone to write stories about

If you have more than one sona, depending on the context, use more than one code here, split by the / modifier. As a rough example, if you roleplay as a werewolf that you draw pictures of, dress up as your fox character at cons, and have a magical grizzly bear as your totem, your code might be something like FCWh4dr/CF3c/UGm6s.

A – Art

Most furry community members try their hand at artwork sooner or later. What’s your relationship with art?

  • A++++ : I do professional furry-related art for a living
  • A+++ : My art is widely known in some circles
  • A++ : I have a reasonably sized fanbase
  • A+ : I draw regularly, but don’t have a sizable fanbase
  • A : I do some drawings every once in a while
  • A- : I sketch very rarely
  • A-- : Don’t do drawing right now, but might in the future
  • A--- : Don’t like drawing at all

C – Conventions

How often do you go to or get involved in furry conventions? (This category, except as noted below refers specifically to furry cons, not to conventions in general.)

  • C+++ : Been to many cons and/or organised at least one
  • C++ : I regularly go to cons, and I’ve occasionally helped
  • C+ : I’ve been to several, and plan to go to more
  • C : I’ve been to one con
  • C- : Never been to one, might go to a con in the future.
  • C-- : Not interested in cons
  • C--- : I don’t like cons at all
  • C^ : Haven’t been to a furry con, but have been to a regular fandom con
  • C^^ : Haven’t been to a furry con, but have helped to organize a regular fandom con

D – Dressing

What is your interest in fursuiting?

  • D+++ : I’ll wear a fursuit at any opportunity (where costumes are not expected)
  • D++ : I’ll wear a fursuit at cons/events (where costumes are uncommon)
  • D+ : I’ll wear a fursuit for masquerades/Halloween (where costumes are expected)
  • D : I might choose to wear a fursuit
  • D- : I’d wear a fursuit if I had to
  • D-- : I don’t like fursuits at all

Add an m at the end if you have made your own fursuit.

H – Hugs

How interested are you in engaging in hugs? (in online RP)

  • H+++ : I enjoy constantly hugging anyone whenever I want
  • H++ : I can hug anyone I know, given a faint excuse
  • H+ : I’ll accept hugs and I’m fine with giving the occasional one myself
  • H : I’m okay with receiving hugs if you really want to
  • H- : Only if we know each other
  • H-- : I don’t like hugs at all

M – Roleplay

This category was previously known as “Mucking and Mudding”, referring to telnet multi-user universes/dungeons. I’ve left the prefix as-is for backwards compatibility’s sake. How involved are you in forms of roleplay?

  • M++ : I spend a lot of time roleplaying
  • M+ : I do roleplay every once in a while
  • M : Tried once or twice, might do again in the future
  • M- : Have never tried it
  • M-- : I don’t like roleplaying at all

Add a t at the end if you do TTRPGs, and/or an l if you do LARPing. Add an s if you are okay with NSFW online roleplay.

P – Plushies

How are you involved in collecting plush toys?

  • P+++ : I own a lot of plushies
  • P++ : I’ve got a reasonable amount of plushies
  • P+ : I have a few plushies
  • P : I currently don’t own any plushies, but would like to
  • P- : I don’t own any plushies and would not like to

R – Realism

Do you prefer your furries to abide the laws of physics, anatomy and logic, or willing to go more creative with it?

  • R++ : Realistic is better
  • R+ : I like both, but prefer realism
  • R : I have no strong feelings one way or the other
  • R- : I like both, but prefer creativity
  • R-- : Cartoonish is better

T – Transformation

If you had the chance, would you want to become your fursona IRL?

  • T+++ : Yes, any day
  • T++ : Yes, if it’s reversible
  • T+ : Yes, as long as technology for that is mature
  • T : It depends on factors unknown
  • T- : Not personally
  • T-- : Would not like that at all

V – Virtual Reality

Do you use VR technologies to participate in the furry community?

  • V+++ : Yes, I make 3D models for other furries
  • V++ : Yes, I hang out in VR worlds every once in a while
  • V+ : I’ve tried it once or twice, might try in the future
  • V : Have not been able to do so yet, but want to
  • V- : Have tried it, didn’t like at this time, maybe in the future
  • V-- : I don’t like/plan to hang out in VR at all

Add an m at the end if you have your own 3D model or you do VTubing.

W – Writing

What’s your relationship with writing text stories in the furry community?

  • W+++ : There is a sort of community around my writing
  • W++ : I mostly do writing commissions
  • W+ : I’ve done a few writing commissions
  • W : I’ve written a thing that somebody else has read
  • W- : I have some drafts but nobody is ever going to see them!
  • W-- : I’ve never written fiction
  • W--- : Don’t like writing at all

Replace + symbols with ^ symbols if your writing isn’t furry-related.

