Identifying as a cat

[Shadowpaw]

I have thought of myself as feline all my life for a lot of different reasons. There has always been a large part of me that identifies with cats, to the point hat I was convinced hat I must have been a cat in a past life. When I discovered Therianthropy, I started meditating, and I began to experience feline phantom shifts (as well as anteater shifts, but I'm still figuring that whole thing out). This was unsurprising to me as I had figured that I was a cat Therian from the moment that I heard about Therianthropy. But, then, after looking around on the forum a bit more and receiving some helpful advice from forum staff members I discovered the concept of cameo shifts and the difference between identifying WITH a creature and identifying AS a creature. At first, these two concepts were intertwined for me. I identified as a cat because I felt cat-like and because I identified with cats. Is there any crossover between these two concepts, and, if so, does this crossover fall within the realm of Therianthropy or outside of it?

[G.D.]

Not really. Identifying with an animal is like identifying with your favorite sports team. You care about them, deeply, and have a connection to them through shared aspirations and, etc (example), but you're not on that sports team yourself.

Another example would be my passion for a race called 'gnolls'. They're a race of werehyenas, which I truly feel connected to outside of the fictional race (hyenas), that have a sort of tribal, nomadic style culture. They're inherently war prone, but still have their own unique culture and capabilities. I identify with hyenas, I identify with the concept of a tribal race of warmongering werebeasts, and I identify with all of their general lore. I feel a strong connection to how they are portrayed to think, feel, and do their daily duties. But I don't identify as one.

Being something may not even be within the realm of your interests at all. As we made it a point to state in your original introduction, many people do not even like their kintypes.

I also have to ask, from a curious perspective, if you believe you were a cat in a past life why do you feel it should affect your current? I've been a tiger in my past life, but I still mimic canid species instead of feline ones. The past doesn't affect my current identification, regardless of what forms I must've held back then. But, I know this can be left up entirely to one's preference. Some people base their kintypes off a past life, some don't. I think this touches personal world views regarding a spiritual identification. You don't have to go too deep into your reasoning on that, but I felt it should be said that a past life doesn't have to dictate this current one.

The identification as a non-human animal or creature is integral. You have about as much choice in it as your skin or eye colour. It's just a core part of who you are, that you can't choose. We're emotional creatures, living in human bodies. We're going to feel attached to this and that. But attachment doesn't equal identification.

If you truly feel you are a cat of some sort, that's great. The most we can ever do is provide our own point of views and suggestions. But that answer of who and what you are has to come from you. No one can tell you what you are or aren't, in the end.

[Seraphyna]

The only crossover is that some people have an other-hearted type connection to that creature as which they identify. However, others are ambivalent towards or outright hate the creature/animal as which they identify.

[Shadowpaw]

@geist. I get that identifying as something requires it being an integral part of you that you have no choice in. The reason that it's so hard for me to make a distinction is that my identification as a cat has always been an integral part of my identity, and I can't tell whether its a matter of choice or not because there has literally never been a time in my life from the moment that I was born that my family did not have at least one cat. I get that liking cats and being one are different, but I did feel for a long time that I was in some way shape or form, a cat. Now, since I have found a community of people with which I can discuss and think about this matter beyond anything I could ever do before, I am exploring that identification more deeply, and I don't mean to come across as rude or ungrateful, because you have all helped me so much. I am just confused and frustrated at the unsure ground that I am on right now. Your sports team analogy is helpful, but for me it's more like I was born into the family of someone on the sports team and I was raised wearing their clothes and playing with the team during rehearsal, but not on the field when everyone else is watching. Am I a part of the team or not? Probably not, but who knows, right?

[G.D.]

Shadowpaw, all we ask is that our members simply think about their identity. We have no say, really, in anything else. If you believe you are a cat integrally, that's good. And I'm happy for you.

[Seraphyna]

As Geist said, all we ask is that people employ rational thought, understand what therianthropy is and is not, etc. If all it took to be therians was a strong identification with a certain species of pet that one has had all of their lives, then most of us would be dog, cat, parrot, bearded dragon, etc. kin...but it is more than that.