April 2022 Creature Feature - Arseeus!

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 woofed with an amazing Italian Greyhound pup and dragon! We adore the infectious energy, playfulness, and ceaseless wiggles they bring into our community. We're sure you'll fall in love, too. Introducing...

ARSEEUS!

Please introduce yourself, your pronouns, and how you identify in pet play.

Hello! My name is Arseeus! My pronouns are he/they and I identify as a non-binary queer person who plays predominately as a puppy and recently new, a dragon. I am shy at first but once I get to know you, I will not leave your side for some pets and snacks!

How did you discover your pet play identity?

I discovered my pet play identity about 2 years ago when a puppy by the name of Pup Star Orion approached me at a leather bar on an autumn evening. He asked me if I wanted to try on his leather bull terrier hood; I had never tried any hood. While I was curious, I had declined his offer. Fast forward a few weeks to the weekend of the LA Pup competition, where Pup Star Orion was competing. I attended a mosh at a leather bar where one of the LA PUP events was being held. There, I had the first chance to mosh and pup out as a puppy and realize that I enjoyed it quite a lot!

What are your favorite pet play activities?

My favorite pet play activities are wrestling with other animals, playing tug o war, ball pit, napping, ripping stuffed animals, humping and being a cuddly lap dog.

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

As someone who identifies as a Mexican-American queer demisexual non-binary person with chronic illness, I find myself looking and wanting to be a part and serve similar communities. Because of my heritage, religion was a huge part of my upbringing and made it difficult at first to explore kink and bdsm.

Pet play allowed me to dive into kink and bdsm in a slow and safe pace for myself without the feeling of guilt or shame. Being around other people that understand and not having to explain myself definitely allows me to be more vulnerable in pup space.

What is it like being a Beta to an Alpha/mentor pup? How did that relationship come about?

For me, being a Beta in a Beta-Alpha relationship means being there for my Alpha and my Alpha being there for me. My Alpha makes me feel safe, reassures me and guides me in exploration of myself through BDSM, kink and in vanilla settings.

My Alpha, who also happened to be the first puppy who introduced me to pet play, Pup Star Orion, and I were spending a lot of time together in moshes and events prior to the pandemic. It only felt right that we wanted to take the next step and make it official. I had the privilege and honor to have been asked by Pup Star Orion to be his Beta puppy after a few months and accepting was the best decision I could have ever made for myself.

I Love you Orion!

What does being in a pack mean to you?

I love being in a pack, especially an all-inclusive Transgender pack. I love being surrounded by love, care and people who are similar and understand me. It’s being in a family without the hardships of being ridiculed for the way one is or the things we enjoy. A pack is a family that was created by like minded people to have a safe space to enjoy our passions, ourselves and each other.

Shout out to the Ruckus Pack!!

What do you love most about pet play?

What do I love most about pet play? Gawrsh there's so much I love about it! I think the thing I love the most about pet play is the affection I receive from just existing. I think a lot of us feel that we must serve or give up something in order to receive or deserve love. Pet play has taught me that regardless of our past, our errors and our flaws, we are worthy of love, freedom and vulnerability.

Want to keep up with Arseeus? Follow them on Instagram @pup_arseeus

March 2022 Creature Feature - Nicki Honey!

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 talked with an Albuquerque-based pet who often lights up our Los Angeles community. She identifies as a puppy, a baby dragon, and a monkey - wow! We loved getting to know all about this sweet pet, and we're sure you will, too. Introducing...

NICKI HONEY!

Please introduce yourself, your pronouns, and how you identify in pet play.

Nicki Honey. She pronouns. I play as a puppy, a baby dragon, and if you're unlucky, a monkey. I would love to explore more handler roles, especially as a little who's best pals with a pet.

How did you discover your pet play identities?

Before I really understood pet play, I embodied being a pup through service to my partners and needing tons of praise. My actual pet play head spaces started to develop at the overlap of being a little and having a bunch of cute puppy friends. I really enjoy leaning deeply into the freedom of play, imagination, and releasing shame. I found my silly puppy and dragon headspaces through a desire to engage people who are also experiencing freedom from scripting and needing to engage "correctly" as a human. Being a pet created space to move away from arbitrary human rules.

What are your favorite pet play activities?

My favorite pet play activity is moshing with my pet friends! I love playing in puppy pits and big cuddle puddles when everyone is tuckered out!

What is the pet play community like where you live?

