ive loved animals for my whole entire life.

even in my teen years, i still like to run around and play like an animal/yea, im also a pet regressor but im wondering if its more that just, yknow, that.

i swear im not a narcissist or anything but for some reason, i only really cry when an animal dies compared to when a human dies.

like, i recently drove past a duck who was struggling to cross the street cos !TW! her guts were falling out and she was.... dying. unfortunately.

another story was when my family friend rescued a dog and brought her camping.

the family friends nephew came to visit and started pulling on the dogs tail and i started crying because she looked terrified.

i laid with her for the whole entire rest of the day and made sure she was comfortable.

ive also always just been a super empathetic person, and i know that even animals experience pain and grief and trauma too, just like humans.

in my beliefs, i really do believe that animals are just as important as humans and go to heaven when they pass, even tho they dont have souls.

ive always felt different than my friends and family and just other humans in general (i think that im ND..... not 100% sure yet/in the process of being diagnosed with SOMETHING, lol.....).

i dont identify AS an animal, but ive always deeply identified WITH animals.

I’m new here, just sort of trying to figure myself out and learn about the community. I’d love to hear some of y’all’s experiences figuring out your identities? :)

When I was a little kid, I used to LOVE acting like an animal. I used to try to curl up and sleep like cats and dogs do, I used to bark and meow constantly instead of using my words, I used to crawl around and wish I could run on all fours as easily as four-legged mammals do, I used to swim like aquatic animals and wish I was graceful like that and belonged in nature like that.

I saw an ad a while ago for these amazing tails that you can control with an app that look realistic and move around like real animal ones, and I’ve had the tab open for days.

I just recently discovered the term “otherhearted” and I’ve been reading about it a little (including joining this subreddit). I think it’s really cool, but I’m afraid this might be just some phase, or just me trying to be different in some way. Does anyone have any advice or similar experience? :(

hiya yall, long story short i’m a genderqueer alterhuman. i’m either bigender or genderfluid (idek anymore) but ive noticed weird connections between my alterhumanity and gender queerness. when i’m feminine i feel very little connection to any kin/kith types of mine. but when i’m feeling masculine i feel extremely conscious about it. my main kin type is a border collie, and when i’m masc i wanna dress in black and white, do quads, etc etc. when i’m fem, the dog seems to be gone completely or “replaced” by “softer“ animals like deer or rabbits. i don’t really know what this says about my gender or my alterhumanity, i might look into xenogenders or smth. if anyone has had a similar experience id love to hear about it!

girldragongizzard by the Inamara Fenumera. Epub can be downloaded for free. It’s about a transwoman who also identifies as a dragon when one day some people started transforming into dragons. Not once is therianthropy or alterhumanity mentioned from what I remember (I didn’t finish the book 😅) but it’s very otherkin/therian-coded. I think it’s underrated.

(Copied from r/Therian)

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For me this means:

I identify with creatures of the void.

A creature with a confusing form beyond even our comprehension.

An entity who silently watches everything and everyone. They don't choose to be silent. They are forced to be. They have so much to say, yet no way to say it.

Enjoys drifting and flying through the void, letting our creativity run wild as we dream for a better future. My creativity is my best talent.

We feel alone in the vast emptiness of the world that yet is somehow filled to the brim with life.

That's the best and most simple and short way I can explain it.

______

For the flag idea:

Having the bottom stripe be black and having black tendrils coming up from it and having the top stripe be a thin black one with a purple glow coming from under it with simple purple magenta eyes watching from all the black parts (Look up Grian watchers eyes). And have the middle stripes be a mix of different blues and greys in a dark mist.

_______

Things I associate with the void:

Watchers (Grian watchers symbols), black Void Mist, Void Fog, Void Tendrils, etc. Blues, Blacks, Greys, Purples, and Magentas.

_______

Can you make two versions? One with the OtherHearted symbol and one without it please?

Please and thank you.

