Just when i thought i had my identity pinned in my claws... yeah im pondering if im pluritherian w/ an apatosaurus (if its ajax or louisae i don't know yet, leaning towards ajax but i dunno, maybe it's not even an apatosaurus idkkkk). And i dont even know where to start figuring it out??

Does anyone have any advice? From both palaeo (sauropod, if there are any) therians and from pluritherians locking down their theirotypes. Cause im honestly kinda lost

I’m not sure what to do with myself. I miss my feathers, and my claws, and my teeth. I know people in here have the same/similar issues, what do you guys do? (Please don’t shoot me dead if I used the wrong flair, I’m new to this sub)

Hey there, I was really confused after reading some articles about shifts, and I was wondering if they happen only to therians or they can happen to others like furries, other hearted, other paw, etc. I was also wondering if you get a shift does it automatically mean you are a therian? thanks!

Hi everyone! My names is CoraKitsuneGirl!

I am interested with the Therian folks via the YT content! i have sometimes in my personal life some species dysphoria about me in my drawing, i feel different to others and i considered myself as a « Yokai » to them.

Therians get popular in Europe this year and we got hated since last spring of this year, so i’ll support the community like I did in the furry fandom.

My theriotype is : Hedgehog and Kitsune.

note : I have no hedgehog gear. But I have almost completed my Kitsune this christmas ! I will reveal my gears once it completed.

This is going to possibly be a niche question, so bare with me.

Growing up, I loved chewing. It was destructive, I will admit, and my parents yelled me out of doing it after I ended up quite literally chewing holes into some of my belongings. Now I'm older, realising I'm multiple species of rodent, and somehow this has brought the urge right back. In a way, healing, because I wish my family had sought outlets for me instead of what they did, but in a way something that has given way to problems.

The dentition in rats, mice, rabbits, the like, is called hypselodont dentition. It denotes a lack of proper root in the tooth, replaced instead by 'cervical loops' of stem cells that allow the teeth to continually regrow throughout the animal's life. If you've ever had a lagomorph or rodent for a companion you'll know exactly how this manifests; they chew everything, and they chew hard. They rip up everything for bedding and break down wood, plastic, anything they can get their hands on. It's only natural; if their teeth grow too long it can cause health issues. It's a very instinctive urge and enrichment for them.

Why is this all relevant?

I think if I could, I'd be chewing all the time. Bruxing, gnawing, the lot. I want to grind my teeth and wear on them. I want to press my jaws into wood and strip it down. I want to chew on my bedding to make it feel more 'mine'. I got to chew up liquorice root as a teenager and ever since then I've been craving the taste again.

But, I am a very health-anxious person. And human teeth.. they do not regrow. Not to mention, I've learned my lesson already: I cannot be destructive. I do not chew my things. That's not acceptable.

The story about my parents is ironic in a way to look back on; I open the rats subreddit and semi-frequently see new carers complaining about chewing and asking what to do about it. It's just what we do. But I see why it's frustrating.
I want to bite, hard. It's like how I can't play with stress balls because I break them, I couldn't crush a bug but when it comes to this sort of thing I'm not gentle at all. It's a craving. It's an extremely base instinct. And of all things to make me insanely dysphoric and stressed out, it's the fact I can't fulfill it. At the very least, I can't without worrying about wearing down my teeth or even damaging or breaking them.

What is a mouse to do? Any help at all is appreciated. Ideas for safe things I can chew (I'm already looking into sturdy chew necklaces I wont just bite through, would just like more options), how to cope with such a weirdly specific type of dysphoria (teeth that don't regrow), or even some reassurance from someone who knows what they're talking about that I won't somehow wear away all my teeth in the next 30 years or something if I start chewing recreatively would be nice. Species-affirming options for stimulation especially appreciated and particularly why I'm here.. cause it would be a bit weird looking to go somewhere else asking for human-safe rat simulation or something.

One thing is don't recommend me gum please.. it makes me feel sick. Exceedingly ironic, I know.

