July 2022 Creature Feature - Puppie!

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 loved getting to know a wonderful pup and little in our community with a beautiful story to tell. They are also the talented artist and ear-maker behind Socks Sundries! Introducing...

PUPPIE!

Please introduce yourself and how you identify in pet play.

Hi, I’m Puppie! Besides that, I’m a black, agender, and queer. I am neurodivergent, and polyamorous. Most of you may know me as Sock, but that’s only one of my multiple pet headspaces. In my headspace as Sock, I’m a playful white pitbull pup. While I’m Void, I am a hellhound which resembles a jackal (think Anubis). Rose is my Handler and Domme. For her, I do Service tasks and act as a familiar. A headspace that interests me but I have less experience in is being a circus poodle.

How did you first get into pet play and discover your animal identities?

Did you ever play “House” when you were younger? There’s generally assigned roles for people like mom, dad, daughter, son… you get the idea. Those roles were not easy for me to identify with. I’ve always struggled with understanding my gender. Being able to fit in was not an easy feat. Discovering I could be the pet dog was revolutionary! It gave me time to not worry about gender at all. In that pretend play, I would be put on a leash and sometimes I would even “live” in a cardboard box as a cage.

For a long while after that, I felt I had to repress the desire to be a pup, because, at the time, I felt it was inappropriate to play pretend as I grew up. Societal norms really did a number on me. The things I loved were pushed aside just to fit into the “box” I was assigned. After a long while of suffering trying to conform to that theoretical box, I needed to emerge. Ripping the cardboard walls of that restriction released my freedom of expression. It was then that I ran into the arms of individuality.

What are your favorite activities as a pet?

I usually am deeper in my pup headspace around my Mommy and during moshes. With my Mommy, we cuddle and participate in more sexual type play. When I’m at moshes, I love to wrestle with other pups and consenting pets. Chewing and ripping toys is also a pastime I enjoy. At the first SoCal Creatures mosh I went to, I chewed up my hippo squeaky toy. RIP! Speaking of chewing, yummy treatos such as Scooby snacks, cereal and occasional bio dog food causes me to fall deeper into my pet headspace, especially if I’m being trained. I am also a good service pup. I love to do tasks for my Mommy such as cleaning, sexual service, and emotional support.

What helps you get into your pet headspace?

Wearing my pup gear usually helps me feel more focused on being a pet instead of being distracted by my “human form”. Seeing my body during pet play can really rip me from my headspace. Some of the things I use to distract me from that are faux fur ears, a wagging rubber tail, a leather muzzle, my pink collar, a body harness, and sometimes even a leash. Both my collar and one of my harnesses are made for bio dogs, actually! The jingle of my collar as I move is a constant reminder of my place as a pet. It stays around my neck almost always and certainly adds to my head space. Recently I got a hood and just as I suspected it also helped me feel less human.

Besides gear, other things that help are getting head scritches and belly rubs. I also like when my handler enforces things like speaking restrictions and being forced to walk on all fours. I enjoy training–preferably in a language other than English. And in my poodle headspace, I hope to get training from a clown to be a circus pup!

How, if at all, does being a little intersect with being a pet for you?

Sometimes I’m in both spaces at once! Both kinds of play really speak to my desire to take a break from being an adult human with necessary responsibilities and social constructs. It’s good to feel like things can just be simple sometimes.

What do you love most about pet play?

Pet play is very therapeutic for me–it aids in processing and managing a variety of difficult emotions. Nicknames like “dumb pup” and “silly baby” give me a break from being expected work my brain at full force all the time. It can also be a meditative practice for me since it requires letting thoughts come and go. I feel at ease as a pet. I feel like I can finally live peacefully.

To keep up with this playful pup, follow them at @precious.puppie

June 2022 Creature Feature - Ava Antilles

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 chatted with a kitten all the way in Richmond, Virginia, who we had the pleasure of meeting at DomCon LA during the Animal International competition. She was the runner-up, and we knew her story needed to be shared! Introducing...

AVA ATILLES!

Please introduce yourself and how you identify in pet play

Hai! My name is Ava Antilles and I use She/Her pronouns. I identify as a street cat turned pampered princess. I still have my rebellious side and will fight and defend my pack if I need to.

How did you find your pet identity, and what does it mean to you?

I’m not really certain there was a specific “aha” moment for me. I went to college to pursue a degree in theatre and in one of my acting classes we did an animal role play exercise (I was a tiger I believe). It certainly didn’t titalate me in the same way that pet play and animal role play do now, but I really felt like the animal and was able to immerse myself into that body. After that though I didn’t touch animal role-play for several years, I brushed it off as an acting exercise.

Several years later, I realized that something that had always been inside me really wanted to come out and live in the real world. I realized that all that playing dress up as a kid meant something to me. I realized I was Trans. It wasn’t easy at first and the process of becoming my true self took about a year or so. This is when I started revisiting Pet Play. My current partner (then a brand new partner) acted out a spontaneous pet grooming scene with me, at my request, and I was in love with the concept. We didn’t act out any scenes for awhile after that, but she soon purchased me my first collar and I got goosebumps. I’ve been hooked and only dived deeper into it as time has gone on.

What are your favorite activities as a pet?