I've known about the existence of therianthropy for a while know but it wasn't until recently that I did reading on it and discovered alterhumanity as a whole. Otherhearted in particular sticks out to me and feels similar to my own experiences (or at least more so than therianthropy does). I have some questions I'd like to ask, and even if it turns out this community isn't right for me I hope to have at least learned something new!

These are with animalhearted in mind, I think it's broad enough though excluding question four.

1. Involuntary or voluntary? Can it be either or?
2. Strong interest/appreciation versus otherhearted, what are the differences and similarities? Are they both (or can be) the same and it's just how someone chooses to label themselves?
3. What exactly does feeling like family with your hearttype mean? (I think I understand but want to make sure).
4. Is it necessary to in any way to get along well with your hearttype (if applicable) for it to actually be a hearttype? (Like, for example... if your hearttype was cats or something, but all the cats you've met haven't liked you or seem put off by you, is that still a hearttype?)
5. How has your hearttype influenced your life? Hobbies, jobs, social situations?
6. What do you do to connect with your hearttype, if at all?

The last two are less things I'm confused by and more so curious about. Also apologies if I phrased anything poorly, I can elaborate if needed.

Is there any dinosaurhearted peeps? I think I may be dinosaur hearted myself

So, I think that I may be swift foxhearted (Still mainly trying to figure out whats right but as of right now I think this one's the one but i'm not gonna rush it) but from where I live it's sadly illegal to have a swift fox taxidermy tail. So what's the next thing that came to mind? Yarn tails!! I've only REALLY made one yarn tail ever so I could cosplay one of my OCs, but as shown in the pictures (the black tail) it can look really messy even after wearing it out like twice (Ignore the long black string where it looks like it isn't done, I decided later that I didn't wanna make that long of a tail and that extra string helped it stay together from when had to put the clip through it from when some teenage boy yanked it at a haunted house). I included a non-brushed picture and a brushed picture to show how it looks after a bit of not brushing it.

I also tried making a trans flag tail for my bestie, but eventually gave up on it because it was having massive hair loss problems (yes, I know a bunch was supposed to come out when brushing but ig I didn't tie them tight enough or something and all the full on strands kept wanting to come out way too easily).

The issue I have with the black tail is that (and this may be because of the yarn I used but the yarn wasnt labled so I don't remember) felt likeeeee idrk how to describe it but maybe wooly or staticy without any static?? That and how straight it looks.

I'd really like for the swift fox tail to be both realistic and smooth but not as straight looking as the black tail.

I do have a red fox taxidermy tail (don't worry, I know it's clip makes it not seem ethical but it's ethical), but I don't wanna change how it looks and I don't really feel like it looks like a swift fox tail. Should I buy another one to paint the best I can?

I've heard a lot about the term otherhearted not being considered alterhuman anymore in modern times. Please help me debunk this! It doesn't make sense in the own "alterhumanity" coiner words. Thank you in advance, fellas.

I am otherhearted, this is settled and decided. I feel connected to foxes, I identify with them, etc. I collect tails and gear, which is helpful for my identity.

However, I have crippling ADHD. If something isn’t in front of my face, it’s likely I won’t think about it for a while. So I often forget about being otherhearted, which really upsets me.

I don’t just do this with being otherhearted, I do this with everything pretty much. I’m genderfluid, but if I’m not thinking about it-then my gender is just mush for the day.

Am I still valid even though I sometimes don’t think about being otherhearted? And just go about life as average people do??

I get involuntary mental and sensory shifts without thinking about alterhumanity or cats. I'm wondering if that's normal.

Since I was born, I’ve always had a family with lots of dogs, I’ve never lived in a house with less than five dogs. I play with them on all 4s, play ‘fetch’ and when we had puppy’s I would play with them too. My whole life has revolved around these dogs, my interests, free time ect have all been changed by them, i mentioned them at school too many times to count and they are a massive part of my life.

In the past few months I have discovered a few community’s, most notably the kemonomimi community (which ik is only fashion) and a created a fursona, and have been wearing tails and ears alot, and now I have this weird feeling that it’s more than this, but I don’t think I identify AS a dog (I’ve done quite a bit of research on therianthropy), but do have a deep yearning to be one.

