animal instincts

[Skye Kitsune]

I actually can move one of my ears slightly, i tend to perk it up if a curious sound happens on that general side, but i also have the sensation of a *phantom" tail.

[Serra Belvoule]

Ok by a raise of hands, how may of you have the "Ghost tail" thing? X3

[Shim]

I do sometimes  !

Usually when I'm standing, having a conversation with somebody, I feel my tail flick back and forth.

[Missu-BlackSheep]

I haven't experienced anything like that yet, But I have let noises out unconsciously, or show traits very similar to my fursona, my biggest one, I have to follow someone, I don't know why, if I know you, weather you know what your doing or not, Ill follow you. it feels like I need to. which I never thought about until after I took part in the furry fandom, and realized how close these actions are to my fursona.

that and as defense the first thing I do is either kick you, or ram / tackle you. but more then anything I usually just run off.

[Foshling]

Only thing I have had is when I get truly angry at something, I tend to growl from the back of the throat (kinda like a raptor)... only noticed it recently because I have only gotten that angry recently...

[Apollo]

if im playing with the dogs or something and am kneeling on the floor, I'll sometimes lay my upper body on my bed and i tend to wag my bottom...

[Serra Belvoule]

I sometimes forget my ears do not express emotions x3 I wish I had the kitty's movable ears...
Still... phantom ears would be so funny :3

[BlueWolfNariko]

I think I have non-existent tail and ears.  I feel my non-existent ears go up or down and my tailbone wanting to wag or tuck depending on my mood.

[Avan]

*wants to be poofy* :3

[Goobladon]

I don't think I'd classify an imaginary tail as animal roots... it would be more along the lines of smacking rocks together, or smelling a poop covered finger... 

[Avan]

IWANTTOBEFLUFFYANDRUNAROUNDANDGETHUGSBECAUSEIMSOFLUFFYIMGONNADIE!:OHUGSNAOW!

[Blackwolf359]

On occasion I have caught myself growling when angry or annoyed about something. Also when I feel threatened or something like that. I have a tendency to howl also. And as for phantom limbs...Ears, tail (sometimes) but for some reason the most often one is wings.

I also tend to snarl at people trying to touch my food but everyone does that right?

Edit: I still haven't figured out why no one has ever asked me if I'm a furry or even seemed to suspect it.

[Serra Belvoule]

*wants to be poofy* :3

That's two of us then

[unicorn]

I've always ran funny... horse-like ^ ^ like a skip-lope. I cant run very long or fast, but when I do and I am not tired, I love it.
I am also very skittish, and sensitive. I get very nervous and shy... ^^ like a nervous horse.
Along with being very agile... and nasty when I lose my temper 

[Landrav]

The other day I had woken up from a nap to eat supper with the family.  For some reason my ears were super-sensitive after waking up, and the silverware on the plates was hurting my ears--literally on the verge of pain.  I was *this* close to actually saying, "If I had ears they would SO be laid back right now..."    I don't know if that counts as an "animal" instinct or a "furry" instinct, but I was a bit shocked at how natural it felt to talk about laying back my ears.

[Goobladon]

I don't know if that counts as an "animal" instinct or a "furry" instinct

Personally, I'd claim these are all furry instincts than animal... I don't think we'd have instincts from animals we don't relate to.

[MWBrantley]

interesting...I tend to growl when I get angry, and people have accused me of 'barking' or 'roaring' or 'howling' at them. I'm also good at (literally) 'sniffing out' what food/chemical mixtures are made of, but that probably comes from mixing paint for a decade when I was younger

Being able to tell by nose whether something was oil or water-based -- it's not always visually or tactile-ly obvious -- proved to be a boon, expecially when everybody else was stopped up and couldn't notice the MEK or Linseed stinks. Of course, I spent a lot of time out of my gourd from the fumes; one of the reasons I stopped doing that

I used to call myself a 'werecoyote' years ago (long story, a chat persona thing), and I still tend to think in that vein. maybe I ought to switch 'species.' hmmm...

[PooKa_the_Corgi]

Ever since I was a pup, (<---see what I did there    ) Whenever I'd get frustrated or angry, I would make a growling noise. I still do it. Or when I smell something, my nose gets going into over time to find the smell. I also Always loved being petted. I am VERY protective over my food. That's where the growling and snapping comes in. 

[Zhono Veranhaut]

I too, have a phantom tail. It is kinda awkward. I remember trying to sit down in my desk before my allied health scinece class one time. I knocked my desk over as I jumped out of my chair due to the pain of sitting on my "tail". A loud yelp from my mouth didn't help matters either.

I also tend to be very protective of my possesions and let out a low growl whenever someone approches them with what I think to be ill intent. (naturally, this would also apply to the people closest to me )

[Gigi]

While I don't have a phantom tail, I have a dislike for loud noises, and when I'm alone and I hear something loud, like a deer or a goat, I stop and my eyes widen. Sometimes I feel a pair of phantom ears perk up. I've felt this since I was kid, but I just seemed to ignore it after awhile.

[HeavenlyOdyssey]

What a great subject to talk about thank you for posting.
Ever since I can remember I've assocciated myself as an animal lumbered in a human body, it may sound odd, heck it IS odd but alas that's how I've always felt.
My family has always been brought up to respect animals and the natural world and it's encouraged in my family to have a link to nature as to not forget where I came from.
Wolves have always had a huge part in my life, it was the first charity i donated to, it was the first exhibit I ran to see and it was always wolves I drew when my mind drifted elsewhere.
They feature very heavily in my ancestry, and it was encouraged to determin who my spirit animal was and it turned out to be a wolf. Now literally all of my family have wolf "power" animals or canids of some description.
It used to worry me when I hit my teens that I acted in wolfish ways as if you don't act "normal" then in society you're a nutcase, plus as a teen you get an overload of emotions and worries!
You can't exactly explain to "normal" people why you when it rains you enjoy feeling the squelch of wet mud on bare feet or the thrill of being in woodland.
However I've grown to accept that part of me and that it should never be something to be ashamed of or to deny.
You can lie to others but not yourself.
And since fully accepting every part of me, I have lived a better and fuller life for it.

[HTMN]

Ive had the tendency to growl at people when Im busy/angry to make them go away, and I usually run up stairs on "all fours" because I find it faster 

[Emerald Blade]

more recently I've started yipping and huffing accordingly, with out really thinking about it.

[knightpazz]

 :-[I dont know if you know what a furry chew toy is if you dont its like a dogs chew toy but for furrys I know it sound weird but any way I made my own out of a small cloth bag with 3 erasers in it and i chew on it thats animal instict also im very protective of it

[Dog_OF_War7]

Ok just a quick question does anyone eles's leg start to kick when being scriched or is that just me?