The (Human) Pet Thread

Human pet discussion: Not just for Syd and Bunny.

I'm specifying human pet in order to sort of make this a submissive-lifestyle-type thread something along the lines of the "Marks of a Slave" thread and the multiple "Daddy's little girl" threads, rather than a furry/animal roleplay kind of thread. I know at least two people (Syd and me) on the forum who identify as pets. But feel free to discuss, ask questions, make comments, whatever. This thread is not *just* for the pet types.

I'm leaving the discussion open to start with because I have this annoying habit of overwhelming people with information in an OP to the point that they don't want read my wall of text. Also, I don't really know where I'm going with this yet; I just started it 'cause Syd liked it, and eastern sun said she'd be interested in reading, and I'm a sucker for beautiful women.

*runs naked though the thread*

Wooooooooo!!!










Ahem. I promise I'll respond with something a little more substantive tomorrow, but for now it's bedtime. I'm looking forward to seeing what this thread becomes

I approve of this thread. Unfortunately, that's all I really have to contribute of any substance. Did once know a girl who mentioned she had some very cat-like traits, like curling up in somebody's lap. I thought that was an appropriate time to make a joke about how cats licked their own arses. She didn't approve.

I have this annoying habit of overwhelming people with information in an OP to the point that they don't want read my wall of text.

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Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss reading your OP wall of text, for the world. Your words and thoughts never seem overwhelming to me. How can interesting and provocative be overwhelming?

00Syd said:

*runs naked though the thread*

Wooooooooo!!!

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You don't see that every day! Bunny, I think you're onto something here.

Disclaimer: Forgive me if I'm way off mark with this post. I am coming at this from an outsider's perspective.

When I hear people identify as pet, I rarely think of animal roleplay.

(I save that for people who identify as puppies, or ponies, Even people who identify as kittens bring to mind girlish sexuality more than roleplay.)

Pets, in my mind, always have a unique relationship to their owners/masters. Even though they may interact with strangers, and even develop relationships with a few familiar friends and acquaintances, they are always uniquely bonded to the people who care for them.

And, I guess, I've always thought that receiving that care, being fed, and petted, or taken out to "run," was integral to the creation of the bond. If you care for them well, they will offer a kind of devotion and love that is yours alone.

But if you don't, they'll turn. They'll piss on your floor, bite or scratch, cower and hide, or run away and find someone else who will care for them properly.

My PYL told me the other day that he sees me more and more as a pet. I did not like that. My instinctive response to most lables is resistance. But maybe he's on to something there. I'm not very obedient, not especially service-oriented, way too questioning and challenging to be a slave... but very cuddly. I want to be owned, but I rarely make it easy.

In the post inspiring to this thread in the other one BiBunny siad she's too bitchy to be a slave. If that's one of the criteria for being a pet in this thread I should probably sign up.

Thinking about it and following with interest.

A well-trained dog is unfailingly obedient, service-oriented by nature, never questioning or prone to challenge, and loyal in the extreme. The dog standard is a very high bar indeed.

Cats, rabbits, gerbils, whatever else people own - presumably a different story. I don't know anything about their captive behavior.

JMohegan said:

A well-trained dog is unfailingly obedient, service-oriented by nature, never questioning or prone to challenge, and loyal in the extreme. The dog standard is a very high bar indeed.

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I just wish they would ease off on the ass sniffing.

JMohegan said:

A well-trained dog is unfailingly obedient, service-oriented by nature, never questioning or prone to challenge, and loyal in the extreme. The dog standard is a very high bar indeed.

Cats, rabbits, gerbils, whatever else people own - presumably a different story. I don't know anything about their captive behavior.

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When thinking about human pets, It's easy to try and find a specific animal that they resemble, or to look at a specific animal as a template for the way that they should act, or as a standard, but, at least for me, there is no one specific animal. And it's not about trying to resemble an animal. Some people identify as a specific animal, and that's cool, but that's not me, which is why I make the distinction between being a pet, and being a human pet.

I know a girl who's a puppy, and I mean, she really is a puppy. She get's this adorable gooey look on her face whenever anyone scratches behind her ears, and she almost absentmindedly pants like a dog, and she howls and barks in pleasure whenever anyone rubs her belly. You can practically see her wagging her tail. When I was first considering the idea of being a pet, I looked to her almost as an ideal, and I found that I was lacking. I didn't have such overt animal traits, I couldn't think of a specific animal that I felt like, I didn't want just anybody to pet me, and certainly wouldn't go gooey over it.

