June 2020 Creature Feature - Lyric!

The pet play lifestyle is full of so many voices that make it unique and vibrant. To showcase this, every month we will be shining the spotlight on a particular human animal or Handler in our community. Let's hear what makes every pet player special!

This month, it is our immeasurable joy to feature a little pig who lights up every room they enter. Their adorable sweetness and bright, friendly personality simply makes our hearts want to burst! We cannot wait to share their words with you...

LYRIC!!

Please introduce yourself and how you identify in pet play!

Hi! I'm Lyric and I identify as a pig. I joined my first pet play mosh on May 5th, 2019, and that’s where I met my current owner. I am very social and love saying hi to everybody as much as I can and try to make sure everyone is having fun. I also love to wrestle.

What are your favorite activities as a pig?

As a pet, my favorite activities to do are training, catch, and receiving pets. I love earning treats and I also love playing with my jingly ball. I am hoping to be trained to be an emotional support animal.

What triggers or deepens your headspace?

I love the noise my jingly ball makes, and it always gets me excited to play - as well as when people throw a ball for me to catch. I will spend lots of time playing with balls. Another thing that deepens my pet headspace is being praised for being a good piglet, as well as getting pets, especially on my head and belly.

How, if at all, does your pet play interact with your identity as a little?

My little and my pet are pretty intertwined. When I get excited in pet space, [my speech] comes out as little speak. [This means that] I use 2-3 word sentences in a high-pitched voice that give you an idea of what I am thinking about as a pet - which is usually "look at all the pretty people" as I try to get pets from as many people as possible.

I also sometimes forget I am a pet, and I love to go see all the other pets and pet them and tell them how amazing they are. It's hard for me to choose just one [headspace] to express at a time.

Do you have any advice for pet players who might feel marginalized in the broader pet play community?

For marginalized pet players in the pet play community, I would advise them to get to know who they are. Get to know their own boundaries and the things that they are willing to do. They need to be able to communicate their wants and needs as well as listen to others' wants and needs. Once you know your boundaries and throw yourself into meeting different people, [you can make sure] that these people respect your boundaries and make sure to respect their boundaries, too.

What do you love most about pet play?

What I love most about pet play is the freedom it gives me to be myself. I love the openness I have found in the community, as well as the acceptable of who I am no matter what space I'm in.

Follow this wonderful little piglet's journey at @lil_pigs_petplay_academy on Instagram, or @pepper_mint on FetLife!

May 2020 Creature Feature - Titus Hound!

The pet play lifestyle is full of so many voices that make it unique and vibrant. To showcase this, every month we will be shining the spotlight on a particular human animal or Handler in our community. Let's hear what makes every pet player special!

This month, we're thrilled to finally introduce a shining star in our community - the current SoCal Creatures Spokespup, a dynamic and loyal leather stud hound who makes an impact wherever his fiery paws lead...

TITUS HOUND!

Photo by AB Graphics

Please introduce yourself and how you identify in pet play.

Hi! I'm Titus, your local Los Angeles fiendish Hell Hound. Although I may look sharp and fiery, I'm really a gentle sweet boy who loves to serve his pet play and leather community. My pronouns are He/Him and I identify as a transmasculine individual.

How did you first get into pet play and realize that you're a hellhound?

Back as a young teen, I use to actively delve deep into the cesspool of the internet. My masochistic side loved to shock and disturb myself; I couldn't help my curiosity. Unfortunately (definitely fortunate), I was exposed to a very graphic video of Folsom on YouTube (back when it wasn't so regulated) of male puppies romping in a mosh. I was so fascinated and enamored that I knew pup play was exactly what I wanted to do one day. I always felt very primal and wolf-like at my core, and being able to express that in an adult setting felt very right to me. However, due to the video lacking diversity and mainly consisting of cis men, I felt like it was a community I'd never be accepted into. Years later- I turn 18 and I decide to join the furry fandom. I assumed they were like the pups back in the Folsom video (I was very wrong). Needless to say, one thing led to another and furries connected me to Threshold Society, and I managed to find my first pet event in 2017. Immediately I immersed myself. I didn't hesitate - the moment I saw the mosh, I entered and simply became a dog. I did not feel human, I did not want to be human; I felt like the primal beast I truly was inside. As far as being a Hell Hound, spiritually I've always felt like in a past life I was indeed a canine of sorts. I've had numerous lucid dreams of being a canine throughout my life, mostly connections to wolves. I like to imagine that my canine self originated in a place of darkness, and now my soul keeps a fiery flame lit to guide me through the brutality of life.

