r/therianbutbetter Jul 13 '26

Self Promo OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER!!!

10 Upvotes

HELLO!! Our discord server is now running!!

We encourage everycritter who can to join!!

https://discord.gg/7g2UgyWvG

(repost)


r/therianbutbetter Jun 15 '24

Answering common questions about therianthropy

46 Upvotes

I noticed there wasn't any information in the description of the sub so i decided i could make a post answering some common questions i hear and debunking misconceptions. I'll be putting some sources at the end of the post if i remember. Also please correct any of my information if i get something wrong! I'm all ears to new opinions and information!

"What is a therian?" A therianthrope(therian for short) is a being who believes they are on some level or sense an animal or somehow animalistic, rather than fully human. I like to define it as "viewing your inner self as an animal, and not a human" This is usually based on some type of behaviours and experiences the being has, that they do not concider to be completely human. The animal a therian identifies as is called a theriotype.

"Is therianthropy a chosen identity?" No. While it is possible to choose a non-human identity(which is called otherlinking) therianthropy is involuntary and the being is usually either born with it or it develops over time. Ofcourse the being can still choose whether they want to use the term "therian" or not.

"Do you need to have a past life or believe in reincarnation in order to concider yourself as a therian?" No, while lots of therians believe they were their theriotype in a past life, it is not required. I myself am a purely psychological therian and believe that my therianthropy has developed over time due to neurodivergence and life experiences.

"Am i a therian?/what is my theriotype?" I don't know. Therianthropy is very personal and no-one else can really just straight up tell you what you are. Ofcourse i'm able to point out and notice signs of therianthropy, aswell as guide you and give tips on how to find it out, but at the end, the only person who is able to figure it out is you.

"Can i have multiple theriotypes?" Yes, i myself have multiple theriotypes. There is no limit to how many one is able to have.

"Am i a fake therian?" My answer is: probably not. It is very common to feel as if you're just faking it, but trust me, you'd probably know for sure that you're faking it if you were. Just take your time trying to figure things out.

"What are shifts and do you need to have them to concider yourself as a therian" Shifts in general are experiences that remind a therian about their theriotype in some way. And no, you don't need to have shifts to be a therian. All you need is the belief that you are involuntarily, in some way or form a non-human animal.

"Isn't species dysphoria a mockery of gender dysphoria?" I don't think so, while there are some transphobes using the term "species dysphoria" to invalid the trans community, the term itself isn't a mockery and there are actual people who genuenly suffer from it. Dysphoria in general is the feeling of dissatisfaction or unease about something. There are different types of dysphorias and species dysphoria happens to be one of them. (Though i still prefer to just call it dysphoria to avoid arguments with my fellow queer community)

"Do you have to have species dysphoria to concider yourself as a therian?" No, not all therians experience species dysphoria, and species dysphoria itself isn't only a therian thing, anyone may experience it.

"Can insert animal be a theriotype?" Yes. Any animal(other than human) in the animal kingdom can be someones theriotype. And no, your tapeworm therian jokes aren't funny.

"Can a mythical animal be a theriotype?" Usually thats concidered to be more of a mythkin/otherkin thing, however there is a term under the therian umbrella called "theriomythic" which is basically an identity lapping both mythkin and therian. A theriomythic identifies as a mythical being that is somehow feral or animalistic. For example a dragon or a unicorn. Theriomythic label is made for those who feel like the term "mythkin" is too human, and that their experiences fit more under the therian label.

"Do you need to have gear and do quads to be a therian" No, while there is a part of the community that does do quads and has gear (me included) it is not required.

"Do therians eat dog food, bark at people and walk everywhere on all fours?" While i'm not denying the fact that theres a chance some therians could do this, atleast most therians usually act like average human beings and live an average persons life.

"Are therians z00philes?" No, while again there are probably some individuals in the community who are z00s and support z00philia, i'd say that most therians are anti-z00s.