But Seb still thought of me as his pet. We talked about it, and I started to form the concept of a human pet. I am a human with some animalistic traits, and I want to be cared for and owned by someone who I look up to, and who I'm loyal to. I am stubborn and willful and I want what I want, and I don't want what I don't, and I'm cuddly and I love being pet and scratched, and I always want attention, but I also want to make my Person happy, and I hate to see him sad or disappointed, and I want to please him, even if I'm not always that good at it. And similar to a scared and unhappy pet being brought to the vet, whenever Seb wants me to do something that I don't want to do, Ill be unhappy and scared and hurt in the moment, but when it's all over, I'll have practically forgotten that I was ever unhappy at all, and everything will be fine.

The goal isn't to be a "well-trained" pet, at least not for us. Like I've said in other places on the board, what's the fun of a power exchange without a little resistance? And that doesn't mean that I'm a "bad" pet, it just means that I'm a goddamn pet. I guess in this respect, I'm a little cat-like. You can't train a cat (at least not much - not the way you can train a dog, anyway), the cat does what it very well pleases, but, if you know how to treat it, then the cat will come to you.

When I was in Europe last summer, I had a sort of crisis of submission (very publicly on this board), and wrote Seb an email talking about all of my worries and doubts, and in his reply he talked about how he saw my particular brand of submission as being a little cat-like. This portion of the email describes what I'm trying to explain about my cat-like qualities much better:

"I am definitely a cat person, much more so than a dog person (though I like dogs, too). Cats need to be seduced, constantly. Cats will snub you, cats will get angry with you, cats will be jealous of other cats when you favor them, even if the jealous cat was completely ignoring you before you showed interest in the other cat. Cats will also come to you exactly when you need it most, with an uncanny ability to sense when you are feeling down which is rivaled only by their ability to cheer you up. The power there is in the fact that they don't always do exactly what you tell them to. They fight, they snub, they ignore, they flirt. So when they finally do exactly what you want them to, and they do it without your even asking, it seems like the sweetest gift imaginable. And they're doing nothing special! Just the same thing that any cat does all the time whenever you flirt, push, and cajole it into doing so. But, because the cat is such a brat, it has the power to turn the most mundane signs of affection into manna from heaven." -Seb

But I'm not a cat. I'm a human with some cat-like qualities, and some dog-like qualities, and some just generally animalistic qualities.

My dynamic with Seb is Person/pet, and it shapes really every part of our relationship. I have a collar from Seb that signifies ownership, but of a very different kind than with a master and a slave. Often for a M/s relationship the collaring of the slave is a pretty big deal, but for us it was just sort of matter of fact. I'm a pet, I need a collar, duh.

Anyway, those are just some thoughts on what it means to me to be a pet.

eastern sun said:

Disclaimer: Forgive me if I'm way off mark with this post. I am coming at this from an outsider's perspective.

When I hear people identify as pet, I rarely think of animal roleplay.

(I save that for people who identify as puppies, or ponies, Even people who identify as kittens bring to mind girlish sexuality more than roleplay.)

Pets, in my mind, always have a unique relationship to their owners/masters. Even though they may interact with strangers, and even develop relationships with a few familiar friends and acquaintances, they are always uniquely bonded to the people who care for them.

And, I guess, I've always thought that receiving that care, being fed, and petted, or taken out to "run," was integral to the creation of the bond. If you care for them well, they will offer a kind of devotion and love that is yours alone.

But if you don't, they'll turn. They'll piss on your floor, bite or scratch, cower and hide, or run away and find someone else who will care for them properly.

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I would say that you're whole post is pretty spot on for me, except for the last paragraph. If I don't get the care from Seb that I need, I don't "turn," I try to find out what's wrong. I try to see what's holding his attention, or what the problem is, and make it better. I never consider biting, or cowering, and would never consider running away. I know that my Person has other concerns besides me, and so while I might be hurt if I'm not getting the kind of attention that I want, I'll focus my energies on cheering him up.

A happy person is a happy pet

rinka said:

My PYL told me the other day that he sees me more and more as a pet. I did not like that. My instinctive response to most lables is resistance. But maybe he's on to something there. I'm not very obedient, not especially service-oriented, way too questioning and challenging to be a slave... but very cuddly. I want to be owned, but I rarely make it easy.

In the post inspiring to this thread in the other one BiBunny siad she's too bitchy to be a slave. If that's one of the criteria for being a pet in this thread I should probably sign up.

Thinking about it and following with interest.

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My instinctive response to labels is resistance, too, but if the shoe fits, y'know?

I'm completely with you on the bolded part of your quote.

I've often though I would enjoy being a pet, but I'm NOT a submissive, I want to be pampered, have zero interest in a guy who thinks he can or should 'discipline' me.

