Some people like to roleplay as animals. Actually, quite a lot of people like to roleplay as animals – everyone from vanillas who dress as “slutty kittens” at Halloween, to committed enthusiasts whose whole sexual dynamic revolves around being a good dog.
In kink contexts, this type of roleplay is called pet play… or puppy/kitten/pony/duck play depending on the animal involved.
It can, like many kink-ish things, be sexual… but it can also just be a social thing, or a way of relaxing. Here’s a brief primer on it and all things related to it.
Contents
Furries, cosplayers and primals
Why do people enjoy pet play?
Non-sexual pet play
People love non-sexual pet play for all sorts of reasons. Being a dog or cat or pig or horse for a while helps them to destress, makes them happy, or allows them to be the kind of playful, carefree creature they could never be in their normal, day-to-day life.
There’s also a pretty neat social scene surrounding pet play. Pet players get a bad name on the internet, but most of them are pretty chill, decent people. Some people are into pet play primarily because that’s what all their friends are into. Which, by the way, is a perfectly good reason to be into something. We’re social creatures, after all.
Finally, pet play often involves elaborate costuming and performance. Many people enjoy showing off, sharing their creations and seeing what other people can do.
Sexual pet play
There are a few different things that make pet play hot. Take your pick from any of the following:
- Bondage. Pets get walked around on leashes, shut in cages, tied to hitching posts, or saddled up and ridden. Animal-based roleplay is a great way of exploring interesting bondage options.
- Humiliation. Pets eat out of bowls on the kitchen floor, piss in the woods, and clop around after their owners like absolute simps. For some people the humiliation inherent in roleplaying an animal is what makes it such a tasty prospect.
- Ownership. Pets are owned. For anyone with an interest in domination and submission or master/slave dynamics, there’s obvious appeal.
- Autozoophilia. Some people just get off on roleplaying or imagining themselves as an animal. There’s nothing more complicated to it – the act itself gives them a throbbing erection. Cool.
Pet play roles
You can be whatever animal you want… but people tend to gravitate towards a few classic favourites.
Puppies
Get into puppy play if you like being playful and sociable. As a puppy you can chase sticks, do tricks, and play rough with your fellow hounds. It’s a riot.
There’s a long tradition, by the way, of puppy play in the gay community. It’s pretty fascinating. At some point I’ll probably write a piece dedicated just to that.
Kittens
Usually, in kitten play, there’s a significant element of being looked after. Kittens might be groomed, played with and given treats. They might also scratch and bite for no good reason. You know what cats are like.
Pigs
Pig roleplay is usually about humiliation and degradation. In the gay community pig play is sex with few limits, and which tends to involve a wealth of bodily fluids.
Of course, pig play doesn’t have to be gross and messy. It can just be a roleplay where the pig is used and abused. There’s nothing more humiliating that having a curly tail, after all.
Ponies
As part of a pony roleplay you can haul around a cart, give a ride to your owner, or get dressed up in a full bit and bridle for a show. There are actually shows, by the way – most of them in Europe and the US. Here’s a good starting point if you think you might be a show pony.
Pony play involves elements of trust and surrender, as well as some elements of performance and dressing up.
Cows
Cow roleplays often revolve around some element of lactation (milking or being milked) or impregnation. Cows are generally docile, willing, and often quite helpless to resist the whims of their owner. Moo.
Furries, cosplayers and primals
There are a few prominent groups that indulge in animal-based roleplay that it would be imprecise to lump in with pet players.
Furries, for example, often roleplay as fantasy or cartoon animals, rather than real ones. They have super elaborate costumes, and spend a great deal of time – even outside the bedroom – thinking about or inhabiting their fursona (furry persona).
For a lot of furries, it’s a totally non-sexual thing. That’s not to say it isn’t definitively a sex thing for some of them, though.
Where cosplayers are concerned it’s almost always a non-sexual thing. They enjoy making and showing off costumes, some of which may be animal-based. Cosplay is primarily a hobby and a way of socialising with their peers.
Primals often inhabit and animal or animal-like space during play – it’s something that allows them to cut loose a bit more easily. They can bite, scratch, and howl at the moon to the extent of their heart’s desire.
