Felis Avatar Available in Free Beta

By Bixyl Shuftan

One of the upcoming avatars that I had heard the most about is the anthro “Felis” domestic cat avatar by Uchi Desmoulins, notably through Internet film clips. A few days ago, I heard a beta version was available for free. So some friends and I went to the Curious sim to go get a copy.

The sim had a few structures, including an underground sewer. As for the avatar, to get a copy one had to find a marked box and click it within 10 meters of it. Once someone clicked on it, it would vanish and appear else where in the sim. To help others looking for it, some people who already had the avie would sit on it to make it easier to see.

What made things tricky was when it appeared in the vortex in one corner of the sim. It was inside a depression marked off with “do not cross” tape, a little fencing, and signs. The vortex crackled with lightning, and dust rolled down the rim and into the hollow, disappearing in the hole. Anyone getting too close, whether on foot or flying in the air, would be sucked in and ported elsewhere in the sim. Needless to say, when the box appeared there, getting it could be a challenge.

For a free avatar, the beta Felis is very good. My friends thought it looked great, some mentioning the detail of the whiskers, and one the muscle tone. Someone in a group chat thought it had a lower ARC than most feline avies he knew of. The avatar has a built in “Muzzletalk,” and will move it’s lips when speaking, or if the nose is clicked. The eyes are also adjustable, both the color and the width of the pupils from huge and round to narrow slits to somewhere in between. Uchi also made available a box with two more pairs of eyes, one having pupils that get smaller instead of narrowing. The “Box of Eyeballs” appears near the main entrance.

The avatar has no head hair other than fur. But one can easily get it elsewhere (I use the hair from my Wingless avatars for it). And only comes in one color: white.

The Felis is not Uchi’s only free avatar. Earlier this year, Uchi made available a beta version of his Ringtail for no charge.

For a beta feline avie, just “purr-fect.”

Bixyl Shuftan

Styling your Second Life with Firehorse

This weeks styling your second life has been the most difficult for me to put together, this week I’ve approached the furry side of Second Life. I’ve always admired the many and various furry avs and, generally, I have got on very well with the furries I’ve met, but there is a noticeable separation of human/furry ways. As human you may be tolerated in furry places, but chances are you won’t feel like you quite fit, and as I found out, the same goes when you are wearing fur in places aimed mostly at human avs.
Furry is a lifestyle choice I am not sure I totally understand, but then I don’t quite get the impulse that makes people be dragons, tinies or robots – it’s not a judgement thing, I just don’t get it. I admire the avs, (and now the nerve) that these choices involve but it just isn’t me.
Having said that it is lots of fun and with a bit of searching you can pick up quite a lot of furry stuff for free – it isn’t always as easy to find as the other freebies we’ve looked at but it is there and if you are polite I’ve found the furry community are happy to help. Once people knew I was looking I had several offers of free avs from individuals but if you are shy then there are places to pick them up.
There are free avs at Sarah Nerds NineInchFreebies (see sarah nerds profile picks for the landmark). Here you will find Grendels Childrens Ja Ja Binks “furry” av, amongst other bits and pieces. Also there is a huge box of over seventy free furry avatars at the Northstar Mall (warning this is not a PG mall) as well as a good selection of very cute avatars at Waggytails II.
Once you are snug in your fur vist Luskwood – not only are the people there very friendly and welcoming but the sim is absolutely beautiful – one of the most entrancing places I’ve visited.
I asked what groups are good for people who are new to the furry lifestyle to join and got a few suggestions, the luskwood group, rocket city group and the NorthStar group (again be warned this group is not always PG).
As you can see my kitty was rather lovely ( the first time in my SL I haven’t been a red head) and drew lots of admiring comments.

Going furry feels like a big step if you are usually human on SL but take the chance, it is a wonderful experience – a whole different community to explore and as I say, a very welcoming one. Yes, FurNation can be a bit intimidating for people new to the life style – yes it isn’t PG, but if you can cope with the banter and the leg pulling then you will be quickly made welcome and as I said I can not praise highly enough the good folk at Luskwood, the welcome is warm and before long you will forget your misgivings and be enjoying one of the wonderful alternative lifestyles that Second Life allows us to experience.

Styling your Secondlife with Firehorse

This weeks Styling your Second Life is late (again, I hear you cry), but not because I am a dreadful slacker but because actually free tiny items are relatively rare – I have tried to make it a rule in these articles to write about freebies that are usually available at the locations I give you – no point in writing about a wonderful freebie that may well have been taken down by the time you read about it.
It isn’t true that being tiny is expensive, in fact the opposite is true – with a little care and membership of one or two good groups I am assured that you can have a full tiny avatar, with AO (pretty much a must have I discovered), toys and a wardrobe for a couple of hundred linden – but if you want a taste of the lifestyle, or a tiny av for a one off event you might want to do it on the cheap.
Join a tiny group if you have room, if you really, really don’t have the room, make friends with someone who is experienced in the world of tiny – many of the tiny shops and designers do have limited time special offers and freebies.
In the mean time here are three places you MUST visit if you want the tiny experience. Huggys Coffee House and Hug*Mart. Lots of free tiny stuff - toys for the tiny curious - even poses/animations. The Blackmoon tiny clothes (female) are from here. They also run a very friendly group which I am assured is well worth joining if you are just getting started in the world of tiny.
􀀁MOMO’S Pet 1 There are about a dozen free tiny avs here - all showing as being for sale at $L250 but which are free - see the cute fox I got (yes I know – it really doesn’t suit me – but hey it was fun and gave a lot of my friends a good laugh) - also a selection of cats, wolves and assorted others - although I have to say the monkey av isn't exactly tiny.
The Raglan Shire Wharf and Coastal has many delightful things to see and do as well as free tiny clothes, furniture and posters . Take a wander round and look at this lovely area - perfectly scaled for tinies. Again I have had this area has a group and I am assured that it is a group well worth joining.
Next week I am going furry for free – if any reader can point me in the direction of hidden gems I should publicise (or give me any help at all really) please get in touch.