So today, we are going to be discussing the following topic:

Why Petplay is restricted to 18+ adults only, despite there being non-sexual forms of Petplay

Every now and then, we see minors engaging in Petplay in online communities, and the debate comes up as to wether or not minors should be allowed to partake in Non-sexual Petplay.

The answer is always no, and I am going to explain, in detail, why:

To understand properly why Petplay is restricted to 18+ adults, we first must understand what Petplay is, and what it involves.

Petplay is a form of animal roleplay in which one or more humans take on the role of a non-human animal.

It can be any animal of the players choice.

Dogs, ponies/horses and cats are the most common choices.

The human protraying the animal is commonly referred to as the "pet" whilst the human protraying the animal's human caretaker, is often referred to as an "owner" and/or "handler".

Headspace is arguably the biggest part of Petplay. What is headspace?

Headspace is the mindset in which the human protraying the animal, relaxes themselves, and allows their mind to forget human issues and worries, and focus solely on just being the animal they are playing.

Headspace is different for everyone. But universally it is described as a very relaxed, care-free state of mind.

It can be truly freeing to just spend a few hours focusing on nothing more than being a pet.

I believe this strongly ties in with how humans often see animals-

-appearing so care free and relaxed.

A good example is when you see a cat spending an afternoon laying around napping, and you think about how nice it must be to be a cat, just spending your days laying around relaxing and napping, with little to no worries.

Handlers and Owners can also enter a Petplay headspace, and often take on a different persona when being a Petplay pet's handler. This persona is more often than not at least a little dominant.

This brings us to the D/S aspect of Petplay.

D/S stands for Dom/Sub.

This is the easiest connection to BDSM to see.

In our world, pets typically have an owner or handler that looks after the pet, but whom the pet also obeys and takes commands from (varying on the pet of course)

In Petplay, this concept is often recreated though the D/S dynamic

The owner or handler takes on the Dominant (D) role and the the pet takes on the Submissive (S) role.

How this relationship works truly varies on the individual. While one pet may wish to be very obedient, another may prefer to be bratty and disobedient.

Interactions between the pet and the handler often takes form of the handler giving out commands/instructions and the pet obeying.

This is a form of power exchange (a huge part of BDSM) and requires communication and full consent.

In order to safely create and enter a relationship that involves a power exchange, particularly one that involves one party being considered non-human, both parties need to be fully educated about D/S relationships and power exchange.

Both parties must also have-

-enough maturity and education (on BDSM and Petplay) to safely and properly handle an exchange of power, and a relationship based around that.

Minors do not.

Then we have the issue that arises when something (Petplay) is considered a kink or fetish. This is where sexual content comes in.

Petplay is non-sexual for many people. But it is also very explicitly sexual for many as well.

The fact that you may not personally find Petplay sexual does NOT negate the fact that many do

That alone is enough of a reason for why minors should not engage in adult activities.

Petplay does not need to contain Anything sexual, to be sexually arousing or appealing to others.

Your Petplay might just be you being a cute playful puppy, doing simple puppy things...

... but to a person who finds Petplay sexual and/or sexually arousing, you might appear as a submissive person engaging in a fetish, which comes off as very sexual.

A person who gets off to Petplay content isn't likely going to care if the Petplay is sexual to you or not...

...because to them it is.

In regards to minors wearing Petplay gear:

It is highly inappropriate for a minor to be wearing anything that is made and sold for BDSM.

This is, once again, because it is a fetish for many. Therefore Petplay gear (and those wearing it) are frequently sexualized by those who-

-view Petplay as sexual.

It is just as inappropriate for a minor to be wearing a Petplay pup hood as it is for a minor to be wearing a latex catsuit.

There is a reason reputable Petplay gear shops will not sell their products to minors. And if they are they definitely should not be.

Selling gear made for BDSM Petplay to a minor is no different than selling a gimpsuit to a minor as far as I'm concerned.

The intent may not be malicious but the results can still be if a minor ends up being sexualized because they are wearing gear meant strictly for adults.

Minors attempting to engage in Petplay are often not fully aware of the reasons why Petplay is restricted to adults only, and because they are unaware of the sexual aspects of Petplay, they frequently think that so long as their play isn't sexual, that it won't be an issue.

In Summary:

• Petplay is a form of BDSM, sexual or not. BDSM is restricted to 18+ adults only.

• Petplay may not be sexual for you, but it is for many. Therefore Petplay is frequently sexualized wether your content is sexual or not.