What Exactly Is a Therian Girlfriend?

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Learn why animal spirits are making TikTokers all warm and fuzzy
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Therians—people with a spiritual connection to an animal—have been everywhere lately, and if you’ve been perusing TikTok, you’ve likely stumbled on the random comment “I need a therian girlfriend” multiple times. This is essentially just a silly meme, but it's a little hard to decode if you don’t have the context. That’s where we come in. We’ll explain what therians are, what the meme means, and how they're different from furries and otherkin.

What is the therian girlfriend trend on TikTok?

A therian refers to a person who has a spiritual and psychological connection to a specific animal (called a theriotype). “I need a therian girlfriend” is a reference to a copypasta that was popularized on TikTok; it’s a meme about how therians tend to be very cute and outgoing. [1]

Section 1 of 7:

“I Need a Therian Girlfriend” Explained

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  1. [2] Around February 22nd, 2024, TikTokers started sharing videos of now-popular therian posters (specifically @wonderaven , @skibidininja98 , and @Jo ). A lone comment, “I need a therian girlfriend,” quickly blew up and became a viral copypasta. It developed into a recurring spam comment on therian videos, and even therians joined in on the joke by remixing the comment in their videos.
    • Why is the comment so funny to TikTokers? The comment “I need a therian girlfriend” is hyper-specific to the therian subculture and sincere enough to register as a genuine wish. Like all things niche and genuine, the internet turned it into a meme. It has that kind of esoteric quality that the Ohio memes do, but it’s also the kind of comment you’d make when you’re authentically lonely, which makes it perfect meme material for younger people.
    • A lot of therians (and therian outfits) also just happen to be very cute. Part of what makes the meme work is the assumption that everyone secretly wants a super cute partner who occasionally behaves in a primal way with a hot animal outfit on.
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Section 2 of 7:

What is a therian?

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  1. Therians have a spiritual and psychological connection to a non-human animal, like a fox, cat, or dog. This connection is deeper than what someone might call a “spirit animal” , as therians often use their spiritual connection to inform the way they act around people. The animal a person feels this connection with is known as a theriotype. [3] [4]
    • Therians often dress up and act as their theriotype (i.e., they’ll dress and act like a bear), but not in an anthropomorphized way. In other words, it’s not about making the animal kind of human-like; it’s about being the animal.
    • Therians know they’re human—they don’t think they’re the animal they identify with—they just find acting like the animal rewarding in a spiritual/emotional way.
    • The word “therian” comes from the Ancient Greek word "thÄ“ríon" (θηρÎŻον), which means “wild beast.” The term was also popularized by the deity named Therion, a God in the Hermetic tradition of Thelema. [5]
Section 3 of 7:

Is a therian a furry?

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  1. Furries enjoy coming up with human-like “fursonas” to embody. They’ll dress up as “Albert the fox” or “Mooch the cow” and talk or act like a mix between a person and the animal of choice. For therians, there’s no desire to make their animal a person. It’s about respecting the animal, embodying their qualities, and being in touch with the essence of your theriotype. [6]
    • Furries are also more of a social subculture. Being a furry is often about attending furry conventions and parties, interacting with other furries, and engaging in the culture. Therians may hang out with one another, but their relationship to their animal is largely individual.
    • You can be both a furry and a therian. These aren’t mutually exclusive categories. Many therians do have furry costumes, for example!
    • Therians often experience “shifts” that furries don’t. Therians report experiencing “shifts” where their mental and emotional state randomly shifts into that of their theriotype. Furries never claim to “experience” their animal of choice in this way.
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Section 4 of 7:

What is a theriotype?

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  1. For therians, the theriotype refers to the animal they feel a profound connection to. A stereotype could be a dog, cat, octopus, hawk, or any other animal. [7] Therians typically have one theriotype, although it’s possible for some therians to experience (and have relationships with) multiple theriotypes. [8]
    • Unlike furries, therians don’t typically “choose” their animal. They sort of experience the spiritual energy of the animal from an ethereal other place, but it’s not something they control.
Section 5 of 7:

What is an otherkin?

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  1. Otherkin are people who spiritually believe they are not human on a very fundamental level. They may not believe they’re physically non-human, but certainly their personality, spirit, and emotional core are non-human. Otherkin normally don’t view themselves as an animal, also—they’re more likely to see themselves as a unicorn, fairy, elf, or starseed .
    • Is a therian a type of otherkin? There’s a lot of debate over this, but the consensus seems to be that a therian is a type of otherkin, but not all otherkin are therians.
    • Like a furry, therian, and otherkin are not mutually exclusive
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Section 6 of 7:

Tips for Dating a Therian

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  1. Being a therian doesn’t change someone’s reality as a human. Dating a therian is the same as dating any other person—they just have this unique internal relationship that they experience. But that shouldn’t change the way you treat them! Take them on dates , express your affections , and do your best to not let the fact that you’re dating a therian change the way you treat them. [9]
    • Think of it kind of like dating someone who follows a specific religion. A religious person might have a personal and private relationship with their god, but that wouldn’t cause you to treat them differently, right?
  2. Therians generally enjoy talking about their experiences, and most of them are very open about their theriotype with people who are respectful about it. Feel free to ask your partner about their relationship with their animal! They won’t take it the wrong way so long as you respect their boundaries if they put one up.
  3. If your partner ever asks you if you’d want to join them when they do their therian things (like “hunt” at home or perform their cat stretches), say yes if you’re comfortable! This can be a huge moment of bonding, given how personal the therian’s relationship is to their theriotype, so the fact that they’re asking you to participate is a big deal.
    • But what if I’m not a therian? You don’t have to be a therian to enjoy meaningful time with your partner, which is what they’re asking you to do when they ask if you want to participate. That said, it’s fine to pass on the opportunity if you’re uncomfortable.
      • If you are therian-curious, you could take our quiz to see which animal you most spiritually identify with!
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Section 7 of 7:

Final Thoughts

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  1. “I need a therian girlfriend” is a semi-esoteric meme that became popular on therian TikTok videos where people took clips of themselves acting like their theriotype. Therians aren’t furries, although both subcultures deeply identify with the animals that speak to them on a spiritual level.
    • While many therians view their relationship as purely emotional and psychological, most therians do dress up or behave as their theriotype to promote the relationship and strengthen their bond.
    • Otherkin are not a type of therian, although some therians may view themselves as otherkin.

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      References

      1. ↑ Reagan Conley. Therian and Furry. Expert Interview
      2. ↑ Reagan Conley. Therian and Furry. Expert Interview
      3. ↑ Reagan Conley. Therian and Furry. Expert Interview
      4. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319483229_Furries_therians_and_otherkin_oh_my_What_do_all_those_words_mean_anyway
      5. ↑ https://www.scribd.com/document/322887575/The-Therian-Bible
      6. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319483229_Furries_therians_and_otherkin_oh_my_What_do_all_those_words_mean_anyway
      7. ↑ Reagan Conley. Therian and Furry. Expert Interview
      8. ↑ https://www.researchgate.net/publication/319483229_Furries_therians_and_otherkin_oh_my_What_do_all_those_words_mean_anyway
      9. ↑ https://www.kidspot.com.au/parenting/primary-school/my-nineyearold-identifies-as-a-therian-and-im-super-uncomfortable/news-story/df77e812345142fa2555374151669bf2

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