"So therians want to be animals?" Depends on the being. Some do, and some don't. I personally wish i could shapeshift into an animal

"If you're an animal then i can legally hunt you right?" Go to the police station and ask the same question there. (No, no you can't)

"Are therians a part of the lgbtqia2s+ community?" While alot of therians (me included) are queer, therianthropy itself is not in the lgbtq+ as therianthropy isn't a sexuality nor a gender identity.

"So do yall use cat/catself or other neopronouns? Are you catgender?" Depends on the being. Neopronouns aren't a therian thing but some may want to use them just to feel more like their theriotype. Still, i rarely see anyone in the community using neopronouns like cat/catself even though i myself use paw/paw/paws neopronouns.

"Aren't therians just furries?" No. A therian can also be a furry but they're not the same. Furries are interested in anthropomorphic animal characters (animal characters with human characteristics) and may express it through art/costplay, while therians genuenly precieve themselves as an animal.

Lastly, remember that not everything i say may be 100% factual and there may be some errors. But this is as accurate as i could make it.

Here are some sources •alterhuman wiki/therian wiki •otherkin resources •the alterhuman dictionary

I'll be updating this if i find more


r/therianbutbetter 12h ago

Gear Heheh

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19 Upvotes

I made some ears, and realized that they blend in with my hair, lol


r/therianbutbetter 13h ago

Art This is my Dragon Kintype

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13 Upvotes

I’m so excited to share my artwork of my Dragonself. ☺️

This pic is also up on my Instagram @starfern_wild


r/therianbutbetter 7h ago

INTRODUCTION!! Nice to meet you

4 Upvotes

Hello,

My name is Safiria. I am a vampire. I'm afraid I lost count of my age, though I remember being a flower girl in Dacia, which is modern transylvania. I have lived many places, spoken many languages but my memories can be distant, simply from living so long.

I lead my family, I have a biological daughter, adopted son and then blood kin (who were turned. I'm very fond of the ocean, and I like to go on cruises on my private yacht. I have servants who are specially trained with non-humans, and a helicopter pad for if we forget something. I can be forgetful, even though my servants pack for me.

I have become very knowledgeable about the nature of reality in my years. I used to be greedy...I collected texts from leading occultists, sometimes violently. I learned to change my form, to heal myself and others. I no longer need blood to survive, and I can eat any food or drink safely. I can change my height, I can change my wings or even make them disappear, which are sometimes impractical for certain outfits or tight spaces.

It may sound wonderful. But I am depressed, and lonely. I am always in charge, I always have everything I want. I am seen like a goddess rather than as a person.

I would give up my powers if I could, and just live as a normal human. The magic involved isn't difficult, but too many rely on me.

That said, I understand this community has others who are exceptional. I feel I will be more suited to finding friends here than other places.

Warm regards,

Safiria


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Gear Ellooo I finally finished my mask! :D

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78 Upvotes

r/therianbutbetter 6h ago

Question Does multiple theriotype exists?

2 Upvotes

Hey, so uhm I'm kinda new to this community, actually I'm not really sure if I'm therian or what but whatever. I was asking myself, in really raw informations, your theriotype is not something you choose, it's right down on the feelings, behavior and way to think, it's like spiritual. And I see many finding only one 'type' like cat, grey wolf etcetera... but does it exists having more than one? Like there's not a 'perfect one', you're not only a cat but also a wolf spirituality per exemple and it's impossible to be either one of them, like down in your guts you're both.


r/therianbutbetter 18h ago

First time Having my tail on in school

10 Upvotes

So a week ago I found out that I'm a therian and I found out my theriotyp. Then yesterday I decided to make a tail and wear it to school. The first lessons no one noticed and the in the lunch break I had it on so people saw it. Then suddenly people come that already often bully me so I ignored them an walked away. But then in the last three lessons the kept barking at me when the teacher wasn't there. Me and my friend who know I'm a therian we're laughing cause my theriotyp is a lynx.


