Furry fan

Furry fan, also known as a Furfan or Fur fan, is often used synonymously with furry as a general term for a member of the furry fandom. Not to be confused with the often demeaning version of the term, Furry fanboy.

Variants
Furry fans could also be:


 * The person who likes furry characters in art, fiction and games, but does not consider the fandom to be a significant part of his/her life. in this context, they may not have a fursona, or may use it only as an avatar or role-playing proxy.
 * The person that may enjoy watching fursuits, but would not be inclined to build or buy their own.
 * The person that may attend conventions, although they may be primarily interested in the dealer's room or the art show.

Self-identification
A person may choose to identify as a furry fan instead of a furry for various reasons, including:


 * The person is a newcomer and isn't ready for deeper immersion into the community.
 * The person's main interest lies in stories and art with furry characters, not in the fan community surrounding these works.
 * The person's main interest is in talking animals, beast races, animal fiction or some other sub-genre perceived as distinct from furry.
 * The person considers his/her interest to be significantly less intense than that of people who identify as furries.
 * A desire to avoid negative stereotypes.

A respect for the English language: as 'furry' is an adjective, and its appropriation as a noun already applies to anthropomorphic fictional characters, using it to refer to humans who are fans of these characters is a source of confusion and unnecessary ambiguity.