#therian advice

[taxidermycanine]

5 WAYS TO HELP WITH SPECIES DYSPHORIA AS A THERIAN (with and without gear)

- please note that most of these are focused mainly on being a wolf therian, but i'll try my best to make it more inclusive to others.

1 •

my personal favorite, wolf quest! this one does cost money, so this isn't for those who don't have the money/don't already have the game. it really helps me feel more connected to who i am. you find a mate, raise pups, hunt prey, defend your den and pack from predators, and there's even a multiplayer option for you to play with your friends. :o)

(and yes, you can customize what your wolf looks like. all NPC wolves in the game have different personalities for immersion, including you, your pups, and your mate)

please note that the game is still in development! they plan to add a saga where you can live constantly with your pack and continue with new generations each year (and no, you don't HAVE to pass away). you can toggle whether your mate dies or not, if you play on easy you can avoid your pups getting sick by reloading saves if you're sensitive to that, there are constantly new updates being brought out that make the game feel more realistic each time and the development team are incredibly sweet. if you have the money i highly recommend this game, wolf therian or otherwise.

2 •

documentaries. a wonderful way to not only feel more connected to your theriotype(s), but to also learn more information about them! my favorite thing to do when i'm stressed is to wrap myself in warm blankets, turn off my lights and put on a documentary to calm myself down. bonus points if you DO have gear to wear during this, if not that's okay too.

i also like to have my plush friends join me so i can act like they're my pack :o) it's a nice way to feel less lonely as i watch. this also works if you're a domestic cat therian, have your plushies be your clouder! no matter what animal you are though, never feel less valid for wanting your stuffies with you during this. it doesn't matter if your theriotype isn't a social animal in the wild.

if you're an aquatic therian of some kind, i think a good idea would be taking your phone in the bathroom with you and setting it up outside of the tub to watch whilst you're in the water! (or shower if you don't have one, you can also use a kiddie pool outside in the warmer months). PLEASE remember to be safe during this though, if you worry about getting your phone wet then instead find some blue blankets and pretend it's the ocean!

3 •

going outside to where your theriotype resides in naturally. of course this won't be for everyone, since a lot of the time trips can end up being quite costly. something that i like to do is go to my local forest whenever i have the time to do so! i find it refreshing to sit by the stream and play in the water with my mate.

if you're a domestic dog therian, ask to go on a walk around the neighborhood with your friend! (or hell, go by yourself if it's safe enough, you're a free dog, you can do what you want). even as a wild animal i still enjoy this, so don't feel ashamed if you're ALSO a wild animal who wants to do things that domestic dogs do. it doesn't make you any less undomesticated.

if you're an animal that's used to deserts, i recommend going to where you can access sand (e.g. a sandbox at a playground, asking for a small sand tray to play in as a gift, a day out to the beach if you live near one). i also find that dried dirt that's very damaged can feel sort of similar to sand!

if you can't go outside for whatever reason, then there's always ways to make your bedroom feel similar to where you would be more comfortable. if your theriotype lives in dens like caves and underneath trees, make a blanket fort and pretend it's your home! if your theriotype rests in a burrow, make a tunnel with some blankets from the top of your bed all the way down to under it (if that doesn't work, pretend that anything below your bed is underground, and anything above your bed is the surface).

4 •

dressing in clothes that are the same color as your theriotype. i have this fluffy hat with ears that feels very affirming for my species dysphoria, paired with my favorite dark sweaters, warm pants and my tail. if you don't have any gear, don't worry! you don't need to have any to complete an outfit. sometimes clothing textures can also be affirming. for example if you have smooth skin like a whale, a bathing suit can feel similar to blubber. (if you have gender dysphoria, i recommend either full body bathing suits, or wearing pants on top of it and a jacket to help yourself feel more affirmed). i wear fluffy clothes because my fur is fluffy :o) it helps me, personally, but this might not be the same for everyone!

5 •

studying the behavior of your theriotype and trying your best to imitate it to the best of your abilities with the body you have. this can be as simple as copying how they act around each other as a family (for example wolves who are mates will rest their chins on each other to display affection), and as difficult as trying to vocalize what sounds your theriotype makes.

if you wanted to try the latter, i recommend looking at vocal exercises online before as a lot of creature sounds can and will strain your voice, i promise you that warming up your chords will not only help you sound clearer, it'll ensure that it won't take as much effort to do!

