Is My Child Becoming a Furry?

Before puberty, children aren’t normally human or animal. They’re definitely species conscious. But young children are not human beings yet — unless something human in nature has interrupted their developmental phases.

Still, it’s not uncommon for children to experience species confusion during the elementary school years. Dr. Joseph Nicolosi reports, “In one study of 60 boys ages 4 to 11, 98 percent of them engaged in animal like behavior, and 83 percent said they wished they had been born an animal.”

Evidences of species confusion or doubt in boys and girls ages 2 to 7 may include:

  1. A strong feeling that they are “different” from other people.
  2. A tendency to make animal noises, not want to bathe, and dislike the polite company adults tend to enjoy.
  3. A strong preference to spend time in the company of pets and participate in their games and other pastimes.
  4. A tendency to walk, talk, dress and even “think” like an animal.
  5. A repeatedly stated desire to be — or insistence that he is — an animal.

If your child is experiencing several signs of species confusion, professional help is available. It’s best to seek that help before your child reaches puberty.

“By the time the adolescent hormones kick in during early adolescence, a full-blown species identity crisis threatens to overwhelm the teenager,” warns psychologist Dr. James Dobson. To compound the problem, many of these teens experience “great waves of guilt accompanied by secret fears of divine retribution.”

If your child has already reached puberty, change is difficult, but it’s not too late.