One important aspect of sex that often goes overlooked is exercising our imaginations. Letting our minds run wild gives us the chance to try new positions, play with new parts of the body, add toys and accessories, or even create a completely made-up fantasy world where we can pretend to be an entirely different species.
Wait, what?
Though it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when couples think of role-play, animal play might be just the ticket for adding something new to their sex lives that they’ve never tried before.
Most people looking to take their sex lives to the next level might not immediately think to grab a leash and pup mask, wear a wagging tail or pick up a dildo in the shape of an octopus tentacle. However, animal play is more common than you might think. Savvy retailers who not only stock their shelves with products that facilitate this kind of role-play, but also talk about it in a knowledgeable, shame-free manner, will find themselves rewarded with big sales and loyal customers.
What Is Animal Play?
Animal play can be done in many ways. For some, animal role-play is a part of their lifestyle and a key element in their relationships, which means one partner may play the role of the trainer while another plays the role of the animal.
A common example of this is puppy play, which allows the “pup” to let go of their inhibitions as they adopt the qualities of a pet dog, like walking on all fours, unabashed enthusiasm, bouts of zoomies and excitement, playing fetch and begging for treats, and even sleeping in a crate. The pup’s partner takes on the authoritative role of caretaker, owner or instructor, often doling out rewards and snuggles along with taming and training.
Puppy play isn’t the only form of animal play that facilitates this unique kind of power dynamic. Cats and kittens, wolves, bunnies, ponies and pigs are just some of the many different animal roles that people can play.
What Animal Play Is Not
- Animal play does not involve actual animals! The participants are the “animals,” using accessories, apparel or toys to achieve the most realistic animal role-play experience possible.
- Animal play may feature sexual elements, but depending on participant preferences, it doesn’t have to be inherently sexual. Many animal play dynamics don’t involve sex at all, but focus exclusively on the power dynamic.
- While animal play can involve taking on the persona of an animal and wearing accessories like tails or ears to complete the look, animal play is very different from being a “furry,” which is a form of role-play in which participants typically wear full-body animal suits, and which also often doesn’t involve sex.
- While animal play can be part of BDSM, it is not exclusive to those in the lifestyle. Some people enjoy animal role-play occasionally, like they do other kinds of sex, and it doesn’t have a deep connection to their identity or relationships.
- When thinking about animal play, people often think immediately of the command, reward and punishment aspects. But it often also incorporates a lot of praise and cuddles, which can make animal play a tender and nurturing experience for everyone involved.
- Despite often being portrayed as an activity enjoyed exclusively by gay men, animal play is enjoyed by participants of all genders and sexual orientations.
Why Are People Into Animal Play?
Animals live in the moment. They pursue the most basic creature comforts free from the restrictions of language, cultural expectations, self-consciousness and social rules. Role-playing as an animal can elicit deep feelings of freedom and vulnerability that often aren’t accessible or even safe to experience in our daily lives and the various “human” roles we play — parent, manager, caregiver, employee, homemaker and more.
It can be healing to play as a happy, carefree, cared-for and adored animal or pet that has permission to express animalistic desires like hunger, demands for attention or touch, curiosity, mischief and more. This also allows participants in the animal role to reach a state similar to what BDSM practitioners refer to as subspace.
What Do You Need to Become an Animal?
Becoming an animal can be as simple as using one’s imagination, but it’s a whole lot more fun to add realistic accessories. Fortunately, there is a wide assortment of animal play gear to choose from, such as anal plugs with interchangeable animal tails, which means users can easily go from being a cat to being a pony, pig, leopard or bunny.
It’s also not all about dressing up. Taking on an animal persona — a “fursona” if you will — may not be for everyone, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways that primal, animal urges can be relevant to spicing things up in the bedroom. The fantasy of being ravaged by a beast can be super sexy. Creature-themed dildos are designed to turn up the realism considerably. With the right products, the only limit is the imagination.
Offering a healthy assortment of animal-inspired products will help your customers explore exactly what turns them on, and will bring them back to your store when they are ready to try something new. Though it may not be the first thing that comes to mind when couples think of role-play, animal play might be just the ticket for adding something new to their sex lives that they’ve never tried before. Stocking the right gear to help them set the mood and scene can help your shoppers see how satisfying animal play can be.
Rebecca Weinberg is an award-winning executive with more than 20 years of experience in the adult industry. She is the president of multi-award-winning pleasure product manufacturer XR Brands.