Photo by Mark Dektor Photography

What are your favorite activities as a pup? Honestly- breeding. Being a stud is a big part of my pup identity; I love to dominate all the bitches in heat for my Master! Aside from being a stud, I enjoy wearing my gear, watching Disney movies, eating from bowls, and play times with Master. Something I am really excited to do is give more attention to my guard dog instincts and build on them.

How has pet play interacted, if at all, with your understanding of your gender and sexuality?

Pet play has made me understand that gender is incredibly fluid, and that as a pet you can identify as anything you'd like. Being able to be seen as a male dog to others while I am in headspace is so healing for me. A simple "good boy" really makes me feel accepted as the masculine soul I feel I am inside. While I'm still figuring out how to manage being transmasculine outside the pet play community, knowing I have a space where I'm respected, accepted, and loved for who I am is all I could ever ask for.

Sexuality is also fluid I've learned. Originally, I entered the pet play scene with the intention to chase my desire of being a sex pet with cis men only. Little did I know back then I would evolve into embracing all genders. It was interesting to begin play in the submissive role as a dog, and then eventually evolve into an alpha stud. It really doesn't matter to me based on genitals, as a dog I just want to breed and sometimes be bred. That's the greatest thing about pet play - you can really be whatever you'd like. There's no judgement within our community.

Photo by PET Productions

What advice do you have for non-cisgendered pet players navigating their communities?

My advice to non-cisgendered pet players is to simply be you. Period. Don't care what others say, if you are denied spit in their face with your identity! (Not literally). It can be hurtful to be denied, I've experienced it numerous times. At the end of the day, all that matters is how you feel, so always be true to yourself. Definitely do not try to be someone or something to "fit in". Pet play is all about individual expression, and if there's an animal you haven't seen done before, or perhaps a unique look that hasn't been seen yet, embrace it. Make it yours. Be a trend setter.

What do you love most about pet play?

The bond between Handler and pup. For me, nothing is more beautiful and special than knowing I can always be my truest self with another human. It's a deep connection that really allows me to show full trust and vulnerability to another. No matter what, I always desire and strive to serve my Handler as best as I can, even through the toughest times. From the intense acts of BDSM scenes, to simple play with squeaky toys, knowing there is someone there to keep me safe makes me feel so loved and special. I wouldn't trade it for the entire world. When it comes down to basic pet play needs, this connection is necessary for me.

Photo by Mark Dektor Photography

To keep up with this stud hound's fiendish journey, follow him on Instagram and Twitter at @titushound.

April 2020 Creature Feature - Outis!

The pet play lifestyle is full of so many voices that make it unique and vibrant. To showcase this, every month we will be shining the spotlight on a particular human animal or Handler in our community. Let's hear what makes every pet player special!

This April, we're shining the spotlight on one of our most dedicated volunteers. A diligent Dungeon Monitor and "Trash Panda" who keeps all our pets safe, they're truly a beacon in our community, and we could not be more thankful for them...

OUTIS!

Please introduce yourself and how you identify in pet play.

Hi there! My name is Outis (pronounced Otis), though I go by Aedan sometimes. My pronouns are they/them. I've been in the kink community for what will be a year at the end of this month. I am a switch, and usually play as either a goblin, a raccoon, or a Handler!

How did you first get into pet play?

When I first started in the community here, I was invited to go to a mosh in June 2019. I wasn't really certain what I was getting into at first, but I haven't looked back! It's certainly been a bit of a challenge figuring out what my pet headspace is, since I didn't fit into the species I typically saw at events.

What do you enjoy most about pet play?

My favorite part of pet play, honestly, is the trust. Between Handler and pet, and between pets. Everyone understands boundaries, and tries to be as affectionate and welcoming as possible within those boundaries!

What puts you into your headspace?

Mainly being around other pets. I am still exploring and learning about my pet play headspaces, and developing them. I already live my life very like a goblin anyway, so it's mainly a matter of letting go and fully diving into it. All this will come with time, of course!

If you're comfortable sharing, what advice do you have for other neurodivergent folx in pet play?

My advice for neurodivergent folx getting into pet play is two part: Embrace what makes you you, but also listen to your body and know your limits.

As someone with Autism (and various comorbidities therein), I am painfully aware both how NDs are regarded in the world, and in the BDSM community. I can honestly say, though, that the pet play community has been the most welcoming group I have been a part of.

It's easy to get swept up in it, but it's important to be realistic about your limits. Your fellow pets don't want you to overexert yourself, and will usually be really accommodating. Most of all, don't let your NDs hold you back :)

Keep up with this goblin raccoon (goblicoon?!) on their journey by following them on Instagram at @aedantynnann.