Next WFS Meet:
When Furballs Strike 54
Date: August 30, 2025
Time: Noon-5:30pm
Registration/Check-in: 12:15-1:45
Group Photo: 2:00-2:15
Bowling: 2:15-4:15
Awards/Prize Raffle: 4:30-5:30pm
Group Dinner: 6:00pm
Location: Kenmore Lanes
7638 NE Bothell Way
Kenmore, WA 98028
Updates/Announcements
The WFS 54 Group Dinner is all set – we will be returning to furry-owned Vulpine Taproom for “Munch at the Burrow” featuring a wonderful custom menu! Cost is $15 and attendees must both RSVP on the Meetup Event Page and pre-pay to be added to the RSVP list. Due to space limitations, this event will be limited to the first 40 pre-paid attendees. To pre-pay, send your $15 payment via Paypal or Venmo using the “Friends & Family” option: http://paypal.me/kijani or https://venmo.com/u/kijanilion – in the Notes or Additional Info box please write MUNCH and the name(s) of those you’re RSVPing for – this is what will be put on the official guest list!
Our late summer furbowl When Furballs Strike 54 will be on Saturday, August 30! The theme will be Dino Safari as we go back 65 million years to celebrate these amazing prehistoric creatures. Many dino-themed prizes will be in the raffle, and we’ll have some great giveaways for our higher level sponsors, including a 10″ Dino Plush of choice for Ultrasponsors! Click on the link above to RSVP for WFS 54 on Meetup and start getting those pre-registrations in for bowling. We hope to see you at WFS 54 for a pawsitively “DINO-MITE” furry bowling party on the lanes!
When Furballs Strike 53: Furry Pride saw 387 attendees and 194 fursuiters take over Kenmore Lanes, buying out the Pacific NW’s largest alley for the 4th straight time! We gave away a record number of prizes, including many pride gifts including a full kigurumi and hand paws, to more than 50 lucky attendees! The Kenmore Lanes bar partnered with Slightly Furry to bring our guests two delicious ciders on tap all afternoon, which was a big hit.
Thank you to everyone who attended, our hard working volunteers, Kenmore Lanes staff for being so welcoming and taking care of us, DJ Rialto for keeping the beats going, everyone who donated prizes, our high-level sponsors and anyone who supported the event. We can’t do it without all of you <3
WFS 54 will take place in late August and will have a fun theme, we’ll announce it when the date is set (by the end of June)!
WFS 53 High Score Winners
Regular Division: Krissie (233)
Fursuit Division: Wolfpen (159)
Our world record from WFS 51 didn’t last long… When Furballs Strike 52 welcomed an incredible 411 attendees from all over the Pacific Northwest, including 203 fursuiters, both setting new marks for the World’s Largest Furbowl! We also raised $1,500 for charity in our biannual auction, supporting Camp Woodrich, a free summer camp for families with children who have special needs & disabilities, and the University of Washington Huskies bowling program.
We gave away 100 FurLife logo grocery tote bags and dragon-themed items to our Ultrasponsors and more than 50 prizes in total in our raffle, so many of our attendees went home with a nice gift for attending our furbowl.
DJ PaperMario played a great set for everyone to enjoy and a great time was had by all, including at our first-ever group dinner hosted by Vulpine Taproom, “Noms at the Burrow” which went very well! Thank you to Iku Fox for having us and we are proud to support a great furry-owned local business. Thank you to all our volunteers who help the event go smoothly on the day of, the wonderful and welcoming Kenmore Lanes staff, and everyone who purchases a high-level sponsorship, donates prizes or otherwise supports our event. We can’t do it without you <3
High Score Winners
Regular Division: Siku (245)
Fursuit Division: Willie (171)
WFS All-Time Scoring Records:
Regular Division: Krissie (267) – WFS 48
Fursuit Division: Tucker (212) – WFS 50
Anyone who breaks an all-time record earns a free bowling entry to the next WFS!
To be eligible for the Fursuit Division, bowlers must at minimum wear a fursuit head on every shot thrown that game.
About When Furballs Strike
When Furballs Strike is a fun, fursuit-friendly bowling meet that takes place quarterly in the greater Seattle area. The meet is organized by Kijani through Furlife: Pacific Northwest Furries, a Meetup group with over 4,800 members of the anthropomorphic “furry” fandom.
From its humble beginnings in 2008 with 40 attendees, this meet has evolved into one of the largest furry bowling gatherings in the world, with recent meets reaching 300+ attendees, including well over 100 fursuiters, from all over the state of Washington, Canada, Oregon and even California!
This highly social event is family-friendly and open to furry fans of all ages… and no, you don’t need a fursuit to attend!
After bowling ends, there is always a fabulous prize raffle in the party room where lots of gifts are given away as a “thank you” for attending the meet and bowling with us at WFS. Each bowler gets tickets included in their registration, and more can be purchased for $1 each (or 5 for $4).
We typically do a Charity Auction alongside the Prize Raffle around once a year, benefitting a local 501 (c)(3). At WFS 50 we raised $2,560 for Homeward Pet Adoption Center, a no-kill pet shelter in Woodinville, WA, making a positive difference in helping the animals in their care. At WFS 53 we raised $1,500 combined for Camp Woodrich, a nonprofit that hosts summer camps for families with special-needs children, and the University of Washington Bowling Program which restarted in 2024 after a nearly two-decade hiatus.
Pricing & Registration
Base Registration
- Two games bowling + shoe rental
- 1 Raffle Ticket
- Sponsor Upgrade includes 5 Raffle Tickets + FurLife Decal
Supersponsor
Support WFS and get extra swag!