I've said this before, but the pet analogy kind of works for me, provided you think about having a dangerous, independent pet. Not necessarily high maintenance, but something that takes off hands regularly and only tolerates one person's interference. Kind of like a unicorn of medieval myth or something. If one magic virgin sits patiently enough to be the lucky winner it might happen.

If you're the magic virgin, you will find a very non-resistant un-bitchy reasonable response to requests. You'll frustrate your friends as they watch me go belly up for scratches behind the ears.

If anyone came at me with the "your best isn't good enough" absurdly high bar mentality and a love of using the rolled up paper on their puppy, they'd lose a hand, or me, in an instant. Magical patient blonde virgins aren't as stupid as all that though, happily. Go get a dog if you want a dog.

I beg to differ on the "will turn if I don't get what I need" part. Without getting what I need in the first place, hence the "magical" descriptor, this would never get off the ground. I never would have come around, and put my head in anyone's lap. I could wait another 100 years. There's no turning on him, because that's a breakage of the agreement I made with myself as regards him. That's always been what's kept me there when things get challenging, back when I was bottoming more heavily, I remember relying on that. I still rely on that, but not as a machismo thing (yeah I was pretty butch, too) more as a thing between me, my own needs, and my own respect for my own commitments.

The power of selection is an awesome power. Once I have actually selected, I'm infinitely ready to deal. I don't have instinctive resistance where my Top is concerned, if I want to run the show I simply do. That's not what I'm there for when it's not what I'm there for.

Netzach said:

If anyone came at me with the "your best isn't good enough" absurdly high bar mentality and a love of using the rolled up paper on their puppy, they'd lose a hand, or me, in an instant. Magical patient blonde virgins aren't as stupid as all that though, happily. Go get a dog if you want a dog.

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"Your best isn't good enough" is, by definition, an absurdly high bar for anyone - whether human or actual canine.

If that gets you off, for christ's sake, please. Don't get a dog. Go find a hardcore masochist human who thrives on abuse.

00Syd said:

When thinking about human pets, It's easy to try and find a specific animal that they resemble, or to look at a specific animal as a template for the way that they should act, or as a standard, but, at least for me, there is no one specific animal. And it's not about trying to resemble an animal. Some people identify as a specific animal, and that's cool, but that's not me, which is why I make the distinction between being a pet, and being a human pet.
<snip>
Anyway, those are just some thoughts on what it means to me to be a pet.

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Thanks for sharing your thoughts. This helps me understand the pet concept better, or at least your brand of pet-hood.

It also inhibits my natural responses, like asking if you're up on your Sentinel tabs. Although I certainly reserve the right to make stupid comments in the future.

MisterSir said:

I approve of this thread. Unfortunately, that's all I really have to contribute of any substance

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Yeah, me too. And me, neither. I'll be following along, though.

Don't you feel lucky?

graceanne said:

Don't you feel lucky?

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Incredibly!

Sorry about neglecting this thread. I'm at my parents' for the weekend, and the opportunities to get online are somewhere between slim and none. Thanks to everyone for your comments.

Adakgirl said:

Are you kidding? I wouldn't miss reading your OP wall of text, for the world. Your words and thoughts never seem overwhelming to me. How can interesting and provocative be overwhelming?

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More like whiny and convoluted, but thank you all the same.

eastern sun said:

Disclaimer: Forgive me if I'm way off mark with this post. I am coming at this from an outsider's perspective.

When I hear people identify as pet, I rarely think of animal roleplay.

(I save that for people who identify as puppies, or ponies, Even people who identify as kittens bring to mind girlish sexuality more than roleplay.)

Pets, in my mind, always have a unique relationship to their owners/masters. Even though they may interact with strangers, and even develop relationships with a few familiar friends and acquaintances, they are always uniquely bonded to the people who care for them.

And, I guess, I've always thought that receiving that care, being fed, and petted, or taken out to "run," was integral to the creation of the bond. If you care for them well, they will offer a kind of devotion and love that is yours alone.

But if you don't, they'll turn. They'll piss on your floor, bite or scratch, cower and hide, or run away and find someone else who will care for them properly.

Click to expand...

That's pretty much it.

00Syd said:

When thinking about human pets, It's easy to try and find a specific animal that they resemble, or to look at a specific animal as a template for the way that they should act, or as a standard, but, at least for me, there is no one specific animal. And it's not about trying to resemble an animal. Some people identify as a specific animal, and that's cool, but that's not me, which is why I make the distinction between being a pet, and being a human pet.