Please, thank you.

If you don’t believe in spiritual stuff, what do you think about your fellow Therians who do?

I'm a vegetarian, and I'm not sure what to include in my soon to be daily therian snack. One of my theriotypes is a wolf or fox and those are my main. I wanna lean into those more than just crow snacks. Please help with some foods I could use that could pass for something I want.

Edit: yall think beans would work? I know they’re not super natural but

Inspired by this thread: https://www.reddit.com/r/Therian/comments/1w16dnr/feral_instincts_as_a_therian/

I was saddened to see someone worrying it was "too weird" to admit to having some very basic and harmless canine instincts. Among non-therians, yes, they might think it's weird. But among therians, that's exactly what this community should be for, right? To discuss animal experiences and instincts.

The community used to put emphasis on precisely these kind of discussions of personal animalistic experiences. When a newcomer wrote an intro on a forum, people often asked questions. "How do you experience your theriotype?", "How did you figure out your theriotype?", "Is there a connection between your lifestyle and therianthropy?"...

All in order to encourage introspection. And if you didn't respond, people were sceptical. Maybe you were a troll looking to infiltrate the forum to make fun of us? How would we know, if you didn't share your own experiences?

On Tumblr, a bit over a decade ago, some people were unhappy with this. They called it grilling, and said that nobody owes anyone an explanation. And so began the slow death of the personal essays, the questioning, the deeper conversations. Instead came people posting short intros looking for validation. And with short video formats on social media, came the emphasis on visuals instead: gear and quadrobics.

People stopped sharing about the actual lived experience. Of how it feels like when you want to tear your skin off, hoping to find fur beneath. Of the weird noises and faces one makes when not masking. Of the weird clashes between human and animal instincts. About what it is like to live as an animal in a human body, experiencing this mixture in everyday life. Taking care to not bite the dentist or feeling intense species jealousy when seeing one's theriotype irl.

In this age of visual and algorithm-driven social media, is it possible to go back into a more introspective therian community? How can we encourage this brave sharing of experiences in an online climate where everyone seems look for external validation, rather than authentic connection?

It was at the steam punk festival, in one of the small stalls, and it's this lovely blonde-ish colour with white at the end. Sadly, based off the shape of the clasp, i have an inkling that it may not be ethical (in hindsight, i had already bought it when i realised), though the shop clerk said that they got it from someone who claimed to be a reputable breeder. But either way, i'm going to try my utmost to take care of it. And if anyone has any advice for actually maintaining these things, I would be happy to listen. :] I just wanted to share since I've been wanting one for years now. Anyway, Sparrow out!

Howdy folks,

First let me be clear that I am not OtherCon staff, just a critter who attended. There was an announcement made by staff today to notify folks who attended that YouTuber MasoMayo infiltrated the convention and uploaded a video about it. He behaved similarly a few weeks ago, targeting the Virtual Howl.

If your information is displayed in the video, you can file a takedown request via YouTube, at this link: https://support.google.com/youtube/answer/142443?sjid=18099376539899532568-NA

It also doesn't hurt to report the video. Beyond that, I strongly recommend you DO NOT comment or interact with the video otherwise - aka, don't feed the troll.

I am feeling angry, violated, and sad. I recognize the community has weathered similar events before, but I personally was quite vulnerable at the con and it's been difficult. If you feel the same way, you are not alone. I know this too shall pass, but in the meantime, your feelings are valid and we'll get through this together. ❤️‍🩹🫂

UPDATE: There is now a text document that lists all usernames and timestamps, shared by staff in the off-season server. This will help for reporting the privacy violations and avoids us having to watch to determine if/when our individual usernames were visible.

How old were you when you awakened? Did you have animal-like instincts even before that?

Recently, my mom told me she used to be a therian, "used to be" as in, had to stop embracing herself due to having to grow up and take care of a family, she told me that, since she knows im one, she told me to never stop being myself. I love how supportive she is, but i feel sorry for her! Anyone else has therian parents?