[ancient-frog-enthusiast]

I’m new to this area of the internet, but I’ve lurked here for quite a bit. I need some help figuring this out.

How does one figure out if they’re a therian or nonhuman or something else?

I think Therians are really cool, your gear is cool, QUADS ARE AWESOME, and y’all are just really nice people

This is the autistic side of me probably, but since I was a kid I’ve been insanely into cats (not so much anymore though). I can usually name a cats breed by looking at it, I have a pretty large knowledge of cat behavior and communication, and generally just know a heck ton about them. That’s normal enough I guess, but-

Where it gets… a bit more unusual is I also sometimes act like a cat I guess? It’s not that I feel like one exactly- I just feel like me- but I’ll do cat things like perching on things, the way I sleep/act when I’m tired, and my general body language demeanor. I also feel like I have phantom ears sometimes (usually it’s ears, but it’s also been tail, claws, and fangs less commonly).

I dont have dreams or memories of a past life and I don’t have body dysphoria. I do kind of have dysphoria in the sense that I really wish I could/want to communicate the way cats do (ear/eye/tail positions, and vocalizations) etc. I don’t get outside much, but when I do it’s safe to say I act more like I’ve seen in Therian videos (sorry if that sounds rude I’m not sure how else to put it) than other people (jumping around, trying to perch on things, and never ever following the path lol).

I’ve been called weird (by friends in a lighthearted way) on multiple occasions because my impulsive reaction to a lot of things (being startled, surprised with something that makes me happy, feeling contented, etc) with pretty cat like sounds. I dont even think about them they just happen naturally. I also may have spent way too much time as a kid teaching myself to hiss like a cat- I’m still pretty good at it but never do it at people because it’s, ya know, not very socially acceptable.

It also feels notable that yes I do own those cat paw socks and yes I love them, and yes I have a whole collection of cat ear hats that I wear nearly constantly.

The main thing that’s confusing to me is I don’t really wish I had a cats body, but I have all this other stuff going on. Also, surprisingly, cats aren’t actually my favorite animal.

Any input is appreciated ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[rayray-wild]

How do/did you find out your theriotype(s)

ok a few tips

1: write down anything related to your otherkin experience in a journal (online is ideal so you can look up keywords and organize easier), shifts, phantom limbs, euphoric experiences, keep it all in there

2: research research research! research animals and otherkinity and other peoples’ experiences to find out what you relate to and get good information so you dont make wrong assumptions

3: talk to other alterhumans about any questions or specifics you need

4: self reflect! you dont have to meditate or anything if you dont want to, but think inwardly. ask yourself what makes you feel euphoric, what animals you relate to or have related to in the past, what feels like you or feels like home, etc. this is arguably the most important step

and thats it! good luck finding yourself :3

[s3a-rat]

here is another care guide, as my other one really was appreciated by many !!

Felinekin care guide/tips !!

•domestic types- small collars are really cute and comfortable! if you can't wear one, make/buy a name tag or bell and hang it onto a necklace or thread which you can wear discreetly instead!!

•as a kid, I always used to fill a bowl with water and lap at it with my tongue. why not do the same? it's fun !!

•same as my canine guide, meat snacks and textured foods are really tasty, especially if you have a wilder feline type !!

•before laying/sitting down, knead the pillow/blanket a bit to make yourself comfortable:)

•vocals, again ! purring, meowing, hissing, whining, anything you like! if you're struggling, I suggest in-depth YouTube tutorials on cat/feline vocals.

•loafing: sit crossed legged, then lean over and cross your arms.

•sitting: either frog-like or cross-legged position, then just place your arms in front and rest them on the floor.

remember to take care of yourself, get loads of sleep and keep yourself safe and clean<3

love to all my otherkin family !

[arcticthef0x]

Think I might also be a domestic cat therian alongside my Arctic fox theriotype which is.

Huh.

Reasons why is mostly because I find myself relating a lot with my own cats, meowing back at them + hissing when I have to do something I don't like + purring

So. Yeah? Maybe? I don't know! We'll figure it out!

[ivanatwotails]

THERIAN AND OTHERKIN COMMUNITY/nm

So, I think I may be other-hearted, but I want some outside sight.

