Therians vs Polytherians

As I browse the forums, I notice lots of people have multiple theriotypes. It got me thinking, am I in the minority being that I only have a single theriotype? What do you think, is it more common to have just one or multiple theriotypes?

Well, I have only one theriotype! Also one of my friends has only one, and I also watch videos of therians with one theriotype. But I really can't say if there are more therians or polytherians ahah.

I personally only identify with one kintype as well. I am grizzly bearhearted but I wouldn’t say that I identify as one, I just identify with them! I’ll always be a Honeymala at heart.

I am a bit curious of polytherians, I wonder how you can identify as multiple species at once. I do see traits of myself in other animals like brown bats and binturongs and hares, but I wouldn’t say they’re part of my identity. Not trying to invalidate polytherians, I’m just intrigued

Hello all! I'm a newly awakened, questioning polytherian! As of now, I am exploring my shifts, urges, behavior etc. and I feel a draw to multiple different species, this could just be a temporary thing and may narrow down to fewer over time as nothing is super clear to me and I don't want to jump the gun and try to limit myself to just one or 2 theriotypes. right now I am researching animals that line up with my shifts, behavior, and what feels most "right" and like "me", the theriotypes I'm questioning are, Timber wolf, side-striped jackal, red fox, pine marten, sable marten, clouded leopard, and mountain lion. How I experience multiple different theriotypes is interesting. Sometimes I feel very strongly like a canine, other times very much a feline, and other times, a mustelid. I'm still gonna take the time to explore before I claim anything, but this is a little of my experience as a questioning polytherian, and I hope it can help someone on here or any questions people had about polytherians! feel free to ask me more questions about it!

Although I haven’t figured out my theriotype yet, I feel like it’s probably just one. I have an intuitive understanding of dogs, as well as some farm animals. I’m not in a hurry to draw conclusions. Right now, I’m considering the hypothesis that I might be some kind of herding dog. That could also explain why I seem to understand farm animals so well.

(2025-05-04 18:33)Honeymala Wrote:  I personally only identify with one kintype as well. I am grizzly bearhearted but I wouldn’t say that I identify as one, I just identify with them! I’ll always be a Honeymala at heart.

I am a bit curious of polytherians, I wonder how you can identify as multiple species at once. I do see traits of myself in other animals like brown bats and binturongs and hares, but I wouldn’t say they’re part of my identity. Not trying to invalidate polytherians, I’m just intrigued

Hi, Ive been waiting around till I get activated to reply to this message soo here I am!!
To answer your question.. well, I don’t know. As you can see on my profile I’m a feline and a wolf (still questioning the wolf theriotype but I’m almost sure of it already) and it sure is weird being two animals at once but that’s just how I feel like, that’s who I am. I experience canine and feline like behaviors and urges and just feel like I am both a feline and a wolf on the inside at the same time, for me the identity kinda fluctuates though. I mean I always identify as both but sometimes sth happens that makes me feel a lot more like a wolf and sometimes sth makes me feel a lot more like a cat and the other identity takes a back seat. Still, I am always both a feline and a wolf at heart. Idk how that works but it somehow does lol
Ig you can’t really fully get it unless you experience it yourself though

(2025-05-09 7:39)Elli_ Wrote:  

(2025-05-04 18:33)Honeymala Wrote:  I personally only identify with one kintype as well. I am grizzly bearhearted but I wouldn’t say that I identify as one, I just identify with them! I’ll always be a Honeymala at heart.

I am a bit curious of polytherians, I wonder how you can identify as multiple species at once. I do see traits of myself in other animals like brown bats and binturongs and hares, but I wouldn’t say they’re part of my identity. Not trying to invalidate polytherians, I’m just intrigued

Hi, Ive been waiting around till I get activated to reply to this message soo here I am!!
To answer your question.. well, I don’t know. As you can see on my profile I’m a feline and a wolf (still questioning the wolf theriotype but I’m almost sure of it already) and it sure is weird being two animals at once but that’s just how I feel like, that’s who I am. I experience canine and feline like behaviors and urges and just feel like I am both a feline and a wolf on the inside at the same time, for me the identity kinda fluctuates though. I mean I always identify as both but sometimes sth happens that makes me feel a lot more like a wolf and sometimes sth makes me feel a lot more like a cat and the other identity takes a back seat. Still, I am always both a feline and a wolf at heart. Idk how that works but it somehow does lol
Ig you can’t really fully get it unless you experience it yourself though

