fullyformedfag

[fullyformedfag]

PLURALITY AND CAT-FOSTERING - A guide to plurality using comparisons to the lifestyle of fostering cats.

Recently, I joined an amazing server with a lovely plural community inside of it. They are non-judgemental and extraordinarily helpful. While helping someone out in there, I offhandedly compared a plurality experience to socializing a feral kitten. This is normal for me, since I have a special interest in rescue and fostering, specifically in regards to cats. But it got me thinking, and that's what this post is all about!

First, I want to say that everything listed is my experiences and experiences I have seen/heard. All information is anecdotal.

The biggest thing I've put together is that newly formed headmates are really akin to a feral or "spicy" kitten. They're confused, sometimes scared, and sometimes don't know how to even start adjusting to their new life.

You reading this, and everyone in your collective, have to act as their support system in this stage. Specific headmates (such as guardians, info fillers, order keepers, journalists, and receptionists) will be likely to act as a foster parent to the new (spicy!) headmate.

Foster parents will be responsible for a lot of the acclimation of your new headmate. In fostering, we call this the socialization stage.

At the end of the day, the goal is to have a headmate who is functioning as needed and is comfortable in their position (or, a kitten who feels safe and happy and loved and doesn't try to bite everything).

When a cat-foster parent is presented with the challenge of a spicy kitten, they have specific techniques they use. It is also much easier for them to socialize a spicy kitten than a feral adult cat.

One of these techniques is, well, socialization! Getting a spicy kitten (or a new headmate) used to the trappings of daily life is extremely important. Introducing a spicy kitten to human voices, hands, sounds of footsteps, and several environmental factors, can be tough!

Usually, this is done through bribery of treats and exposure therapy with hands. The more your new headmate experiences, the more comfortable they will be. And you can give a little incentive by indulging in things they enjoy!

Another technique used in fostering kittens is isolation/quarantine. If there is a litter of kittens, some of them will be less spicy and more friendly than others. Separating the confident kittens from the shy kittens will lead those shy kittens to becoming more comfortable with you, as their source of friends is now limited! Where this aligns with plurality can be a little confusing, but I see it best as doing one-on-one time between the foster parent headmate and the new headmate. Whether this is fronting or not, it's still useful.

This post is kind of barebones at the moment, but if you can think of any other comparisons, please feel free to reblog and piggy back off of this post! Thank you :]

[fullyformedfag]

i am not the same person i was 37 seconds ago

[fullyformedfag]

this is fun i love tumblr

[fullyformedfag]

theyre showing me odd music. what is a femtanyl

[fullyformedfag]

looked in the mirror and wow ok i do look like that. cool man

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CONDIFICTION COUNTER: 4

DANGANRONPA COUNTER: 2

PEARL COUNTER: 3

REGRETEVATOR COUNTER: 6

MANIC INCARNATE COUNTER: 4

[fullyformedfag]

im a grown ass man listening to go kitty go