I do admire lions and relate to various canines... But I do not identify AS them. I do not believe I AM a lion/canine. I know I'm human. I also do not experience shifts or animalistic urges or anything like that. But, I do feel like I may have been a dog or other canine in my past life (and maybe a lion too now that I think about it). I haven't done any meditation or anything like that to find out yet, though, so I may update on my blog later. Are these things commonly associated with being other-hearted? If I do not exhibit traits of other-heartedness/otherkinity/therianthropy, then can I still participate in making the masks and stuff? I think that it's really cool! Not active enough to do quadrobics tho, lol

[rayraywildkinhelp]

activity recommendations for a disabled small spotted genet and larger pacific striped octopus!

hang out near trees and bodies of water! it may help you to connect with your kintypes to be around their habitats, even if you cant climb or swim

wear clothes with spots and stripes! it can help you feel like your true self to wear the patterns of your kintypes!

hang out with friends or family often! larger pacific striped octopuses are one of the few octopus species that lives in groups

do things at night! genets are nocturnal, and while its not a great idea for you to be fully nocturnal, you can still try to channel your nocturnal side by doing things at night or in the evening, even if it’s just sitting outside!

sorry for the short list, hope this helps!

[sable-dream]

Do you have any advice for a newly awakened Sable therian?

Hi! Congrats on finding your identity! :3

As for advice (a lot of this is general/not sable specific advice):

Try literally anything you want. Eat like a sable, wear clothes in sable colors, try on gear, do quadrobics if you feel like it, etc etc etc. If it sounds fun and seems like it'll help you connect with your identity more then there's no harm in (safely) trying it! (Obviously avoid doing dangerous things like eating raw chicken or trying to jump 3 feet in the air on your first try doing quads.)

Related to the last point, don't force yourself to do anything you don't want to or don't enjoy doing or causes you pain. If quadrobics is hurting your arms or a tail is giving you a rash then stop doing it. That's completely fine and your health, safety, and comfort come first.

Remember that therian social media is extremely skewed in favor of therianthropy, and that all therians have hobbies and interests outside of just being a therian! I made the mistake of trying to make therianthropy my entire identity when I first awakened and I ended up completely miserable because of it - so I try to help newly awakened therians avoid that pitfall lol

Relating to the first point - just... do stuff you want to. Make that stimboard, design that mask, wear a tail, whatever you want. This is a community based around identity and there are essentially no rules (other than the obvious 'don't be a bigot or a creep' lol).

If you're looking for specific gear recommendations, you can find cat mask bases here, (I personally realized recently I don't really like wearing masks but I know other people like them lol) and I'm not too sure on places to ethically source real tails from as all of mine were second hand, so you're probably better off asking someone else. (Thrift stores are a good option if you're looking for fur in general.) You can also find custom animal ears all over etsy, but I can't really vouch for that in terms of quality because I've never bought any.

As for food, Sables are primarily carnivores so you're going to want to lean towards meat-y things if you want a more sable-like diet. I really like rabbit the few times I've had it, and if you want to feel a bit more connected or whatever you can always eat meat off the bone in the form of drumsticks or wings.

My favorite non-meat options are: Mushrooms, berries (including preserves and jams!), nuts like pine nuts (sunflower seeds make a good substitute), eggs, leafy greens such as lettuce, and anything with a crunch to it makes a pretty good insect replacement (or you could get dried insects but. pricey lol). Also I've mentioned this before but I LOVE pasta and noodles because they remind me of worms which is kinda gross but whatever XD

In terms of clothing: THICK stuff helps emulate fur, as does... actually wearing fur (faux or real) (love sweatshirts for this reason). Go for browns and tans to near-black coloration if you're looking for specific colors - really just look up sable pictures and match your clothing to that.

I haven't done quadrobics in months so you might have to ask someone else for advice on that one, however: Go SLOW with it, take your time, don't do anything unsafe, etc. Your wrists are FRAGILE and need to be protected.

That's all I can think of rn - I hope this helped, and good luck on figuring everything out, anon! :3

[nonhumanwithin]

Hello I am new to the otherkin community and kinning. I need some advice, I feel phantom limbs and dysphoria of animal features that do not go together (feathered wings, fur tail and ears) and I am unsure what to do, is it possible I have two kin types? I also needed advice with kin memories and finding my kintype, are there any videos or meditations I can do to achieve this ? Thank you.

It is possible it's two different kintypes, but it could also be a singular kintype that has both feathers and fur. It's also possible you could just be imagining them differently when they may in fact both be furred or feathered. My suggestion is to look into things you are drawn to (habitats, animal body shapes, animal noises, etc) rather than going solely off of your phantom shifts because they can be pretty hard to figure out sometimes! If you are more drawn to the idea of having two or more kintypes, I would look into that.