My main theriotype is a canine, i think a wolf to be exact, but i do have some other theriotypes as well. My other main ones are a trex, tiger, cat, snow leopard and a crested gecko, does anyone else with many theriotypes feel "fake" or untrue when they feel like a different species on a specific day?

Like i feel like im betraying my main theriotype, but i cant control it... obviously.

A few weeks ago, I went camping with my dad and my friend and some of her family through August 2nd to August 9th. we stayed there for a week. I wasn't the most excited the first day, but I adjusted and started enjoying my time.

me, my dad and my friend go camping every year, but this year I didn't do too much. I mostly stayed at camp while everyone else went to do their own thing. I enjoyed it though, since I need and love alone time. my dad stayed back a few times with me though. we did hike to a cave the second day we got there, that was fun. and the second to last day we stayed I went to a river. anyways, back to the main topic.

once we left around 3pm, I was really enjoying the twisty mountain roads and the beautiful scenery, but once we got near the city, I started feeling... homesick? It was odd... I felt the most homesick the first week after I got back, and I still have the homesick feeling return occasionally. I feel like the mountains is where I belong instead of the city. I also felt very connected to my heart-types when I was in the mountains. I don't feel as free anymore, now that I'm back home. I really miss the constant sounds of birds chirping, water flowing, and leaves rustling in the soft wind. now that I'm back in the city, I don't hear that anymore. now that I look back at the photos I took, I get this "nostalgia" feeling, along with a longing to go back.

I miss it

I was just curious, since I tend to see species affirmation tips that include foods. Does anyone have the problem of religious or other dietary restrictions preventing them from eating foods their kintype might often eat? How are some ways you cope with that?

I’m not therian, but personally I enjoy imitating the way my hearttype eats, rather than what they eat, since I do have dietary restriction:).

My theriotypes are Arctic Fox, Raven, and (Maybe?) Ferret :3 and my parents know I'm a therian and support me, and my mother has ALL the crafts, so I can do almost anything 😜

I’ve known im a dog for very many years and usually when I had shifts or dreams i used to see myself a lot more as a feral dog on all 4s in my brain especially when I was a child. I feel like as I have grown older and have become more socialised/used to living as a human instead of living out the life of a dog as my brain wants, I think my internal view of myself has changed a bit to see myself as a dog that stands upright and has more human/furry like hands, arms, legs and feet so kind of similar to plantigrade anthro furries or a bit like a werewolf. I still sometimes see myself as feral but within day to day life I see myself as an anthro. Have any other therians experienced this? I don’t mind humanity but I do miss having myself a lot more separated from the concept of it. If there is a way to revert back I would likely take it so if anyone knows how to connect with being a feral again it would be very helpful to say

It will sound weird i am VERY aware, but i always wondered if anyone feels the same.

To start, im an adult, ive known that im a tjerian ever since i was concious, even though i didnt know the label.

I always had those animalistic instincts that i never saw anyone else mention.

My main theriotype is a canine, which made me inherit quite a few canine instincts.

I growl and show teeth when angry, i growl when negatively surprised or annoyed.

I have a strong need to eat meat, my body won't feel full until i consume something with meat.

I shake my head like a dog when i feel pressured,

I tilt mg head like a dog when curious.

It makes me feel weird, alienated, but its a part of me im mostly not even aware of doing, i usually notice it after, or when someone tells me i did it. Does anyone else also experience this?

I'm on my 20's and recently gave name for feelings I had my entire life. I had tails and ears just poo out of nowhere, urges to meow, bark, whine...I did not know it was a thing people felt until recently.

I don't know what type of animal I am (I truly suspect it's either a fox, a cat or both). I don't have many urges and my shifts are easily controllable. I'm autistic and taught myself to hide everything "weird" since I was a kid.

I didn't get the chance to walk on all fours, wear masks (animal masks, not autism one), all of my urges and shifts were and still are purely internal. If anything I feel like I'm on a post awakening phase, even tho I just discovered what it is. It's a weird feeling.

