Next WFS Meet:
When Furballs Strike 55
Date: Saturday, Nov. 22
Time: Noon-5:30pm
Registration/Check-in: 12:15-1:40
Group Photo: 2:00-2:15
Bowling: 2:15-4:15
Awards/Charity Auction/Prize Raffle: 4:30-5:45pm
Group Dinner: 6:00pm
Location: Kenmore Lanes
7638 NE Bothell Way
Kenmore, WA 98028
Updates/Announcements
When Furballs Strike 55 is all set for Saturday, Nov. 22! The theme will be Japanese Pop Culture, celebrating all things from The Land of the Rising Sun. Japan has given us anime, incredible folklore including characters from the nine-tailed Kitsune to Godzilla, and of course Nintendo and Pokémon. Look for many themed items in our prize raffle!
We are very excited to offer two unique Ultrasponsor gifts for those registering at the $30 level: A gorgeous custom Sensu bamboo fan in 3 different colors and designs, etched with FurLife NW – WFS 55 on the handle, and a lucky Maneki Neko cat figurine! Sensu fans are used for more than just cooling; they are a functional symbol of elegance and essential for conveying emotion and narrative in performances. These fans, along with the Maneki Neko “beckoning cat” figurine, serve as auspicious gifts representing good fortune and prosperity. Perhaps they will help you win a raffle prize! Ultrasponsor may request a certain color fan when pre-registering, if no color is specified then a random color will be assigned. The cat figurines will be in a sealed bag and given out at random.
We’ve also added two new gift options to the Supersponsor level, a pen and FurLife-logo coaster in addition to the usual fridge magnets. Photos of each will be posted when they come in!
Our official Group Dinner will be the Pizza Party catered by Kenmore Lanes! Details and pricing are still being negotiated, and the dinner event page will be up by early October.
Finally a couple of charity announcements: WFS 55 will be raising money for the WA State (Evergreen Chapter) of the ALS Association during our annual Charity Auction! Let’s raise a bunch of money for that great cause! There will also be a toy and necessities drive for Cocoon House organized by Lovella. Please bring non-perishable food items, new clothes and toys to help those struggling with housing instability this holiday season. The 3 who bring the most donations get prizes!
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We still had a nice turnout at our late Summer furbowl When Furballs Strike 54: Dino Safari, despite our event being on Labor Day Weekend and up against PAX as well as two other conventions! More than 80 dinosaur plush were given out to our Ultrasponsors supporting the event, nearly 200 bowlers took to the lanes and 130 fursuiters were in attendance. DJ Draz played a fantastic set and we gave away lots of gifts, many of them Dino-themed, in our prize raffle. Our Group Dinner Munch at the Burrow at furry-owned Vulpine Taproom was a sellout hit, and we’ll be back there in early 2026!
WFS 54 High Score Winners
Regular Division: Thedrass (164)
Fursuit Division: Quatele (141)
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 53 High Score Winners
Regular Division: Krissie (233)
Fursuit Division: Wolfpen (159)
WFS All-Time Attendance Records:
Total Attendance: 411 (WFS 52)
Bowlers: 274 (WFS 50 – Most bowlers at a single event in Kenmore Lanes’ 68-year history!)
Fursuiters: 203 (WFS 52)
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 5,000 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 52 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. Our charity beneficiary for WFS 55 will be the local chapter of the ALS Association!
Pricing & Registration
Base Registration
- Two games bowling + shoe rental
- 1 Raffle Ticket
- Sponsor Upgrade includes 5 Raffle Tickets + FurLife Decal
Supersponsor
Support WFS, get extra swag!
- Two games bowling + shoe rental
- 10 regular raffle tickets
- One FurLife or WFS logo decal
- Supersponsor Gift: One Logo Item: Fridge Magnet, Ballpoint Pen or Coaster
Ultrasponsor
Get two special gifts, extra raffle tickets & our eternal gratitude for helping make WFS possible!
- 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, Pen or Coaster
- Ultrasponsor Gifts: Custom WFS 55 Sensu Bamboo Fan & Maneki Neko (Lucky Cat) Figurine
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 and Ultrasponsors get additional gifts: Supersponsors get their choice of a WFS or FurLife logo item: A Fridge Magnet, Ballpoint pen or Coaster! Ultrasponsors get that plus two unique themed items: A WFS 55 Sensu Bamboo fan in one of 3 beautiful designs, as well as a “Maneki Neko” Lucky Cat Figurine! Ultras can also choose one of two alternate gifts (instead of the fan): We have the WFS logo Water Bottle and a T-Rex plush from WFS 54 if you missed out on that giveaway! Ultrasponsors: when you pre-register please indicate the color fan you want, or if you want one of the alternate gifts. If no color is specified you will be assigned a random color Sensu fan.
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 anticipate being close to selling out for WFS 55.
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 (.75 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 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!