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The Owner people basically say I'm a weird cat-dog hybrid if they have to label me as some sort of animal. Finicky like a cat, devoted like a dog. I'd say that's pretty accurate.

Netzach said:

I've said this before, but the pet analogy kind of works for me, provided you think about having a dangerous, independent pet. Not necessarily high maintenance, but something that takes off hands regularly and only tolerates one person's interference. Kind of like a unicorn of medieval myth or something. If one magic virgin sits patiently enough to be the lucky winner it might happen.

If you're the magic virgin, you will find a very non-resistant un-bitchy reasonable response to requests. You'll frustrate your friends as they watch me go belly up for scratches behind the ears.

If anyone came at me with the "your best isn't good enough" absurdly high bar mentality and a love of using the rolled up paper on their puppy, they'd lose a hand, or me, in an instant. Magical patient blonde virgins aren't as stupid as all that though, happily. Go get a dog if you want a dog.

I beg to differ on the "will turn if I don't get what I need" part. Without getting what I need in the first place, hence the "magical" descriptor, this would never get off the ground. I never would have come around, and put my head in anyone's lap. I could wait another 100 years. There's no turning on him, because that's a breakage of the agreement I made with myself as regards him. That's always been what's kept me there when things get challenging, back when I was bottoming more heavily, I remember relying on that. I still rely on that, but not as a machismo thing (yeah I was pretty butch, too) more as a thing between me, my own needs, and my own respect for my own commitments.

The power of selection is an awesome power. Once I have actually selected, I'm infinitely ready to deal. I don't have instinctive resistance where my Top is concerned, if I want to run the show I simply do. That's not what I'm there for when it's not what I'm there for.

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I've got nothing of any substance to add to this post, but I enjoyed it thoroughly.



I wish I could think of something worthwhile to add to my own thread, but at the moment, I can't. Blech. I suck at life.

BiBunny said:

I suck at life.

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Not at all

00Syd said:

Incredibly!

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I'm a pet.

When we go shopping (or pretty much anywhere), I follow them both around like a puppy. It's not intentional; I don't tell myself I'm going to do it. I just do it and then realize it later and smile.

I sit at their feet in the floor while they sit on the furniture and do whatever. I can stay there for hours (or until my legs fall asleep and my back starts to cramp), particularly if they urge me to put my head on one of their knees and then pet my hair.

Master has called me his pet since pretty much he first met me. Mistress asked him once, before she met me, what he called me. "Pet, usually," he said. She thought it was creepy. Then, she met me and understood.

I am practically never unhappy when I'm on a leash.

One of the happiest days of my life was when Master tied my hands by my sides, so I couldn't move them and put me on the floor at Mistress's feet. We ate dinner that way, the two of them on the couch and me in the floor, Mistress feeding me with bites from her plate.

These are just specific instances in my life; none of them really define a pet, I suppose.

I guess you could say I'm service-oriented, or at least that I have a service bent. I love to see them smile. I'm not always obedient, though I do try. I have an independent streak that gets me in trouble (not necessarily with them) from time to time. You could probably say I'm high-maintenance for a submissive type.

But, like any pet, human or no, everything else in the world pales in comparison to the love and happiness of my Owner people. They might question my commitment to being a submissive type person, my obedience, my decisions, and a zillion other things, but they'll never question my devotion. I worship the ground they walk on.

Almost all great and wonderful things in life come from them.

i can identify certain animal behaviours...i'm big on contact, any contact...i'll often worm my way into someone's arms or against their body. i hate sleeping alone. i'm very scent orientated. and licking. i love licking bare skin.

but can't identify with being a pet.

I'm so glad that this thread was started. I really needed my definition of pet expanded. All of the responses here are definitely helping me do that.

I can definitely identify with many of the overlapping characteristics of human pets with some kitty or puppy qualities.

I wish I could really contribute to this thread but I'm afraid my contribution will be that as someone taking in what the others say and redefining my ideas.

ultramarineblue said:

I wish I could really contribute to this thread but I'm afraid my contribution will be that as someone taking in what the others say and redefining my ideas.

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What's wrong with that?

I was thinking last night about how we're all discussing qualities that make us pets, but I can't help thinking that Sebs qualities make me a pet almost as much as my own do. With somebody else, my inherent qualities could be translated into a Daddy/girl relationship, or a bedroom-only type relationship, or an M/s relationship. Seb's qualities as a person and as a dominant, for some reason, when put together with my qualities as a person and as a submissive, come out as a Person/pet relationship.

It's not like my inherent qualities are at all specific to that of a pet, but that's the way of interacting that makes sense, not just to me alone, but to us, together.