There’s definitely an element of bitey scratchiness in some forms of pet play, but people who are mainly into this aspect might be more comfortable identifying as a primal rather than a pet.
Pet play activities
So, a key question: what do you actually do during a pet play session, other than sitting at the window and barking every time a car goes past? The answer depends on you and your preferences, but here are a few ideas to get you started.
By the way, while pet play is often done with a partner, it’s also totally something you can enjoy on your own. Indeed, pet play is something that lots of people do just for themselves. Don’t feel as though you need a partner to play.
Dress the part
The accessories available to you depend on the animal you want to be. You’ll find lots of clip-on tails available online, as well as insertable ones mounted on butt plugs. Ears are also a common accessory.
Less common are paws, masks, muzzles, and full animal suits. You can find the elements of these in a few different places, but to get a full outfit that fits you you may have to order something custom off Etsy.
Act the part
You don’t have to do anything special in order to inhabit your pet persona. Just go about your normal routine… while being a dog or cat or cow as appropriate. Curl up at the foot of the sofa to watch TV. Wash your whiskers by the fire. Follow your master about on all fours, insisting that they let you sniff whatever it is they’re working on. The usual.
Eat dinner
For most animals, this will mean eating off a cute little bowl on the floor. Ponies might take lunch out of a rack mounted on the wall. It’s messy, especially if you’re not used to eating without hands… but isn’t that part of the fun?
Most foods designed for animals aren’t suitable for humans. Eating the odd dog biscuit won’t make you ill, but it also won’t do you any favours, and probably won’t taste amazing. You can dress up human food to look like pet food pretty easily though. Here’s some suggestions:
| Cat Food | Shredded chicken in gravy |
| Dog Food | Braised beef |
| Cat/Dog Treats | Pieces of jerky |
| Rodent Food | Granola |
| Hay (is for horses) | Candyfloss / Shredded Wheat |
| Pig Food | Anything: pigs aren’t fussy |
Learn some tricks
With your smart human brain you might think that emulating the kinds of tricks that animals do would be easy. And you’d be right. Still, it’s fun to roleplay a training session, and you can add a layer of complexity by learning to do tricks while in full costume, or in response to whistles or gestures from your master.
Plus, fetch is also legitimately hard when you can’t use your hands.
Learning tricks also works well if you enjoy a punishment-based dynamic. You should never use a choke collar or a rolled up newspaper on an actual dog, but your petplay partner is fair game (assuming they enjoy that kind of thing).
Walk on a leash
If walking in public, don’t be gross. Doing kinky stuff around people who are just going about their business is a dick move. Thus your options for taking your loyal little pet out for a walk are:
- In a kinky context – like at the Folsom Street Fair
- In private – like in the privacy of your home or grounds that you own
- In a remote place – in the woods, away from popular trails, etc
- At a remote time – like a stroll on the beach in the early hours of the morning
Play
Playtime is important for pets of all shapes and sizes. A big stick or a bit of string might be all you need to have hours of fun, but you can also buy a few toys to make things more interesting.
Go to events
Big events, like the Equus International Pony Meet, are chances for you to engage in pet play in a semi-public setting. You can stroll about with your costume on and not feel out of place. They’re kind of magical like that.
However, these big events are, alas, out of reach to a lot of people. You can also look closer to home – FetLife is the de facto place to find out about kink events in your area. Even if there’s not a dog show, you might find a munch where you can go and chat with like-minded pet players.
Be groomed
Have you ever tried to give a cat a bath? Wet And Messy comes to mind… but grooming your pet is a great way of bonding with them. Maybe they’ll even find it soothing once they’ve gotten used to it.
Wash them down, brush their hair fur, clean their teeth, fluff their tail, and make sure their claws are trimmed. They’ll thank you for it later.
Mate
Assuming they’re not neutered, your pet will have urges just like any animal. How you see to them is up to you. Interesting roleplay options abound:
- A beast loaned out as a stud
- A pedigree pet being bred with another animal under your watchful gaze
- An owner doing something godawful to their loyal companion
Use your imagination, and you’ll find that pet play opens up a wealth of sexual possibilities.
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Very educational!!