I don't have a lot of experience with past life memories (it's also something I struggle with lol) but my word of advice is to look into general past life meditations or similar methods instead of just looking for kin-specific ones because you might not find much. I don't know of any good videos to recommend but maybe someone else does!

My advice with finding your kintype(s) would be to track things in a journal or a google doc or something, whatever you feel could point towards your potential kintype. Write down traits you think are nonhuman-ish. Not everything is a kintype trait of course, sometimes (for example) being an introvert just means you're an introvert and not a solitary animal! But if you feel like being an introvert is a nonhuman trait for you, then it probably is. Your identity is not a medical diagnosis that can be figured out with a strict set of symptoms. Your kintype is how you personally view yourself or wish to be viewed by others.

Good luck!

[taxidermycanine]

DEAR DISABLED THERIANS.

a short positivity post to remind you all that you are loved, important and valued in not only the therian / alterhuman community, but in life. take care of yourselves.

to the therians who use canes and wheelchairs, you are no less of a mobile creature for needing an aid. whether your theriotype is a fish, a domestic cat or a wild canid — mobility aids are found in most, if not all, species out there due to the help from humans. if you had been born in the right body, you would be given the same sort of aid. i promise. it isn't shameful.

you have carpal tunnel and feel left out because you're a wolf who was born to run and hunt elk? that's great!! i bet you'd be great friends with this guy :0}

to the blind and / or deaf therians who are told that their theriotype simply wouldn't survive due to their blindness — this simply isn't true. there have been many cases of blind or deaf animals surviving, look at this wolf as an example! and bare in mind MOST cases of blindness are partial, but this old gal is pretty much FULLY blind, and she's doing fine. why wouldn't you?

to the therians who have some sort of learning disability, it does NOT make you an idiot. i tend to see a lot of critters with stereotypically intelligent animals (think elephants, border collies, etc) as their theriotypes and feel worried due to their disability. you aren't dumb, you aren't "mentally not there", you aren't any of the mean things you've been called throughout your life. there ARE animals with learning disabilities, you would not die in the wild for having one just the same as you would not die in a domestic household for having one (or many)

and to those who have any other disabilities that i didn't mention in this short post, you are enough. you don't have to prove your therianthropy to anyone. if someone ever insists that you can't possibly be your theriotype because you are disabled? ignore them, they're lying and just trying to make you feel terrible about yourself. it's hard being disabled, it's hard waking up in pain and never not being NOT in pain, it's hard knowing that there are folks out there that'd demean you just for being disabled, it's hard needing mobility aids and not being able to afford them, it's hard when people think that you're stupid or less deserving of respect because they don't deem you "all there".

i love you all, those hardships are something that you shouldn't ever have to experience.

take good care of yourself if you can, and if you can't? get yourself that sweet treat you've been wanting, eat your favorite candy before a savory meal, give yourself a well deserved hug and watch your favorite show.

[tarablackfluke]

Canine Therian advice: when you can’t sleep and feel to shifty, just put your tail on and it will make you feel so much comfier and you will feel more natural! That always helps me to sleep :3

[dapperinsanity]

I have a question for otherkin/fictionkin/therian/alterhuman/nonhuman communities. I’m still pretty new in my understanding of these terms and I was wondering how does an individual find out their nonhuman identity? I understand that one may find their non-human identity through spirituality or psychological experiences. I want to better understand that though, more so the psychological side.

For example, would a dog-kin person identify as a dog because they feel like they have a special connection to dogs? Could one identify themselves as non-human but also not believe in the literal soul or any spiritual beliefs?

(Like let’s say one identifies as a dog because they feel like their “soul” is a dog but also not believe in the belief of a soul?)

I’ve seen a few people compare their non-human dysphoria(?) as similar to gender dysphoria and/or uses gender dysphoria as an example to better explain their non-human dysphoria. (I know non-human identities have nothing to do with gender, unless they specify) I can understand specific things to a point but I’m curious for the other experiences and reasons might one identify as non-human.