S – Gender and Sexuality

Use this section to indicate your fursona’s gender and sexuality preference. As always, if you want a specific option, feel free to use the [text] modifier or you can use the # modifier if you prefer to keep this information private. If you want to indicate pronouns here, feel free to use the [text] modifier for that, but I recommend putting them somewhere alongside your FurCode.

This section was previously called Furry sex, and is extremely outdated by modern standards. Also, I’ve taken liberty of removing the “Sex life” indicator, because I think that’s a bit mad to talk about in public, and replaced it with the sexuality indicator.

First, indicate your fursona’s gender:

  • Sf : Female
  • Si : Intersex
  • Sm : Male
  • Sn : Non-binary (feel free to specify)

Then, add a second letter to indicate your fursona’s sexuality. I’ve not added too much on purpose, just some general ones:

  • a : Asexual
  • b : Bisexual
  • d : Demisexual
  • g : Gay
  • h : Heterosexual
  • l : Lesbian
  • o : Other (specify)

As always, use the [text] modifier after a suffix if you need clarification. Don’t feel restricted to given options.

Part 2: Your offline side

RL – Real Life

Unfortunately, we were not given a choice in our physical appearance in Real Life, nor we are born into amazing fantasy worlds, but into a boring capitalist reality, where we have Jobs and Businesses that we have to run, as to support ourselves. So what do you do in Real Life?

  • RLA : Art
  • RLBM : Busniess/Management
  • RLC : Craftsmanship
  • RLCI : Construction industry
  • RLCT : Computers/IT
  • RLE : Engineering
  • RLET : Education/Teaching
  • RLF : Farming
  • RLFB : Finance/Banking
  • RLGP : Government/Public Service
  • RLL : Law
  • RLLW : Literature/Writing
  • RLM : Music
  • RLMA : Military/Armed forces
  • RLMC : Media/Communications
  • RLMH : Medicine (Humanitarian)
  • RLMV : Medicine (Veterinatian)
  • RLR : Retail
  • RLS : Science
  • RLTH : Theatre
  • RLTI : Transportation industry

Some special cases:

  • RLAT : Jack of All Trades, Master of None
  • RLU : Undecided (usually used by students who haven’t picked a major yet)
  • RL- : No qualifications, no job, no complaints!

Do not put a $ modifier here, because this section assumes your main source of income/day job. Add a ^ after the code if you’re trained or experienced in a field, but haven’t found a job in that field yet (does not apply to RLU or RL-). Feel free to add a [text] modifier after a suffix to specify exact specialization. Also let me know if there’s a major industry that you would like to see included in this list of choices.

Example: If you are trained as an astrophysicist but work in the IT industry - your code would be something like RLCT/S^[astrophysicist].

a – Age

For how long has your body physically existed?

  • a++++ : 60+ years
  • a+++ : 50-59 years
  • a++ : 40-49 years
  • a+ : 30-39 years;
  • a : 20-29 years;
  • a- : 13-19 years;

I don’t think minors under 13 would be reading this, so this is the lower bound. If you prefer, you can indicate your exact age, for example a27 . You can use the # modifier or completely omit this section if you don’t want to indicate it at all.

c – Computers

Love ’em or hate ’em, they exist and are an inseparable part of modern society. But what’s your relationship with computers and tech?

  • c+++ : I know the insides of the insides of a computer and how they work
  • c++ : I can program computers, and I’m very proficient in computers overall
  • c+ : I use computers for work and gaming, and have a reasonable amount of knowledge about computers
  • c : Computers are work machines to me, I don’t know much about them
  • c- : I don’t use a computer, unless it’s required that I do
  • c-- : I actively dislike computers
  • c--- : What’s a computer?

If your rating is c or above, add one or more of the following letters to the end to indicate your preferred OS (or kernel) choice:

  • b : BSD Unix
  • h : ChromeOS
  • l : Linux
  • m : macOS
  • o : Other (specify with [text] after o)
  • w : Windows

e – Education

How far have you managed to crawl up the academic ladder?

  • e++++ : Doctorate or equiv.
  • e+++ : Master’s degree or equiv.
  • e++ : Bachelor’s degree or equiv.
  • e+ : Some tertiary education
  • e : Finished high school
  • e- : Haven’t finished high school
  • e-- : Haven’t started high school

f – Real Life Furriness

How far does your furriness spill into your Real Life? Or, rather, how far do you allow the Boring Universe get in the way of important things in life?

