Feeling drawn to a friend’s fursona more than the person—how do I make sense of that?

I’ve been part of the furry community for a couple of years now, and recently I realized I’m more attracted to my friend’s fursona than to them in real life. It’s confusing because I really enjoy spending time with them, but the feelings I get when I think about their fursona are stronger and more specific. I’ve tried stepping back to see if it’s just a crush, but it feels different - like the character and the real person are separate in my mind.

This has me wondering how others handle attraction that’s tied to fursonas rather than the person behind them. Does this mean I’m more into the idea or fantasy than an actual relationship? I don’t want to hurt the friendship by getting too tangled in these feelings, but I also want to understand myself better.

Has anyone else experienced attraction primarily to a fursona? How did you navigate those feelings without blurring the lines or causing awkwardness? And how do you explain this kind of attraction to others who might not get it?