This is going to be a masterpost of my own personal headcanon and some explanations that work, at least in my mind, to explain some of the things people think are contradictory about fluffies. I’ll add to this post whenever I feel like it or get an idea.
A lot of this is not mine. Some of it is just adding on to stuff other people have said. Please feel free (but obviously by no means obligated) to cherrypick and use any of this in your own headcanon. I assume it goes without saying that there’s no need for giving me credit on something like fluffy lore.
I encourage debate over any of these topics as I know there are many people much much smarter than I am and I’m always interested in what you have to say. With your permission, I may update this based on what makes the most sense.
Fluffies: A Biological Overview
Fluffy Ponies (colloquially and henceforth refered to as “Fluffies”) are, for all intents and purposes, a modern day chimaera.
They were created, and the process patented, by Hasbio(™) to be the perfect pet, and as such, they are classed as an entirely unique entity, organic in structure but artificially created and not legally recognized as animals.
Fluffies are capable of speech, with their brain structure being largely devoted to auditory processing and fine motor control over their vocal apparatus - which is complex near to the point of being on par with that of a human. However, the complexity of their speech and the capability of their vocal range was meticulously designed to be obsolete. This is meant to make them more appealing to a younger consumer. They are largely incapable of producing certain consonant sounds, such as "R"s or "L"s. While their tongue and oral cavity are capable of creating such sounds, they are limited by their intelligence.
On their intelligence, they are estimated to be on par with the common African Grey Parrot (Psittacus erithacus) in the upper percentile, estimated to roughly be around the cognitive processing abilities of a 3 or 4 year old human child, capable of solving basic logical puzzles, as well as maintaining basic meaningful conversation with humans. While this technically makes them one of the most intelligent species on the planet, they are limited by a number of factors that prevent significant critical reasoning, and as such are severely lacking on basic survival skills that essebtially makes them less intelligent than most animals in practice.
Firstly, Fluffies’ DNA is an amalgamation of a number of different animals, mostly domesticated. Combined that with the fact that they were bioengineered entirely in labs, with behavior neurologically coded to appeal as a consumer product, they are more an artificial than organic construct that lacks basic common sense and instincts inherent in nearly all other animal kingdoms. For instance, a Fluffy would need to have the dangers of brightly colored plants and animals explained to it; and even then, whether it would take the lesson to heart depends entirely on that individual Fluffy’s own level of cognitive processing. A Fluffy is designed to be attracted to what they deem “pretty” so as to let owners provide them with easy forms of entertainment to keep them mentally stimulated and prevent depression, as no owner wants a depressed pet. Ultimately this makes them easy to take care of domestically, but gives them one of several severe disadvantages in the wild.[/indent]
Another disadvantage that can make feral life difficult for a Fluffy is their fur. Fluffy fur is exceedingly soft, with a very concentrated follicle density at roughly 50 hairs per follicle. For reference, the softest fur known in the animal kingdom is the Short Hair chinchilla with roughly 80 hairs per follicle, while the common housecat (Felis catus) has roughly 15. While this would normally provide excellent insulation for the Fluffy, they do not possess an undercoat like other animals. Furthermore, they have a fine hair structure, and do not produce the same natural oils as other mammals. This was designed to make them easy to dry by towel or hair dryer, but leaves them severely underequipped to dry themselves. Hypothermia is a certain and constant threat to them in the wild, or even in urban areas.
Abridged General Information
- It takes roughly 5 months for Fluffies to reach sexual maturity, and another 2 months after that until they are considered fully grown
- Their life expectancy is 5-8 years. Therefore, the standardized ratio of “Fluffy years” to “Human years” is 6.5:1, with the first 5 months being equal to roughly 13 human years
- They have very dense hair follicles, but are poorly insulated due to a lack of undercoat and hydrophobic natural oils
WIP