Rabbits in waistcoats

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The White Rabbit is the most likely progenitor of the term Rabbits in Waistcoats
Rabbits in Waistcoats is a semi-derogatory term used to describe a genre of anthropomorphic stories with civilized animals, relatively normal looking beasts that talk and wear clothing, yet at the same time live in their animal ecosystems (albeit in houses) and are subject to predation.

A typical children's story, especially from British children's literature, is full of mice wearing dresses and throwing parties, while still having to avoid cats. The genre may also involves gentle tales of animal villages from a simpler and more innocent time, with mild adventure, though many of the more mature members of the genre can be downright dark and frightening.

"Rabbits in Waistcoats" stories are amongst the most popular of children's books:

Many other similar books may be lumped into this sort of category as well, even while not fitting tightly to definition; in Watership Down and Tales of the Green Forest, the animals are not quite anthropomorphic enough; in Winnie the Pooh, the animals are primarily plushies, with a few exceptions; and in Alice in Wonderland, the animals are almost never main characters.

Usually, the genre features mice, rabbits, squirrels and other herbivorous animals, with foxes and weasels playing key villains. British stories feature local species like stoats, water voles and hedgehogs, while ones written in North America have more skunks, raccoons and opposums.

The wide prevalence of this style of story in children's literature contributes to misunderstandings of furry fandom and its relation both to pedophilia and bestiality. Furry fans of this sort of story are frequently at odds with the more sexualized aspects of the fandom; many chose to play this sort of character innocently in online environments only to discover that some people find small talking animals sexually exciting. Others are macrophiles or microphiles and have chosen these small characters, often mice, for this very reason. A third group may be interested in sexual aspects of civilized creatures, but only with similarly styled characters.

The term "Rabbits in Waistcoats" may refer to the sort of characters found in Beatrix Potter stories, though the term "waistcoat" was never used in one; Peter Rabbit, for example, wore a bright blue jacket. The idea of a rabbit in a waistcoat probably comes from the pregnantly imaginative description of the White Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland:


See also[edit]