Is Being an Otherpaw a Choice? What You Need to Know

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The difference between otherpaws, therians, and furries

Co-authored by Phenic Fox and Raven Minyard, BA

Last Updated: February 27, 2026 Fact Checked

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What is an otherpaw?

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Signs You’re an Otherpaw

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Otherpaw vs Therian

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Otherpaw vs Furry

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Flag & Symbol

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Related Terms

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Video

If you’re involved in the therian or furry community, you may have heard the term “otherpaw” and wondered what it meant. “Otherpaw” refers to someone who voluntarily acts like an animal as a hobby. In this article, we’ll explain what otherpaws are, how to tell if you are one, and the difference between otherpaws, therians, and furries, with helpful tips from therian Phenic Fox and therian and furry Reagan Conley.

Otherpaws Explained

Otherpaws are people who enjoy acting like an animal as a hobby. They may run on all fours or wear ears, tails, or masks that represent their “pawtype,” or the animal they like to roleplay. Otherpaws are often considered a subculture of the furry community, though not all furries are otherpaws.

Section 1 of 6:

What is an otherpaw?

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An otherpaw is someone who enjoys roleplaying as an animal. Despite what some people may believe, otherpaws do not identify as an animal; they simply enjoy acting like them. Being an otherpaw is a completely voluntary hobby that is closely related to the furry fandom. Otherpaws may run on all fours or wear animal masks and other gear to fully immerse themselves in the hobby.^{[1]
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- The animal an otherpaw acts like is often known as their “pawtype.” Since pawtypes are chosen by the individual, they can be any animal. It’s possible to have more than one pawtype.
- The term “otherpaw” is relatively new and likely originated on the internet within the furry fandom. It gained popularity in the 2020s.
- Not all furries are otherpaws, but the otherpaw community is often considered a subculture within the furry fandom.
- Most otherpaws find community in online spaces, such as forums and social media groups, most notably the r/Otherpaw forum on Reddit. They may also connect with each other at furry conventions.
Meet the wikiHow Experts

Phenic Fox is a therian based in Guam. He shares his personal lifestyle and experience as a cross fox therian to almost 1 million followers across social media platforms.

Reagan Conley is a therian, furry, and mask shop owner based in Buffalo, NY. He shares therian and furry content on his YouTube channel, BirdyDogs, to an audience of over 71k followers.

Section 2 of 6:

Signs You Might Be an Otherpaw

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Otherpaws often enjoy dressing up as their pawtype by wearing ears, paw gloves, or tails that represent that animal. They also sometimes make masks or quadsuits (fur suits designed for walking on all fours).^{[2]
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Many otherpaws participate in quadrobics, which Fox explains “is the sport where you move around on all fours… It includes jumping, running, trotting, etcetera.”^{[3]
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Phenic Fox
Therian

Expert Interview} While otherpaws can participate in any form of quadrobics, they often move in a way that’s similar to how their pawtype moves.
Otherpaws often engage in roleplay as one or many different types of animals (or in rare cases, mythical creatures). They may participate in roleplay sessions online or in person. When in person, they often wear gear that represents that animal, such as tails, ears, or paw gloves.^{[4]
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While not all furries are otherpaws, the otherpaw community is often viewed as a subculture of the furry fandom. You may consider yourself a furry, or you enjoy many of the same hobbies as them. You may have found yourself thinking you would be a furry if the focus were on realistic animals rather than anthropomorphic ones.
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You love animals, but you don’t identify as one. The key difference between otherpaws and other animal-related communities, such as therians, is that otherpaws do not identify as animals. You may enjoy dressing up as or roleplaying as an animal, but you totally identify as human. You don’t want to be an animal and simply enjoy pretending to be one as a hobby.
- That being said, it is possible to be a therian and an otherpaw. However, being a therian is an involuntary identity, not a hobby.

Section 3 of 6:

Are otherpaws and therians the same thing?

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No, otherpaws and therians are not the same thing. “Therian is an actual identity,” explains Fox. “Therians involuntarily identify as a non-human animal.”^{[5]
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Phenic Fox
Therian

Expert Interview} Otherpaws, on the other hand, voluntarily enjoy roleplaying and acting like an animal for fun—they don’t identify as an animal. A therian can be an otherpaw if they engage in the hobby of being an otherpaw to feel more connected to their identity.
- Fox adds that therians sometimes dress up in animal costumes, which is how they overlap with otherpaws and other furries.^{[6]
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- Like otherpaws, Fox says that “some therians enjoy doing quadrobics because they feel it helps them connect with their theriotype. Quadrobics is not required for a therian to do, though, and anyone can do them.”^{[7]
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- Wondering if you’re a therian? Take our therian quiz to find out!

Section 4 of 6:

Are otherpaws and furries the same thing?

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Some furries are otherpaws, but not all of them. Furries and otherpaws are not inherently the same thing. However, many furries enjoy engaging in otherpaw activities, such as wearing animal-inspired gear or practicing quadrobics. A big difference between the two is that furries often roleplay as anthropomorphic animals, while otherpaws roleplay as realistic animals from nature.
- “Being a furry is basically just being a fan of anthropomorphic animals,” explains Conley. “It can include fursuits [and] making art of your fursona or anthropomorphic animals.”^{[8]
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Section 5 of 6:

Otherpaw Flag & Symbol

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The otherpaw community doesn’t have a specific flag, but there are contenders. The otherpaw community is relatively new, so there is still some debate about what the official flag and symbol should be. Right now, there are two popular options. One is a blue, green, and brown striped flag featuring a black paw inside a white star. The other is a green, purple, blue, and yellow flag with a black pawprint inside a white circle. The pawprint also has a white diamond in the center.
- Other symbols associated with otherpaws include animal tracks, paws, diamonds, stars, and naturalistic representations of animals. These symbols reflect the community’s focus on realistic animal characteristics rather than anthropomorphic representations.

Section 6 of 6:

Related Terms

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Otherkin According to Fox, “Otherkin is just a person who identifies as non-human in some aspect. It’s the umbrella term, so therianthropy actually falls under the umbrella term of otherkin.”^{[9]
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Phenic Fox
Therian

Expert Interview} Being otherkin is an involuntary identity. Most otherkin say they identify as an animal or non-human being in a psychological or spiritual way.
- Think you might be otherkin? Take our otherkin quiz to find out!
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Otherhearted Otherhearted is a term that describes someone who strongly identifies with something non-human, but not as that non-human thing. They may feel a strong bond with an animal, mythical creature, fictional character, or even an inanimate object. This identity is typically involuntary.^{[10]
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Otherlink Otherlink refers to the voluntary identity as a non-human or fictional being. Unlike therians or other types of otherkin, otherlinks consciously choose their identity. An otherlink can become an otherkin if their identity becomes permanent or involuntary.^{[11]
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Alterhuman Alterhuman is an umbrella term for anyone who identifies as non-human or experiences an alternate form of humanity. Therians, otherhearted, otherlinks, and otherkin in general fall under this category. While some alterhumans are also otherpaws, being an otherpaw is considered a hobby rather than an alterhuman identity.^{[12]
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