Animals and Men

A loved one told me something I found hard to believe. I couldn’t accept it, so I researched it—lo and behold, it’s true. There is a very unusual human phenomenon in which some people relate to animals—not that they love or empathize with them—but that they actually believe they are animals!

Which animals, you ask? Almost all of them. My loved one told me about a girl from our hometown who thinks she’s a cat. She initially attended one high school, but after being expelled due to her eccentric behavior, she started going to the high school I attended. My school was quite conservative in my day. For instance, when my girlfriend and I had just turned 13, we wore jeans to school. The principal promptly called us into his office and reprimanded us for our tight jeans. (Keep in mind that we were skinny and could easily be mistaken for boys!)

This same high school now lets one of its students be a cat!

She even wears a tail! What do her mischievous classmates do? They pull her tail off, of course. What happens next? A big commotion and a school lockdown— not just once, but three times!

And that isn’t the end of it – (no pun intended)! The school also installed a sandbox in the girls’ lavatory!

[Editor’s note to Roberta: Are you making this stuff up?]

No, it’s true! The school catered to the unique emotional needs of this student by installing a sandbox in the girls’ restroom!

I wondered if she actually uses it. If so, who cleans it? Should there be a cat’s lavatory? After all, there are gender-neutral bathrooms! Knowing I would be ridiculed for telling this bizarre story, I decided to do further research on the subject. It was an eye-opener. I discovered people who believe they are animals are categorized as Furries or Therians.

What is the difference between a Furry and a Therian? Both groups have a strong interest in animals. Therians feel a deep connection with a specific animal, while Furries love creating and behaving as animal characters with human traits. These two groups share a love for animal personas. There is also a third group of individuals called Otherkins. Otherkins identify as mythical or fantasy-based beings, such as elves, dragons, fairy tale characters, or wizards.

I watched a lengthy YouTube video about this bizarre behavioral phenomenon. The comments I heard there pretty much echoed my own thoughts: THIS IS THE CRAZIEST THING I’VE EVER HEARD! On the other hand, some believe we are all God’s creatures and these unique groups of people should be accepted without judgment. A few skeptics question whether these individuals are genuine or just role-playing. Perhaps there are elements of both! This unusual human behavior has been ubiquitous in Japan for years.

Believe it or not, there are Furry Conventions, with over 40 events scheduled for 2025 alone. They take place worldwide, except in Russia, and I found only one in Texas, which was later canceled. I lost interest in this subject when I discovered that some schools not only install sandboxes but also fire hydrants for their canine students!

This musing led me to reflect on silly incidents from my own life. When my son was four, he decided to be a dog. He wouldn’t talk—just barked—WOOF—WOOF. I didn’t try to talk him out of being a dog. I went along with it and WOOFED back to him in response. And what did his redneck farmer grandfather and farm wife grandmother do? They started to WOOF too!

One day, my mom, son, and the “dog” visited family. We stopped along the way to grab some ice cream. My son pointed at the cartons of ice cream behind the glass and WOOFED! I told the clerk he was just acting like a dog. What did the clerk do? WOOF back, of course! (My little dog WOOFED twice because he wanted two scoops.) This goofy behavior only lasted a day or two, but I still giggle when I think about it! Hubby and I occasionally joke around by woofing at each other. Don’t worry! We won’t become Furries!

Now, my raving addresses the subject of MEN!

I often feel cold even though we set the thermostat at 72 degrees. Don’t forget, I’m a desert rat and used to extreme summer heat. As a result, my blood is thin (the only thing thin about me), and I get chilly at temperatures below 80 degrees.

We also have camouflaged twin Snuggies, but they come with some drawbacks. They aren’t heavy enough to keep us warm, and because of their camouflage pattern, we can’t easily see each other—not that this is entirely a bad thing!

Hubby and I have been together for nearly 35 years. I thought I knew him well, but he surprises me every now and then. The other evening, while lounging in my LazyBoy, he told me to close my eyes. I did. He then came up behind me and draped a beautiful blanket over my body. It was red and black, checkered, and lined with white sherpa material. I loved it! What a man, I thought!

We occasionally discuss the books we’re reading. I mentioned that I was having trouble getting into my new book, a number-one bestseller! He asked how many pages I had read. I said about 50 and gave him a summary of what I had read so far. He noted that it sounded interesting—maybe I should give it more time.

As I kept reading my book, I suddenly became captivated by the storyline. My husband noticed this because he was having difficulty getting my attention. During our evening happy hour, he asked about my progress with the book. I told him I couldn’t put it down!

“Wow! Is that right? At what point did the story grab you?”

I answered innocently, “Oh, about page 75.”

Frustrated, he said, “No, what happened in the story to suddenly change your mind about it?”

“If I tell you that, Hubby, it will ruin it for you if you decide to read it.”

“Hmmm. Well, I do want to read it.”

“I don’t think you’ll like it.”

He started reading it anyway, but it didn’t last long. He said it just wasn’t for him. I asked him how many pages he had read, but he wasn’t sure. I told him he at least needed to make it to page 75. He said he wouldn’t last that long. No surprise there!

A few days later, my husband did something that shocked me. After 35 years together, this had never happened before. I got up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and didn’t bother to turn on the overhead light; the moonlight streaming through the windows was enough. Then, I became startled.

HE LEFT THE LID UP ON THE TOILET SEAT!

I noticed it just in time! WHEW! If I hadn’t, there would have been hell to pay. You men might ask, “What’s the big deal?” I’ll tell you!

HOW WOULD YOU LIKE IT IF YOU FOUND YOUR SLEEPY SELF SITTING IN A COLD BOWL OF TOILET WATER? AARGH!

Of course, I had to confront him about this egregious failure on his part. Should I wake him immediately, begin my rant, or wait until the next day? He looked so peaceful while sleeping, so I decided to wait. He does get cranky when his sleep is interrupted in the middle of the night. Plus, it would be better for me to cool off. It’s not good to say something I might regret later.

The next day, I told him about my unfortunate nighttime incident. I was nice about it but firm that it must never happen again. Surprisingly, he was quite remorseful and assured me he would be more careful going forward. He would use his bathroom at night to prevent a future lapse in judgment. (Should I install a fire hydrant in his bathroom?)

If it isn’t one thing, it is another. After 35 years, I thought I knew him, and then this happened. Good Grief! What’s next I wonder?

Your comments are always appreciated, and our readers enjoy hearing from you. What animal would YOU like to be?