I just moved to Albuquerque last year and it's been tough trying to find pet play community out here during a panera [pandemic], but I've recently been trying to be a brave pup and make it out to events when I can. I still consider the LA kink community to be my community and try to visit as much as I can. Nothing beats how well thought out and special SoCal Creature's events are :)

How do you hope to see the pet play community (local to you or at large) grow in the near future?

I hope to see more non-cis dudes and BIPOC take up more space in the events everywhere. As I grow into the community here in Albuquerque, I'd love to travel in packs at community events and be a part of co-creating feelings of safety and belonging for femmes, gnc [gender non-conforming] folks, trans folks, and women so we can all play together and have access to each other's magic.

What do you love most about pet play?

My favorite thing about pet play is the community. I'm a very slow-to-warm shy person and there is nothing more welcoming then a bunch of creatures who are ready to play with you and welcome you into the fun. I feel like everywhere I've gone, if I'm too shy to be a human, it's easy to be a brave pet and get others to be silly with me. I also love the treats!

Keep up with Nicki Honey by following her on Instagram @thedivineshift

February 2022 Creature Feature - Pup Cupid!

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!

Who better to feature for the month of Valentines than a sweet, snuggly puppy? We loved getting to know all about this Aussie/Husky mix, who brings boundless love and joy to all she meets. Introducing...

CUPID!

Please introduce yourself, your pronouns, and how you identify in pet play.

Hello! My name is Cupid, my pronouns are she/her and I identify as a puppy! *WOOF!~*

Cupid is a 6 month old Aussie [Australian Shepherd] x Husky puppy. Cupid has a specific age because she is a mix of pet play and age play. Never could separate the two. I would describe Cupid as brave, bratty, but sometimes [she] can be just a silly girl. Cupid got her name because of how lovey dovey she can be! Cupid absolutely loves doting on her furends and giving them affection. She is quite the snuggle pup and is wholeheartedly loyal to those closest around her.

How did you discover your pet play identity?

Discovering I was a puppy was a bit of a process for me. When I first learned about the pet play scene, girls were only kittens. I thought that was the box I had to fit into, but it always felt off. I never connected to the traits of cat girls. I early on decided my personality fit more to a K9, specifically a baby K9 Puppy!

At the time, I was very insecure with my puppy identity. I was flooded my male pups and it was incredibly discouraging. I used to introduce myself for the longest time as “kitty with puppy tendencies." I just really wanted to fit in and be able to be a part of a group. Luckily, there's now a bunch of different pets of all genders and I feel like I no longer have to hide my true self.

What are your favorite pet play activities?

As a puppy, I really enjoy attention and connection. I absolutely love playing with my pet furends and stealing all of the squeaky toys! Recently, my daddy and I have been working on training, but as a dumb puppy you can guess how that may be going… My little puppy brain can only focus for so much time! Sit, lay, roll over, I can never really tell the difference. After a mosh, my favorite thing to do is curl up in daddy's lap for some nice decompressing pets. It really helps me reset after the exhilaration of romping with my furends.

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

I identify as a bisexual cis hispanic woman. Alongside not finding a lot of puppy girls in general at first, finding pet players of color was not a norm. The stereotypes of pet play was tiny girls wearing cat ears and muscly men wearing a pup hood. It was empowering to myself to break these norms and also find others who were doing the same. I use my pet play to connect with others, usually I am kind of a shy person but in the kink world in general, I feel like I can come out of shell and be who I am fully with no judgment.

What are your pet play goals for the coming years?

It is incredibly important to me to build connections and relationships. I thrive on socialization and I think the "panda express" [aka the pandemic] really snuffed out that fire. I want to meet so many pets and go to pet events. I think eventually, I would like to get a big ol' house and fill it with my furends to live happily ever after.

What advice would you give to new pet players entering the community?

I would say get involved as soon and as much as you can. Having the support of my community behind has made me grow not just in my petself but as a person! Follow pets you like on Instagram, join our Discord, go to events! Most importantly, make furends <3 Start Your Search on the SoCal Creatures Instagram! Click Here to Join Our Discord!

What do you love most about pet play?

If I were to be completely 100% honest... I love how much attention I get as a puppy. I imagine sometimes I'm the puppy that a guy in those cheesy movies uses to lure in girls. Happy little puppy getting grabbed by oh so many hands… *Drool* ANYWAY!

Pet play allows me to be playful, creative and ultimately myself. I love my community and the escape I get from grueling reality. It's a space like no other that I've experienced and there's so many avenues of pet play to choose from.

Have you been struck by Cupid's arrow? Follow her on Instagram at @knotty_puppy and @cupid_the_love_puppy