- Two games bowling + shoe rental
- 10 regular raffle tickets
- One FurLife or WFS logo decal
- Supersponsor Gift: Dino-themed Zipper Pouch OR Logo Magnet
Ultrasponsor
Get two special gifts, extra raffle tickets & our undying gratitude!
- Two games bowling + shoe rental
- 15 regular raffle tickets
- One Ultrasponsor raffle drawing ticket for special prizes
- One FurLife or WFS logo decal
- WFS/FurLife Logo Magnet
- Ultrasponsor Gifts: Dino-themed Zipper Pouch + 10″ Dino Plush
Attendees who wish to bowl have four options from $13 base reg, to $30 Ultrasponsor which comes with all of the swag, a bonus Ultrasponsor raffle ticket, and 2 fantastic themed gifts. All registration options come with 2 games of bowling and shoe rental.
Supersponsors ($20 level) will get their choice of an event logo fridge magnet or dino-themed zipper pouch chosen at check-in (8 total designs to choose from). Ultrasponsors get both of those plus a 10″ dino plush of choice! If you are Ultrasponsoring please indicate which plush you want (Stegosaurus, Brontosaurus, Triceratops, T-Rex) in the notes section of your pre-reg payment.
To pre-register (recommended) send your payment via Paypal or Venmo using the “Friends & Family” option: http://paypal.me/kijani or https://venmo.com/u/kijanilion
Include in the Notes section your FurLife username or what name you want on the bowling score screen, and also the names of everyone in your group (they must all pre-reg to save their lane spots). Please provide your Telegram handle if you have one for confirmation, otherwise confirmations are sent through Paypal or Venmo’s messaging system. We will be putting up to 6 bowlers per lane, as we have been selling out for the last several meets.
For those not bowling with a pre-registered group, you can also register at-event in the party room. The at-event reg desk is located farthest to the left near the raffle table, and pre-reg check in is on the right side. We take cash and cards (.50 processing fee per registration). At-event reg closes at 1:40 sharp so we can prepare for the group photo and get everyone’s names into the score screens. Please note that we may sell out of lanes during at-event registration, so pre-registering is recommended.
Location
When Furballs Strike’s permanent home is the iconic Kenmore Lanes, located near the north shore of Lake Washington in the city of Kenmore, about 15 minutes outside of Seattle. Founded in 1958, they have been the home of When Furballs Strike for all but two of our events.
The address is:
7638 NE Bothell Way
Kenmore, WA 98028
The facility has a very large party room that we use for check-in and our prize raffle, as well as a smaller side room for the fursuiters to change in. Kenmore is the largest bowling center in the state and has 50 lanes, which is a good thing because our group buys them all out for our event! They also have a full bar, restaurant and video arcade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a fursuit to attend? Is there a minimum age?
You do not need a fursuit to attend, in fact a majority of attendees to When Furballs Strike do not own a costume of any kind. Just come as yourself and be ready to have fun! This is a family-friendly event and open to all ages of furry fans. We frequently have attendees in the 13-17 age range, and many bowl together with their families. Attending minors must have a parent or guardian present with them.
Are we allowed to wear fursuit footpaws while bowling?
Yes! Kenmore Lanes has graciously allowed our fursuiters to wear feetpaws while bowling, provided that they are clean, dry and free of debris. Please do not go outside in your feetpaws (or bowling shoes, for that matter), while bowling as this will damage the approach areas.
Is there a Code of Conduct?
All FurLife members are expected and required to dress and behave in a manner appropriate for an all-ages public venue. While we rent out most or all the lanes, it is still open to the public and shared by other patrons including young children and their families. While we encourage everyone to have a great time, please remember that your actions represent our group as a whole. Any inappropriate conduct or harassment should be reported immediately to WFS organizers. Please avoid gathering in the walkways, as this presents a hazard in case of emergency. Always leave room for people to walk through. Please do not bring in any outside food or drink as this is against Kenmore’s policies.
How do I register for the meet?
All registration is done on FurLife’s Meetup site, which you can access by clicking the link towards the top of this page (big green button). To pre-register for bowling, you must send payment via Paypal or Venmo (see Pricing and How to Pay/Register) section above).
Do I have to pay to just hang out?
There is no charge just to attend and not bowl. However, there are many costs associated with organizing an event of this magnitude and renting out most of the bowling center, as well as running our Meetup group. We greatly appreciate either purchasing raffle tickets or a non-bowling registration (this can be done at any level, including Ultrasponsor) to support When Furballs Strike and FurLife. Your support helps us continue to bring a world-class furbowl to the Pacific NW furry community!
How does the prize raffle work?
At every WFS meet there will be a large assortment of wonderful gifts available for attendees to win, mostly furry or animal-related, including many prizes related to that event’s theme. Every bowler will get at least one raffle ticket with their bowling fee, if you are not bowling or wish to buy more tickets they are available for $1 each, or $4 for 5 tickets (buy 4 get 1 free). All of the proceeds from the prize raffle go towards costs related to the event and prizes for future meets.
There will be paper bags labeled with prizes, and all you have to do is drop one of your two matching tickets into the bag of the prize you wish to try and win. ALL non-winning tickets will be deposited into a large bin, which will be drawn from for many “second chance” prizes, so you may still walk away with something if you don’t win what you were going after!
While some portion of the prize budget comes out of Kijani’s pocket, we graciously accept prize donations, and will give you 3 free raffle tickets for every prize you donate, up to a total of 9. We ask that prizes be at least $10 in retail value and in new (or like new) condition. Please clear all prizes you intend to donate with Kijani before the meet!