Kinky Characters 5: Catsuit / animal play

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

This is Kinky Characters – a series that explores unusual fetishes and the people who like them.

Last week, we spoke to Stephen, a 53-year-old man who loves when women pee on him (he's tasted urine a few times) and we've also explored sounding, being carried by women and getting off on nosebleeds.

Today, we venture into animal love and kitten play.

To clarify, we're referring to behaving like an animal, not having sex with one.

Most people might be a little shocked at the idea of animal role play, but it's actually a very common fetish.

Just type in the word 'animal' on Fetlife and you'll get over 1,200 results including forums, suggested members and dedicated groups.

Often those with this fetish will wear catsuits or other animal clothing and accessories – collars, leads and butt plugs with tails – in order to resemble the animal as much as possible.

Some will role play by meowing or barking during sex, while others fully immerse themselves in the kitty or doggy lifestyle by sleeping in crates or cages and having 'owners' take them for walks.

The kitty community, as it's known, is vast; across the pond at the Chateu in Colorado, cat lovers can channel their inner animal and attend kitten parties.

In Japan, you can find 'neko' (catgirls) in anime, manga and real life. It's not necessarily a sexual fetish here, but considered a character trait with women and girls wearing cat ears.

Some obsessions with cats stretch further than simply dressing up – let's not forget Jocelyn Wildenstein, the woman who has spent millions on transforming herself into a feline.

Another dimension within this BDSM subculture is primal play, which refers to a person's animalistic side and can include rough play such as biting, but is more about dominance with one person acting as the predator and the other, the prey.

Kitten play on the other hand is more gentle and for some, like Eric*, based on a fond affection for all things cats.

The cosplay store owner designs outfits for the kinky community and likes to dress up and act as his favourite animal, both on his own and with a partner.

He often has sex in his catsuit but to Eric, this kink isn't just about f***ing – sometimes, he'll simply wear the catsuits as he goes about his day in a normal fashion.

We ask him what it's like to live like a cat, what he wears and if he considers himself a good kitty.

How to compliment a woman without being a dick

(Picture: Ella Byworth for Metro.co.uk)

Tell us about your fetish

I don't know how to describe it really, but the second I see cats or beautiful women dressed in latex, a feeling of lust comes over me.

I suddenly want to slip into one of my catsuits or spend a few hours in head-to-toe shiny black latex with a butt plug that has a long fur tail attached to it.

If my spouse is around, there's a good chance that typical kitty behaviour will be exhibited towards her, such as rubbing up against her, meowing, cuddles, happy paws and snuggling or kissing.

Do you act like a cat during sex?

If I'm feeling feisty, the kitty persona might come out to play.

Other times it's more of a cozy lounging around and more sexual activities.

I wouldn't be much of a kitty if I didn't purr, and I also have a collar with a bell, cat mittens (paws), kitty catsuits, kitty pyjamas, kitty bag clips and kitty underwear.

How often do you dress in a catsuit?

It depends on my mood – sometimes it's a few times a week, other times it's every couple of months.

There is no regular schedule. It's a sinusoidal wave in that there are high occurrences and then lows.

I've gone six months without wearing a catsuit, and I've worn a catsuit for a solid week, only changing out of one to wear a different one after a quick shower.

I have catsuits in leather, lycra, PVC, latex, mesh/nylon and velvet, and a pair of big cat-print footed pyjamas.

All my duvets feature big cat furry prints and my curtains are black and dark silver in leopard print.

How do your sexual partners react to your fetish?

Oh gosh, I never suggest it to them – that's a perfect recipe for disaster.

Let your partner bring it up, as he or she will likely be aware that this is of interest to you and you're probably not going to refuse.

I never ask them myself.

My current partner is into cat stuff, so the reaction is quite positive and supportive. In some instances, I will dress up in my catsuit and if she's not in the mood, we'll just go about our day.

The focus isn't on my catsuit; at the end of the day, it's just a variation of clothing.

What about your friends and family – do they know about your cat kink?

By now, my immediate family is aware of my fetish.

They were a bit shocked at first, but as my life progressed and the cat in me surfaced they grew accustomed to it.

Friends and the kitty community are encouraging and supportive, and like-minded Fetlife friends also know, as I have a lot of posts and pics about it on my page.

My partner and I are always on the lookout for cat stuff.

What is your dream animal sex scenario?

A trans woman, a woman and me having a threesome, all dressed in latex.

My best experiences so far have been with my partner when we play around in the bedroom, tease each other or horse around – kitty style.

It feels nice, a sense of cosy-ness and comfort comes over me.

When did you decide to make and sell cat outfits?

I've been selling outfits for nearly a decade.

I decided to launch a cosplay exclusive costume store where the outfits are primarily latex.

Being of a cosplay nature, I design these items to bring life to popular characters – be it Catwoman, Harley Quinn, Blackwidow etc.

My partner encourages me to live my dream and soak up my passion.

I also help her community of trans friends, as they are all eager to model my outfits for photoshoots – most of them love to dress up like Catwoman.

Do you think people are judgmental of unusual fetishes?

People are always judgmental towards things they don't understand or don't know.

Information, awareness and experience goes a long way.

There is more tolerance in kinky communities, but most men will shudder when they see a guy dressed in a catsuit.

In vanilla day-to-day life, people are shocked to see a guy wearing this out of context –such as cosplay conventions, costume parties or Halloween – anything outside of this usually leads to a lot of commotion and possibly a great deal of rejection.

Do you have an unusual fetish?

Want to tell us about your sexual preferences or odd kinks?

Drop an email to almara.abgarian@metro.co.uk to be considered for upcoming episodes of Kinky Characters

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