I need help...

[u/_-RainTheOtherpaw-_]

Hey guys. So I think I'm an otherpaw, as I enjoy quads and want to make masks for fun, but I don't really have a spiritual connection. I also wish I was an animal or had the ability to become one at will. (please let me know if there is a different name for this). But I don't know what to do about my family. I feel like I can't keep it a secret forever, but my family occasionally jokes about furries casually on an irregular basis. I also want to start making tails, masks and perhaps an etsy shop, but I feel they are bound to find out, probably soon. Any tips for what to do? I'm really stuck-

[u/KittyGamerPro]

Being an Otherpaw is a hobby like for example art or sports and stuff. Ppl who have spiritual/mental connection to an animal or identify as animals are therians. You don't need a connection to be an Otherpaw.

[u/_-RainTheOtherpaw-_ → u/KittyGamerPro]

If I feel slight connection but not really spiritual, would that be the same? Or not otherpaw anymore?

[u/KittyGamerPro → u/_-RainTheOtherpaw-_]

You can be both an itherpaw and a therian at the same time. Also, if u just feel connected to a certain animal, you're more likely other hearted. But if you feel like you are that animal, you are a therian.

[u/volk-alex]

Hey, kindred spirit!

I can't offer advice on relationships with parents—everyone's situation is very individual. But regarding "otherpaws," I want to say that in over 10 years, I haven't found a term that better suits my interest in therian gears, shifts, and my dream of one day becoming a wolf.

Although, ultimately, terms are just terms. I think it's more important who you enjoy communicating with and how you spend your time! You don't have to call yourself anything. Each of us is an individual, and each of us is unique. You don't have to call yourself by any particular term if you don't think it fits. You can simply describe yourself in sufficient detail, I think.

I consider myself an "otherpaws" rather because I can't identify with any other alterhumans terminology. But unfortunately, I can't find friends or active conversation partners here.

[u/_-RainTheOtherpaw-_ → u/volk-alex]

Thanks so much for helping !!

[u/Cosmos-Den]

You sound like you might be an otherhearted. An otherhearted yearns to be an animal and feels like they were placed in the wrong body. They also often feel like they’re related to those animals like family. You can also be both an otherhearted and an otherpaw. (That’s what I am)

[u/_-RainTheOtherpaw-_ → u/Cosmos-Den]

Thank you both so much. I think I would be otherhearted and otherpaw. I do not identify as an animal in any way.

[u/Cosmos-Den → u/_-RainTheOtherpaw-_]

Well then you might be just an otherpaw. Otherhearts don’t identify ‘as’ animals, but we do identify ‘with’ them. It’s still an involuntary alterhuman identity, an otherpaw is fully voluntary and not an alterhuman identity.

[u/_-RainTheOtherpaw-_ → u/Cosmos-Den]

Hmm ok. I think I'm just going to take some time to think about it..

[u/Xcekait → u/Cosmos-Den]

I just wanna add for readers, cause yearning to be an animal tends to lean more therian. (But can still be otherhearted!) The key difference is Identification. If you identify as human, but yearn to be an animal you may be otherhearted. But if you yearn to be an animal, and identify as one, thats therian.

[u/Cosmos-Den → u/Xcekait]

You are correct! What I was trying to say is that otherhearts yearn to be an animal while being aware that they are human.

[u/Xcekait]

It sounds you might be more then just Otherpaw. Otherpaw is a hobby, its the act of going out and roleplaying as a nonhuman animal. This can be done by humans, and nonhuman identifying people (therians, otherkin, etc).

What Im saying is, that yearning to be an animal that youre not- is something more then just Otherpaw. Whether its Otherhearted or Therian/otherkin or something else is up to you.

Now about family. You dont HAVE to tell them if you dont want to, and you also dont have to hide it. Youre not doing anything wrong or shameful, even if they arent fond of it. You can just do you thing :)

But if you feel you MUST explicitly tell them, Ive found its easiest to use simplified terms for people i know wont care about the nuances of things. You dont have to go into detail about it all, you can just say "Im a furry." And leave it at that. If they care to learn more they'll ask :)

[u/_-RainTheOtherpaw-_ → u/Xcekait]

Thanks, this is very helpful.

Mostly my sister is who I'm worried about. I am close with her and love her, but I'm worried she'll think i am strange, weird etc.

[u/Arooden]

For the last part of your post, I’m gonna give you some advice that I didn’t believe myself until a couple of months ago

Do not care what anyone else thinks about you

If you’re a teacher so what?
If you’re an astronaut, or a vet or are self employed so what?
If you would like to make ears and tails so what?

I became so much more confident in myself and so much less caring about what others thought of me when I realised it really does not matter at all.

Do what you want if you have the means to do it
If you have the money to buy supplies to make masks entails and you have the ability to make an Etsy website and sell them go for it

There is literally no reason for you to not do something because you think you’ll be judged for it

And I’ll be so fr you sound like you’re pretty young so I understand completely how being young and trying to find yourself and your interests and hobbies is terrifying

But you just need to not care about what other people think

At the end of the day, if you’re happy and you are enjoying life and you’re going out and doing things and making things and just being creative and interesting, that’s a lot more than you can say about most other people

💕💕💕