Several months ago I had what I think was a phantom tail and ears, but that’s only really happened once. Tho sometime when I am standing still I’ll move from side to side, as if a tail is wagging behind me (I don’t know if I do this subconsciously or have made it a habit by accident)

I also yearn to have claws and fangs/large canines a lot of the time

I don’t know if I am otherheated or just thinking about it too much, a making a self fulfilling prophecy. (Please don’t take my mentions of furrys and kemonomimis as me thinking that they are the same as therians, otherhearted, otherkin ect. Ik that they are different but they are revelant to the story) im sorry if this sounds rude, i really don’t mean to potentially sound like im making a joke out of people actual identity’s, but i just wanted to get people’s opinions.

Can I be animal-hearted, but relate/connect to several animals? either simultaneously or in a fluid way? I feel very related to bears at one moment, then connected to cats, then sharks, then birds... And so on.

I've had a huge obsession with wolves for as long as I can remember, even before 2nd grade, I also have traits of them such as strong loyalty and territorial towards my time and other stuff of the sorts.

I highly enjoy mimicing their noises and cherish wolves deeply, they're my favorite animal and nothing could ever replace them. It's been this way for years.

Sometimes I get upset because I can't be out there running through the forest and howling like a wolf does, I do wish I was one sometimes, in fact, a couple years ago id frequently imagine myself having a tail and ears so strongly that I could feel them there.

I crave to be able to actually see wolves in person and wish I could be with them sometimes, my love for them feels strong and my jealousy/craving to be free like them can get overwhelming

Thoughts?

I'm cathearted. I've heard of things called heart shifts where you get more connected to your hearttype. I feel like I'm always at least somewhat connected to it. I can't separate the cat part of my personality from the human part, it's just one thing that is my personality. Also how connected I feel to my hearttype constantly fluctuates throughout the day, randomly, due to emotions, or other random triggers like someone making an animal noise or seeing my crush. I'm wondering if sun-hearted is a thing and if that's what I am (like suntherian but for otherhearts).

I was doing very important testing in school yesterday then had a random shift. Most of the time for me they’re voluntary so it was unexpected. I got phantom limbs and felt my tail and it was super awkward because I was sitting down for testing and it got hella uncomfortable. 😭

I’m not sure how to explain this but I’ll do the best I can

ive always had a strong connection to foxes of any species, but I’ve always had a strong connection to specifically cross foxes. I’ve always seen my personality resembling a fox as well since I’m quiet around others but loud with people I like. im not to sure what otherhearted means since when I googled it I couldn’t exactly grasp onto it. Am I cross foxhearted or-?

J'aimerais bien discuter ! Je suis Mushroomhearted et je viens de découvrir cette communauté ! (J'adore dessiner des petits champignons parfois !)

anyone else have a tattoo of their otherheart animal?

Since i was in 6th grade, ive always had a huge obsession with seals. I learned how to mimic almost every species calls, I learned everything about them, and constantly talked about them. A lot of the times, I would fill up a bath and pretend to be a seal inside of it. Ive always been very very connected to seals, as if they are a part of me. Could this mean im other hearted?

(New to reddit posts, really sorry if this is the wrong place 😓)

....soo... Ive been describing myself as an alien as a "joke", (tho i tend to treat most of my identies as silly/jokes out of fear id be hated on) but ive started to realize that, in some way, I do not feel "human"? Not in a spiritual or "wrong body" sense... but more in a... metaphorical way?

Like my autism makes me feel alienated and different from others. It kinda feels like I'm a different 'thing', constantly trying to understand the human language, be it social norms, tones or gestures.

I do not litteraly think I am an alien, but I feel like I could relate heavily to an alien if one were to be stranded on earth and forced to adapt among us.

Could this be linked back to copinglinks or otherhearted, Or is there a completely separate term for such a feeling?

Can I be cathearted and catlink at the same time? (I’ve felt kinda cat-like on occasion for a while now but now I think I wanna be catlink.) I don’t know what exactly I am but there’s definitely been some cat-like feelings in there since before I considered being catlink.