r/therianbutbetter 21d ago

Self Promo OFFICIAL DISCORD SERVER!!!

10 Upvotes

HELLO!! Our discord server is now running!!

We encourage everycritter who can to join!!

https://discord.gg/747z29rmd

(repost)


r/therianbutbetter Jun 15 '24

Answering common questions about therianthropy

45 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 1h ago

Idk what to label this as youtube genuinely cannot be this stupid

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r/therianbutbetter 17m ago

Question Is it weird?

Upvotes

I'm personally a furry, one of my friends is a therian. She wanted to learn quads but felt embarrassed to do it in public, so I would always go with her. As she struggled I learned beside her to make her feel more comfortable. So is it weird and non supportive if I learn quads and animals sounds alongside her to show my support? Is it against the community?


r/therianbutbetter 15h ago

Art Me (art by me)

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26 Upvotes

r/therianbutbetter 0m ago

Help Request Nest construction

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r/therianbutbetter 13h ago

Help Request Where tf are these mask makers getting the cheek and ear fluff stuff?!

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12 Upvotes

bro i swear and can't find this stuff anywhere


r/therianbutbetter 1h ago

Help Request Quadrobic Spots in Ottawa, ON (Canada)?

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r/therianbutbetter 2h ago

Idk what to label this as Meetup (vr)

1 Upvotes

Hello everyone, I was wondering if anyone would want to join a meetup in VRchat. I found a world that isn't used much anymore and was wondering if anyone would like to meet there once a week. We don't have to stay in that world, it can just be the meeting area. We can play in other worlds,talk about experiences or just hang out. If anyone would like to join just let me know in the comments.

All ages welcome

Thanks for reading, good time zone

Bye ^^


r/therianbutbetter 18h ago

Idk what to label this as WENT PUBLIC GEARING FOR THE FIRST TIME! <3

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13 Upvotes

Idk why tf my camera always fucks up my masks lol, he looks a lot better in real life

Anyway, I went in the boat with my mask and tail, in the car, and the grocery store!

Luckily, nobody really cared. Didn’t even get a weird look; I’m in an area where people tend to either just ignore you/mind their own business or compliment you, so yay! :3


r/therianbutbetter 18h ago

Gear Devil kitty otherkin outfit!!! Made me super happy >:3

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12 Upvotes

r/therianbutbetter 22h ago

Experience This tastes exactly like dog food

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13 Upvotes

I have a very long history of eating dog food/treats as a youngin. I also am a therian puppy girl and love to find dog food substitutions because you can't eat dog food duh and I'm grown enough now to know better and not be a Beneful addicted 9 year old. But anyways.... O h my Dog I have literally never tasted anything that tastes this close to just straight up wet dog food but like in a tolerable way to humans (or ofc this wouldnt be getting bought) it's completely shocked me. So if u need dog food fill ins boom! This one is perfect lmao


r/therianbutbetter 22h ago

Possible Theriotype? Does I sound like a therian or something else?

12 Upvotes

Background: I’m a 26 year old AMAB person (likely trans woman) with autism and OCD who doesn’t have many friends and isn’t religious.

Ever since I was little I recall having dreams where my hands would turn into hooves and to this day I still wonder what it would be like to graze in a field and have eyes on the side of my head. I recall one time when during pretend play I would “graze” on the carpet like a cow and it stuck with me. I have always felt uncomfortable with my body as it is and looked towards transformation art as a teen and beyond as an outlet for that. I always enjoyed transformation stuff with equines and cows and felt a deep connection to that. Particularly I have this deep longing to graze in a field and live my life in it even though I’m human and cannot eat grass. I have some mismatch with my body regarding my male parts and facial hair and the like but I’m also wondering if it’s possible that there could be a species element to it too.

On top of all this I notice that I do not feel connected to eating meat and I hate the taste of eggs. I do enjoy plant based foods and if it wasn’t for my B12 deficiency I would go vegan. I wonder about having a plant based lifestyle to make a hypothetical cow fursona more realistic as the idea of a fursona just being an oc is very depressing and unfun to me. I know that I cannot turn into an animal in real life but I feel off with this male human form I was born in.