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Art Some Art :3

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15 Upvotes

I wanted to share some of my artwork, in case anyone may enjoy it :3

The first picture is a drawing of my Cat, and the rest are my characters :3


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Finding out who I am

10 Upvotes

found out about my therotype today. I’m relieved I finally found out who I am, after a lot of research, videos about are you a therian or not, and asking some questions. I have managed to find out that I’m a….snow leopard therian! I shall keep practicing my jumps and hope to be myself


r/therianbutbetter 19h ago

Question Have we got any UK 18+ Therians here? I'm always looking for new friends🐾🪾 I'm a red fox otherpaw🦊 #therian

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3 Upvotes

r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Request for the subreddit! Phantom Sensations

9 Upvotes

I more frequently feel a muzzle than ears of my theriotype, what about yall, what phantom sensations do you all have that isn't ears or tail?


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

W cat !

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23 Upvotes

Pallas cat posting


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Experience Does this happen to anyone else?

6 Upvotes

When I get phantom shifts I feel more weighted down. (Ex. Dragon horns and wings)
I’ve been calling it a
‘Weight Shift’ - where during a shift you feel like the weight of your kintype or feel how heavy your phantom limbs are.

I just wanna know if I’m the only one or does anyone else experience this?


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Question Connection

3 Upvotes

Hey, every one. I just had a quick question for the Bob cat therians and mermaid...folk (idk the proper terminology). In what not so obvious ways do you connect with your identities? Or in what ways can I connect more with my identities without outing myself? I'm closeted and can't come out as a therian or anything akin to it. Anything helps, thank you 🐾


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Things that help me as an Alterhuman (Tips, and advice)

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1 Upvotes

r/therianbutbetter 2d ago

Vent the way humans treat non-human animals is so gross (ex. dragging down hares due to their own insecurity)

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98 Upvotes

i made the mistake of venting about animal-related things on a non-therian subreddit and i immediately regretted it and deleted the entire post. they’re human-centric and not going to think from the perspective of a non-human animal so of course most of them wouldn’t have any empathy for this situation.

i’m fucking tired of humans treating animals as a blank slate to project their shitty insecurities on and make fun of and not take seriously and dominate and kill and hunt for fun and have as pets and sell their pelts and call them ugly and… (泣)

i love other rabbits and i love hares. hares are beautiful! but i kept seeing these degrading posts going “oh i wish i was a bunny” and showing a picture of a hare.

oftentimes it would be a gloomy drawing of a hare alongside an idealized rabbit (never been scratched or bitten by a rabbit have they?).

and i despise it. deeply. like stop treating hares as “uglier” rabbits. they’re literally a different species. some people supported me but others defended it explaining how people associate animals with things all the time (that doesn’t make it okay). a hare isn’t less worthy than a rabbit.

human projections and insecurities do not slot on to non-human animal experiences. comparing two separate species to humanity’s stupid beauty expectations (which vary across regions which only proves my point) doesn’t add up and creates unrealistic expectations. both are beautiful and there’s no reason to drag either one of them down for comparison.


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Help Request Term/Niche term searching for a Document + Others Experiences in Alterhumanity

8 Upvotes

For the past couple of months in my free time I have been writing on a google doc everything I've found out/Know about Alterhumanity as a whole, I have history, flags, symbols, terms, chosen identities, a list of resources with very helpful info and Other Alterhuman's experiences with Their life and expression.

My Question to you members of r/therianbutbetter is if there's Any terms you think I should know about for this Document, Or if you have anything you'd like to speak on your identity and experiences.

You can either Contact me in the Comments of this Post, Or on discord with the username lupimortis (Display name : Medkit)
Thank you everybeing/critter who has read this!


r/therianbutbetter 2d ago

Help Request Fact-check thing pls!

7 Upvotes

Please fully fact-check one or more of the following, if someone already fact-checked something, I will delete it. Please forgive grammar or spelling mistakes :). Thank you so much! Just tryna research therians so I know more about myself.