Being a Therian does not interfere on my daily life, work, family, because it was always a very internalized part of me.

I feel like I want to do a lot of the things most Therians do, but I live with my parents in an apartment on a huge city with a LOT of people. I can't do much.

So, for people on similar situation, here are some tips that helps me out:

- Carry or make plushies of the animal you identify as. I'm currently planning to make a crochet fox.

- Draw yourself a character of you as your animal. Doodle it. For me it helps, because I can draw this character on places I wish I was at.

- Use your gear while you are home alone and leave it inside of a backpack you don't use much when you're not using it.

- If you have pets, playing with them might help.

- Play games of which you can control your animal on a place. I love playing Animal Jam whenever urges are too much, and helps wonders. I don't feel like buying any cosmetics, so I enjoy myself enough on the free version of it.

I hope this helps more people. I am open to any questions.

I had a discussion with my friend the other day and just listening to me he said I was a Wolf Therian. I love wolves, I feel an inclination after reading to it more, but I am having a hard time accepting it. I just might find a better answer with other like minded individuals and so I came here seeking help.

So awhile ago I came to the conclusion that I'm a Cladotherian, and I identify as wild canines and wild felines. But I've come to realize that it may not be the right term for me to use, as there's a few species in both wild canine and feline groups that I don't see myself as. I still do have two theriotypes that I feel a stronger identity with, which is a Serval and Gray Fox.

I'm just wondering if there's any term out there for what I'm experiencing that would fit better than Cladotherian? I did do a bit of looking into it and found a couple terms, but one of them may not work because of the wording used in the definition.

One of the terms is Ambitherianthropy (this one uses the wording that I feel wouldn't work).

"Definition: Ambitherianthropy refers to a type of therianthropy where an individual identifies with multiple specific species within a broader animal category and also identifies with the general animal type. This means that while they may have strong connections to particular species, they also see themselves as part of the broader animal category.

Specific and General Identification: Individuals with this identity experience a dual connection. They feel a deep connection to certain species within a category but do not necessarily identify with every species in that group. Simultaneously, they embrace a general identification with the overarching animal category, seeing themselves in all species to some extent."

It uses the wording "identifying with" rather than "as", even though it used "identifying as" once in the definition, so that confused me a bit. Not sure if anyone else is familar with this term?

The other term I found was Quitherianthropy (but it's not a well known term?), which means "an individual who doesn't identify as a distinct species, nor holds a broader identity encompassing an entire genus or family (cladotherianthropy). They are somewhere in between, identifying as all or most species of a specific animal."

That kind of sounds like what I want but I'm still not sure? Unless someone knows of a term that's more known and already exists that could fit with what I'm experiencing? Anyone else feel similar? If so, what term are you using? Any advice would be greatly appreciated! Thank you! ❤🐾

UPDATE: I feel the term Ambitherian would fit me the best! Thank you to those who commented!

I'm personally not a therian, but one of my closest friends has recently come out through his YouTube channel as therian. I'm supportive of him, but I'm worried that he'll get bullied at school since he has in the past for being part of the lgbtq community, as have I, which ended up making him switch schools for a year. But now he's coming back to the main school and I'm pretty worried about him.

I also really don't understand much about therians, because I've seen him wearing a dog collar that his dogs use, but I'm not sure if that's normal or not, and I'm pretty sure he was eating food in a dog bowl in another one of his posts too. Can someone tell me if this is normal because I have no clue about almost anything about this community, but I want to be supportive. From what I know, his alter is a golden retriever if that helps any. Does being a therian mean that he's going to always be on all fours or something? I'm really really confused.

I was also reading through the community posts and discovered something called shifting? Is that like age regression or something? Someone help me understand.

Sorry if this seems like I'm ranting, I just am so lost and trying to understand to the best of my ability without judging someone, because he's living his life how he wants to.

I'm pretty proud of my drawing, i want to create mask for my theriotype, so i sketched some things out^^ though, i do not know how to draw from front side so making the mask will be difficult:(