Erotic animal role play is when someone pretends to be an animal in an erotic context. Could be any animal, all persons involved could be animals, or it could be animal + human.
Pet play is a subcategory of it where one person pretends to be a pet to other person. Often ties in with bdsm, since it can involve stuff like teaching tricks, using a leash, putting the pet in a cage etc. Common variations are puppy play (dog), kitten play (cat) and pony play (horse).
Sometimes when I've written that I'm a zoophile interested in dogs, but I have a human partner, people suggest pet play instead of having an animal partner.
But when I read about pet play/animal role play, people in those communities tend to say it has nothing to do with attraction to real animals.
Anyway, I am a zoophile who likes pet play. Actually, I enjoy being the dog more than having a dog. But sometimes, my human partner is my kitty, and that turns me on as well. I feel my interest in this kind of role play stems from a mix of my interest in bdsm, my zoophilia, and mostly, my therianthropy (I identify as a wolf in a human body). I don't think pet play really works as a substitute for an actual animal partner though. Even if a person puts on a tail and acts like a dog, they will never have that soft fur, doggy smell or strong paws... sigh
Do any other zoophiles with human partners do this? Are you also tired of the pet play community trying to save face by always posting that disclaimer "This kink has nothing to do with bestiality or zoophilia"?
I have an interest, though I haven't tried anything physical with it. I agree it's not a real substitute for a real animal since, well, it's a human.
I don't think it should be done to clear the name, but it isn't false to say it has nothing to do with bestiality, though there is a definite overlap. I would guess that for most people involved, it doesn't have anything to do with zoophilia, they just like the aesthetic, how the gear looks on their partner, and seeing their partner do cute puppy things.
I think sometimes the pet play doesn't really have anything to do with sexual stuff. I think people like to do pet play because they can feel completely loved by another person- because animals will appear to unconditionally love their owners and owners also likewise love their pets and people like to experience this kind of love and care. It's not really all that sexual when it gets down to the wire. I saw a documentary on this once and it appeared to me that the practice was not sexual whatsoever. So yes, I would say it has absolutely nothing to do with bestiality and zoophilia/ attraction to real animals as the people who are involved like to do this because of the feeling of being unconditionally loved that they get from it. Weird stuff. But sex doesn't appear to be an aspect of this in its truest form.
Yeah, definitely. I know from the discussions I've had with people involved that while it's not at all sexual for many. Hell, with some people it sounded like the idea of having sex with even pretend animals was a turn-off! It varies a lot between the people involved.
Well, to be honest, bdsm doesn't have to involve any genital contact either, but it's still classified as an erotic thing. It's in this context I mean that pet play/animal role play is erotic, unlike when children play animals.
That's true too. I think that because it is based around bdsm and IS erotic for many, it's fair to label it as such. I was bringing up anecdote from people I've personally talked with, not any sort of survey. It would be interesting though to see the numbers on how many find it sexual and to what degree.
My personal hypothesis is that some people who feel that way would have been furries had they been exposed to that community first, instead of the kink community. And some people are actually therianthropes (animal-identified) but have never heard of that community, so they stick to what they know and express their animality through animal role play instead.
I'm into pet play and for me it's totally separate from my zoosexuality. A human in pet play gear, no matter how great their headspace is, is nothing like a real animal. Especially not visually. I love the look of pet play getup but it's not comparable to an actual animal; it's attractive but not in the same way. It's definitely not a substitute, and I think the suggestion is pretty silly. Anyone who suggests that definitely doesn't have any understanding of zoophilia OR pet play. When I'm enjoying it I'm enjoying it for what it is, not anything related to being zoo.
I do see how someone with zero understanding of both subjects might relate the two, so I think the disclaimer is understandable. Even if there are folks who are into pet play because of zoophilia, I'd imagine that number overall is pretty small.
For me it has a zoophilic aspect, although I liked it before I realized I liked canines. It doesn't tend to overlap a whole lot in the sense that being led around on a leash doesn't really 'turn me on' as much as it just feels nice, but when it's incorporated as a lead-up to sex it helps gets me in the mindset of being an animal being taken by her owner/mistress/whatever, if that makes sense.
Obviously it's not an acceptable 'substitute' by any means, the physical aspects are totally different, but there is some convergence for me.
I have a definite interest in pet play. I love being a good dog! I'll be master sometimes too though. I've not had any physical experience with it yet, since my human boyfriend and I are in a distance relationship. However, it's also a component of any role play I do with him, and it pervades my regular speech.
I totally agree with what other people here have said, I don't think it's only something sexual. I also agree that it just isn't the same as zoophilia. Absolutely there are probably connections between my zoophilic, furry, and pet play desires. However, they're all distinct interests.
In general, I get tired of other communities saving face with such disclaimers in general. But it's hard to fault them for doing so. They might be more sympathetic to our sexuality, but people who attack zoophilia vehemently quickly lash out to anything they see as being related. People have trouble distinguishing the person from the practice. So they see a person who is a pet play enthusiast and a zoophile, and condemn the practice of pet play because they perceive it as a branch of zoophilia.