Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Furry’s a hobby and a community. Certainly most of our furries are younger folks, and in many cases they move on, find other social groups, go to college and run out of spare time, and so on. But it seems that the more a furry gets out of the community, the more likely they are to stay.
We do see a bit of a drop-off as our younger friends move on to college, but at the same time, the local colleges are a source for many members of our community. Some kids treat the fandom as a new toy, a place to wear a costume and then move on. But other people engage in the convention scene, create art, find long-term relationships, and become a part of the community. In Austin, our oldest community members are adults in their 30s-50s, some have been involved in the fandom since its beginning in the early 80s.
if it’s a phase, it’s one that can run as long as someone needs a community of friends. That may be a year or two, or until they have to leave town, or until they find a boyfriend or girlfriend, or…decades.