  • f+++ : I am a furry!
  • f++ : I’ve been known to make animal noises at people
  • f+ : I frequently joke about it, show friends my furry art collection
  • f : I make an occasional reference to it
  • f- : I only tell close friends
  • f-- : I tell nobody

g – Videogames

Originally this section was named d – Doom, Quake, etc., but gaming has evolved way beyond the shooter genre in the last 25 years. Unfortunately, to include every genre here would be exhausting, so this section will ask you: On average, how good are you at Gaming?

  • g+++ : I am really good at competitive gaming or hold a high leaderboard position in speedrunning
  • g++ : I see games as generally fun and don’t restrict myself to a specific genre
  • g+ : Games to me are a casual thing to cool down with on an evening
  • g : I play videogames very rarely
  • g- : I don’t play videogames at all
  • g-- : I actively dislike videogames

h – Housing

What sort of home situation are you in?

  • h++++ : Married… with children
  • h+++ : Married or shacked up with my SO on a long-term basis
  • h++ : Living with one or more fellow furries
  • h+ : Living with one or more people who are (probably) not furries
  • h : Living alone
  • h- : Living alone, rarely go out
  • h-- : Living in a cave with a computer and a modem line
  • h^ : Living with parents
  • h^^ : My workspace/lab is more like home to me
  • h^^^ : Homeless

i – Internet

World Wide Web: the final frontier. These are the voyages of a humble internet surfer. Their continuing mission: to explore strange new websites; to seek out new people and communities; to boldly go where no one has gone before!

How can you describe your internet presence?

  • i+++ : I am a website administrator myself
  • i++ : I spend most of my free time scrolling the web, reading a lot of articles, as well as contributing to online communities
  • i+ : I browse the web regularly, read a handful of pages
  • i : I browse the web every once in a while, or if somebody suggests me to; otherwise I’m offline
  • i- : Not connected yet (did somebody mail this document to you?)
  • i-- : Maybe we all would be better off without the internet

Add a w at the end if you have your own personal webpage, make it wf if it mentions furries.

j – Anime (Japanese animation)

What is your relationship with the anime culture?

  • j+++ : I am an anime writer/artist myself
  • j++ : I watch it a lot on my spare time
  • j+ : I watch it occasionally
  • j : Have seen it, might watch some again
  • j- : Haven’t watched any yet
  • j-- : I don’t like anime at all

You may add additional modifiers at the end for your viewing preferences: s for translated subtitles, d for translated dubbing.

m – Mobile devices

You just can’t live without one, yet there are so many. What’s your relationship with them?

  • m+++ : I own a lot of mobile devices, ranging from modern tablets to ancient PDAs
  • m++ : I own a few mobile devices, mostly smartphones and an occasional tablet
  • m+ : I only own one smartphone or tablet
  • m : I only own a dumbphone
  • m- : I don’t own any mobile devices
  • m-- : I actively am against mobile devices

If your rating is m+ or above, add one or more of the following letters at the end to indicate your OS of choice:

  • a : Android
  • i : iOS/iPadOS
  • l : Non-Android Linux
  • o : Other (specify with [text] after o)

p – Pets

How do you cohabit with pets in Real Life?

  • p+++ : I take care of a vast amount of furry/scaly/feathery creatures, and my life is organized around them
  • p++ : I have several pets
  • p+ : Two or three conventional pets (cats, dogs, etc.), or an exotic one
  • p : One conventional pet (cat, dog, etc.)
  • p- : No pets right now, but might get them in the future
  • p-- : I don’t have any pets as my life is already complicated enough
  • p--- : I don’t like pets at all
  • p^ : I’d like to have pets, but my landbastard/parents/flatmates won’t allow me to
  • p^^ : I am allergic to animals

s – Gender and Sexuality

Use this section to indicate your own gender and sexuality preference. As always, if you want a specific option, feel free to use the [text] modifier or you can use the # modifier if you prefer to keep this information private. If you want to indicate pronouns here, feel free to use the [text] modifier for that, but I recommend putting them somewhere alongside your FurCode.

First, indicate your gender:

  • sf : Female
  • si : Intersex
  • sm : Male
  • sn : Non-binary (feel free to specify)

Then, add a second letter to indicate your sexuality:

  • a : Asexual
  • b : Bisexual
  • d : Demisexual
  • g : Gay
  • h : Heterosexual
  • l : Lesbian
  • o : Other (specify)

As always, use the [text] modifier after a suffix if you need clarification. Don’t feel restricted to options.

Example

As a demonstration, here is my own FurCode, version 2:

FCE3ad A- C- D H M-- P+ R+ T++ V W- Snd RLMC^ a# c++m e# f+ g++ h^ i+++wf m++i p-- snd