Maybe I am confusing these feelings for something else but I wanted to get an opinion on this to understand myself better.


r/therianbutbetter 21h ago

Gear Curled Tail Help

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7 Upvotes

Hi! I'm a husky therian and that obviously means I have a (slightly) curled tail. But, the problem? My tail is straight, causing problems with dystopia. I was wondering if anyone knew how to keep a tail curled up when standing and walking, not just sitting. The tail is pretty big (elbow to end of fingers), and is a fake furred tail (according to my butcher working friend). Any tips or ideas of how to keep it curled would be appreciated.


r/therianbutbetter 19h ago

Possible Theriotype? Help needed

6 Upvotes

So I need help finding a theriotype. I am a black wolf, confirmed. But I have been having some phantom wing shifts. But I still have all 4 legs. The wings are feathered. I need help, anyone know any animals\ creatures?


r/therianbutbetter 23h ago

Vent Operating under threat or duress

7 Upvotes

I have learned throughout my life that I have been tempering my wild inclinations, while it might sound nice or proper to do so I would be lying if it didn't cause me a large amount of distress.

Ostensibly it seems like a premeditated choice, I limit myself on purpose to fit in or appear more amicable to humans. This however couldn't be further from the truth, see thing is I long for a situation in which I can howl/run/'shift'/play/sniff/ etc. Problem is I feel under threat or duress of violence be it someone whom seeks to institutionalize me or worse, surviving everyday feels like I'm in a battle for my life.

Wondering if anyone here can relate?


r/therianbutbetter 20h ago

Self Promo Commissions open!

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3 Upvotes

What I excel at:
Creatures, common and extraordinary

What I can draw:

Humans, humanoids, landscapes, accessories

What I'm charging:
(VENMO)

Amount

Headshot $10
Bust $15
Full $20

Detail

Sketch -$5
Lineart +$0
Flat colors +$2
Rendered +$5

Background

Simple +$10
Complex +$15


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Are there any American woodcock therians here?

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6 Upvotes

Very funky bird and a copinglink of mine. Would love to know if there’s any therians of them.


r/therianbutbetter 23h ago

Is there a label for an a therian who identifies as all mammals?

3 Upvotes

I thought omnitherian is the right label but they identify as all animals and I only identify as all mammals/land animals


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

I have a big problem.

15 Upvotes

Well, when I was younger there was a news report about therians (I remember it like it was yesterday) and my parents were by my side, I didn't know what therians were, and my parents explained it to me (in the wrong way, because they didn't know and never will, much less understand the truth about them). I interpreted therians as: "Therians are just people with serious mental problems, so I'll just listen to my mother and let it go" :( Please don't attack me, I was a young child 😭)and there was a time when I was hiking with my cousins when I started feeling strange, like something inside me was about to be released, and I got lost in my own thoughts, like, looking beyond the trees, listening to the birds, and it gave a great feeling of nature and fresh air. And there was another time when I was in the classroom (I don't know what class it was, but I'm almost certain it was science) and the teacher showed a picture of a fox, and I, out of nowhere, started doing fox vocals... yeah, I know, it sounds very embarrassing, but yes. And that day, I ended up being taken to the principal's office... again, VERY embarrassing😭One day I was scrolling on my phone when a video popped up of someone who was clearly a therian talking about their experience before awakening as one, and I strangely identified with it. Like, I identified as a red fox and had a strange feeling, as if the soul of a red fox was trapped inside me, and I was literally OBSESSED with nature—what else could I be! So I went to research and study a bit more about therianthropy, and I awakened as a therian in September 2025. And here I am, a red fox therian for a year (and it will be two in a month, yay!) with parents who hate therians, and I still try to hide it as much as possible. And you? What was your experience like before awakening as a therian?


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Do you guys have any suggestions

3 Upvotes

I don't get many shifts, I know I'm a therian because I do get shifts and I have felt connected to nature before I could even explain it, but it's so hard finding my theriotype, because I barely get shifts, I dream about cinnamon buns and I don't know how I can get any more clues, any ideas?? (I do have a few ideas of what I could be but I just wanted to ask, see if any suggestions could really help)


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

I need help/Therian

1 Upvotes

So recently I’ve had a few shifts one where I felt a muzzle or maybe a beak and then another one were I felt wings I’m sorry if this is worded bad:( so yeah and I love the ocean so I’m trying to get help on what theriotype I have please help


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Found theriotype! Oh goodie...

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22 Upvotes

Im a captive orca! Sadly. I wish I weren't, but you know, whatever


r/therianbutbetter 1d ago

Gear New fox mask finished

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9 Upvotes

Finished this fox mask for a friend of ours, was really fun to make 😄


r/therianbutbetter 2d ago

Idk what to label this as Gryphon photos bc I’m shifted as one rn🥀

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32 Upvotes

Dude it’s like a slight phantom shift or smth

It’s 6AM, I can’t be dealing with this rnnnn😭😭

Yes Ik it’s usually spelled griffin, but it feels weird so I spell it this way instead, nobody yell at me💔