I absolutely LOVE to snuggle at my handler’s feet while she’s working on her computer or on her art. I purr when she scratches my head. I’m also now hooked on obedience training (complete with punishment and reward); up until this last spring 2022 DomCon, I didn’t realize how much I needed that in my life.

What, if any, special gear/outfit especially connects you to your pet self?

I have several outfits that I feel comfortable wearing in public as a kitty, but I have a particular curated outfit that makes me feel most at home. I wear my white ears, put on gold and pink eyeshadow, complete with cat eye eyeliner, a crushed velvet crop tank, a bright pink pleated skirt, a thong of some kind with a plug tail hanging down, white thigh highs (if I’m at home they’re my white thigh highs with toe beans attached to the bottom of them), my doc Martin heels, and of course my pale pink collar, wrist restraints, and leash, complete with rose gold hardware.

How, if at all, do your intersections of identity influence your pet play?

I feel like I wasn’t able to explore pet play fully (or really at all) until I actually started to accept myself for the woman I am. I believe that my kitty persona is an extension of myself that is intrinsic to the way I view myself as that woman. I’m able to feel fully confident in doing what makes ME feel good. Being so bold and existing in public as my kitty persona helps me feel bold and confident enough in just being who I am in the rest of my life. It truly reminds me to do what makes me happy.

What advice do you have for pet players struggling to express themselves in areas without a large pet play community?

I would absolutely say take your time to discover yourself, first and foremost, pet/animal play isn’t a race (and shouldn’t be). Once you find what makes you tick, dive deeper in your personal spaces, but also remember, that thing can change and morph, AND THAT’S OK. Also.. remember to trust your closest friends.

Lastly, keep yourself safe; something that really helped me feeling comfortable in being publicly trans and a kitty was learning to how defend myself, and that it’s ok to defend yourself. Not everyone has to be, or desires to be public though and the internet is fantastic for expressing yourself while still existing in your personal space.

What do you love most about pet play?

Honestly? I think I love how freaking cute it makes me look. We agree! :)

To keep up with this feline cutie, follow her on Instagram @ms_ava_antilles

May 2022 Creature Feature - Owl!

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 loved chatting with a bubbly Shiba Inu puppy and occasional kitten, who we are often lucky to have bootblack at our events! Introducing...

OWL!

Please introduce yourself and how you identify in play.

My name is Owl (yes, like the bird)! My pronouns are she/they, and I primarily play as a shiba inu.

I'm a very energetic pup with a bubbly personality, and I'm extremely loyal. I also make a ton of weird noises in classic shiba fashion. I also sometimes play as a clever black kitten, but the kitty only comes out when I'm feeling bratty... or someone puts a krinkle ball in front of me.

How did you first get into pet play and discover your animal identities?

I had always grown up pretending to be an animal whenever I would play pretend with my friends. Turtles on the beach trying to run into the ocean, horses in a rodeo, wolves in the woods - it was kind of always in me. I remember seeing a YouTube video in college, specifically about a pet play group in LA, that brought pet play as a thing adults could do to my attention. I ended up finding the group and went completely alone to my first pet event. It ended up being the most fun I had ever had, and I was hooked and attending as many events as I could ever since!

I had a lot of trouble figuring out my pet identity at first. A lot of the research I was doing made it seem that only men could be pups, and women had to be cats (this was before I knew I was genderqueer), so I initially entered pet play as a kitten. I had some fun with the identity, but it never fully felt like me. For a long time, I constantly switched between kitten, puppy, and fox, basing what pet I was on my current mood, but I longed for one identity I could really attach to. Pup felt the most right, so I ended up researching a ton of breeds, and ended up discovering that shibas lined up really well with my personality, and I've never looked back!

What are your favorite activities as a pet?

My all-time favorite activity is obedience training! I also absolutely love romping around with other pets, performing and competing (like in Puppypalooza), and hunting. I looooove hunting! Anything that's energetic and fun!

What helps you get into your headspace?

I'd like to think my puppy persona is a perpetual part of me. I frequently catch myself doing puppy-like things in my day to day life, or with my loved ones (ask any of my partners and they would agree haha). To get into a specific pet play mindset though, all it takes is putting on my gear and I'm instantly transported into pup-mode. I suddenly want all the head scritches and treats, and could run around on all fours all day!

How, if at all, does your interest in service intersect with pet play?

My service-y nature is very integral to who I am as a person, with it even leaking into my vanilla life, so it's no surprise that it makes its way into my pet space as well. Dogs being naturally obedient, aim-to-please animals is the main reason why I identify as a pup. My dog persona wants to make my handler happy, and do whatever they say. It's also a large reason I love obedience training so much. I recently had a scene where my handler used a foreign language to train me, and their excitement when I would finally understand their command makes me feel truly fulfilled and happy as a pup. I'm always aiming to please!

What do you love most about pet play?

Absolutely the sense of escapism it provides, which I'm sure is a reason for a lot of people haha. Life is so stressful and hard, especially now, and I think we all need a way to get out of our heads and be in the moment. That just happens to be pet play for me. I always so free and unbothered, especially when I'm romping around with friends, it's just the best place to be!

To keep up with this rambunctious pup, follow them on Instagram @owloccult!