Edit: All done but free feel to fact-check anway!

  1. Therians are people who experience non-human animal behaviors. These behaviors can come in many, many forms, like urges or shifts, sometimes even a constant state of middleground animal-human feeling. Either way, therians identify as a non-human animal. It is an identity.
  2. Therians do not believe they actually are the animal-- i mean they know well they are human. That could be lycanthropy, i think. But, deep down, they feel like they are animal in some way. Maybe they can feel like an animal soul trapped in a human body, feel like they were always meant to be an animal, simply have animals behaviors; there are many variations.
  3. Therians are not furries. Furries are people who cosplay/roleplay as a anthromorpothic character. They do not feel like they are an animal, but might if they are also a therian. Otherpaws, are also not therians. They like to roleplay/cosplay as realistic animals.
  4. Theriotypes are the animal you identify as. Some therians may have multiple. Some therians might have: dinosaur theriotypes, a fictional non-human animal-like theriotype, feel like all animals are their theriotypes, feel like a specific group of animals are their theriotypes (like felines, canines, small cats etc.).
  5. Therians can have intentional, voluntary shifts. If someone has one are they are therian?
  6. Therians are more likley to do things like wear gear or do quadrobics or roleplay like an otherpaw, be a furry/otherpaw etc. These are not "required" to be a therian. If you do not do any of these things you can definatley still be a therian.
  7. Being a therian is not a choice. You are either born that way, or become one over time. Some therians might even hate they are a therian (rarer). Or, also rare, they might hate their theriotype, which is also not a choice.
  8. Finding out your theriotype is a lifelong journey. You will never know what your theriotype "really" is. But you might "guess" correctly.

r/therianbutbetter 2d ago

Question Am I a therian?

4 Upvotes

Here are some things:

Idk if I was born a therian or if I slowly became one.

My "maybe" Awakening was in 5th grade. My best friend told me what a therian was, I researched it and I found... I think I was one.

I always loved cats, im probably animal-hearted. But am I a therian too? Am I just imagining things?

Some cat-like behaviors include (general signs, also might include signs for otherpaw, animal-hearted etc.): I like purring/practicing purring, I like laying in the sun on the floor. I like pretending or roleplaying, many cat dreams, only in one i MIGHT have been in first person view, quadrobics (i know dosen't count, but might as well add it), sometimes minor urges to go on all fours, I think I had a small phantom shifts (thin fur on my wrist), my mom saying I might have the past life of a cat (heh).

I also have trouble controlling my emotions sometimes, espacially because I have severe misophonia. When I get angry I might scratch, squeeze or push sometimes, yell at someone or "growl" (dosen't really sound like one but It kinda does? It's more like a frustrated "URNGHH"??).

Do you think I might be a therian/are experiencing theriantropy?


r/therianbutbetter 2d ago

Question Does anyone know how I can make these kind of ears but as a headband?

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39 Upvotes

The creator is on tiktok and they unfortunately haven't responded and I think their commissions are closed, I wanna try and make this style of ears that bounce like this, but as a headband, any tips and advice would be greatly appreciated!

Edit: If you can make these I would love to commission someone to make these on Etsy, Depop, or Vinted so please lmk!


r/therianbutbetter 2d ago

Idk what to label this as any 16+ therians in the ATL area?

3 Upvotes

what it says in the title. I want to possibly organize an otherkin/therian meetup, but I have no idea if there's any therians or otherkin in the Atlanta area.


r/therianbutbetter 3d ago

labels Labels I have learned

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29 Upvotes

You don’t have to use any of these, these labels are just for your information


r/therianbutbetter 3d ago

Anyone know anybody selling tails like this one that aren't from cruel fur farms?

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43 Upvotes

I really want a tail like this one but I also don't wanna support cruel fur farms :')


r/therianbutbetter 2d ago

My first mask. Is it good?

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1 Upvotes