I agree with this! Originally when I first awakened in 2023, I only identified as feline. As I’ve gotten older and explored it more, I agree more and more with this point. I think many of my behaviours from childhood have been repressed over time so some kintypes ‘appear’ less than other outwardly. Most days, I feel strongly feline though I always identify as my other types too, it’s like there has to be one ‘in the front seat’ as Elli said. I think it’s due to my repression of a lot of things in life, leading to it being rather stressful and difficult to exhibit behaviours I repressed in the past, so instead I revert to the ‘comfort zone’ of felines. It’s not that I DONT identify as other types, or that it fluctuates as such, but that I revert to feline behaviours as a ‘base’ because I’m simply more comfortable that way. Other behaviours, like kite tail shifts for example, can feel strange and uncomfortable cause I’ve pushed them away for so long, which is why I didn’t realise I was one when first awakening because I forced myself to push them away.

Honestly, I don’t think there’s any fundamental ability to know whether someone is a Therian or poly Therian, nor should it matter. Wether one is more r less common is sort of up to speculation as there could be some like me who repress or don’t realise types, and the other way with cameos and assumptions for the newly awakened or confused. And that’s ok! Theriotypes often change overtime as we discover more abt pur experiences, at the end of the day having 1 or more theriotypes dosent change that, its the experiences that shape us ^^

(Sorry that was super long and probably unhelpful and words no wording today so probably didn’t even make sense but u get the point lol XD)

-Rain

I wish there was an option named “it’s complicated”, because that’s what it is for me. I lean more towards polytherian, but it’s complicated and I don’t feel I fit in with that label.

(2025-05-09 7:39)Elli_ Wrote:  Hi, Ive been waiting around till I get activated to reply to this message soo here I am!!
To answer your question.. well, I don’t know. As you can see on my profile I’m a feline and a wolf (still questioning the wolf theriotype but I’m almost sure of it already) and it sure is weird being two animals at once but that’s just how I feel like, that’s who I am. I experience canine and feline like behaviors and urges and just feel like I am both a feline and a wolf on the inside at the same time, for me the identity kinda fluctuates though. I mean I always identify as both but sometimes sth happens that makes me feel a lot more like a wolf and sometimes sth makes me feel a lot more like a cat and the other identity takes a back seat. Still, I am always both a feline and a wolf at heart. Idk how that works but it somehow does lol
Ig you can’t really fully get it unless you experience it yourself though

Ooooh! I think I get it! Both theriotypes are a part of you, but one may present itself more than the other, sort of interchangeably. That’s actually really interesting, and don’t worry! I think you did well explaining it, I can see why you would identify as both.

Hope you didn’t have to wait around too long, I appreciate the reply!

(2025-05-09 19:16)Honeymala Wrote:  

(2025-05-09 7:39)Elli_ Wrote:  Hi, Ive been waiting around till I get activated to reply to this message soo here I am!!
To answer your question.. well, I don’t know. As you can see on my profile I’m a feline and a wolf (still questioning the wolf theriotype but I’m almost sure of it already) and it sure is weird being two animals at once but that’s just how I feel like, that’s who I am. I experience canine and feline like behaviors and urges and just feel like I am both a feline and a wolf on the inside at the same time, for me the identity kinda fluctuates though. I mean I always identify as both but sometimes sth happens that makes me feel a lot more like a wolf and sometimes sth makes me feel a lot more like a cat and the other identity takes a back seat. Still, I am always both a feline and a wolf at heart. Idk how that works but it somehow does lol
Ig you can’t really fully get it unless you experience it yourself though

Ooooh! I think I get it! Both theriotypes are a part of you, but one may present itself more than the other, sort of interchangeably. That’s actually really interesting, and don’t worry! I think you did well explaining it, I can see why you would identify as both.

Hope you didn’t have to wait around too long, I appreciate the reply!

Yes!! I kinda suck at explaining stuff like identities so I’m glad you got it!! ^^