Oldest anthro character art I've got with a date on it says I was four. I suppose I've always enjoyed the creative aspect of anthro characters more than humans. Grew up on Watership Down, Secret of NIMH, The Muppet Show.. anthro stuff was everywhere, even if it wasn't really outright classified as such to me back then.
Got really into TaleSpin when it came out. Sent in a little short story and pictures to go with it. Started up a long correspondence with one of the creators of the show as a result. Got my first heads up on the fandom there, but I was still rather clueless as to what he was talking about. He wasn't outright against the fandom, but just told me to be a little careful. I was about 14 then, so yeah, I could see his point, though I'm sure he had no clue how little access I would have had at that time to the fandom anyways.
Couple years out of high school I learned of the actual fandom and was somewhat formally introduced by a friend whom I no longer speak to. Still stuck with the whole furry thing though as I had met a number of really cool people.
Compared to a lot of people I'm still fresh to the scene, but I'm starting to feel as if I'm in 'early middle age' given how many since have come to find it.
Since finding the fandom I've since put anthros back into my art focus, made a website for the whole ordeal, do FurBid and the archives, commissions and have plans to mix my art and writings to make something of a graphic novel eventually. And.. thats it! o.o