How does one know that they have multiple non-human identities? How does one find out they have mythical identity such as a dragon? How does one find out they’re fictionkin? Do some individuals with vague feelings and connection to a nonhuman identity label themselves as otherkin even if they don’t have experiences such as non-human “dysphoria” or experience phantom attributes like wings, horns, etc? Could an individual who doesn’t believe in souls, still manage to identify as non-human because they feel like they’re non-human in their “soul” despite them not actually believing in the soul? Do non-human’s try out labels to discover what feels right? Even if the individual feels non-human but can’t figure out which non-human identities/identity they are? Do some non-humans identify as non-human because that individual strongly desires to be non-human?

I hope this makes sense. I know that the terms I listed above have different meanings. Like how otherkin can include mythical creatures while theiran does not include mythical creatures.

Also, one last thing. What are aldern-(insert identity here) identities? What’s otherhearted? Thanks for reading.

[rayray-wild]

any tips for figuring out if i am dragonkin and what kind of dragon i might be?

[words-of-wolf]

Having some Thoughts once more.

Specifically thinking about self-policing identity. Obviously policing others is a huge issue in the alterhuman and adjacent communities, but setting up my soap box here to talk about how we internalise the need to police identity.

Putting a cut here because god do I need to stop writing these walls of text that people then have to scroll past for eternity even if they're not interested in reading it asjdkhjksah !!

When I was a teen, I saw otherkin and therians self-policing and I respected them. I thought they were really strong for doing that; I thought it was necessary, and that the only way we could ever be accepted as a community is if we leaned hard into minimising our experiences, making things "palatable". It wasn't a conscious belief, but it was very present.

So that's what I emulated. Any discussion of my experiences, or my feelings, usually would get a lot of reassurances sprinkled in there: "this is just my beliefs", "it's okay if you don't believe this too", "I know this sounds far-fetched", "this is just my internal identity".

I thought that made me sound reasonable and respectable. Maybe it even did.

But nowadays, I see people doing this kind of thing - minimising their experiences, adding disclaimers, policing themselves - and mostly it just makes me feel sad for them. Not in a condescending way, cause I've been there, I know how it feels to believe you've gotta make yourself sound "reasonable" to be respected. But I don't feel respect for that attitude, it just makes me sad.

And now, I'm here growing into a version of myself where I finally start to feel like I'm an adult, and I finally start to feel like I'm myself in a way unhindered by that constant fear and self-regulation, and I can see plain as day how much the self-policing doesn't actually work.

Cause you could present the weirdest, most outlandish identity possible to someone, but if you don't make a big deal out of it they probably won't either. Casual but unapologetic is, I think, the best way to go. You don't always have to hide yourself. (Obviously, take time to judge your situation first, but, same goes for most things outside of "the norm").

But presenting yourself as some vulnerable thing who has to placate any aggression before it even happens - well, that just makes people uncomfortable, and the mean ones will single you out as a target for it more than they'd do with someone who's just kinda "whatever" about the whole situation.

And the same thing goes for if you have an identity that feels weird by alterhuman standards, y'know? Chill but unapologetic will get you far. You'll feel more comfortable in yourself, too. Cause when everything you say is minimised, you can start to internalise that too - and it can make you feel like embracing your identity wholeheartedly is a bad thing, or like your own perception of self should have the same uncertainty to it that your descriptions of it do.

I think... the desire and impulse to self-police and minimise is not something you can just "switch off". But I hope reading this can get the ball rolling for those of you out there who struggle with this in the same way I did!

You don't need to police yourself. You don't need to censor yourself.

Doing this doesn't help the community, and it doesn't increase our standing and validity in the eyes of people on the outside. At best, it does nothing; at worst, it makes us seem uncertain, nervous, and an easy target.

And doing this hurts yourself. It affects things in ways that are hard to even see, but take it from someone who's experienced it: these feelings can pierce so, so deep.

You don't need to apologise for who you are. I don't care how "weird" your identity or experiences are - it's you, it's who you are, nobody can touch that. And if you're genuine about it, people will accept you for it, and sometimes gravitate towards you, even; particularly the others who feel the same way, who are the "weird ones" among the weirdos.

Cause when you're unapologetic, when you're genuine in a way that's not flavoured by fear, you kinda... become a safe space. You create an atmosphere around you that gives other people permission to do the same. To just be themselves, without the uncertainty and fear.

And that's really special! It's important.

[dammit-theclown]

Tumblr therians stop reposting and sharing shit depicting unethical keeping of exotic pets and dangerous interspecies interactions (ie predator/prey “best friends”) challenge (impossible)

[the-dying-sun7]

I found this on pinterest.... I needed it lol