Last year's kitty room at Shibaricon left me thinking about this trajectory, and it popped into my awareness again the other night after going to a local party with the MOST ADORABLE (human) PUPPY and her human friend. They'd sat next to me for a bit in the dungeon as I was watching some hot ropey action. The pup was on the floor between the chair that I was sitting in and the chair in which her human friend was sitting. Since, as we've covered, I kind of love pet play, I leaned over and asked human friend if I could pet his puppy. And he said yes! And so I reached down and started scritching behind her ears.
In this case, the pup in question leaned right into the scritches. I told her what a good girl she was and moved behind her other ear. More happy leaning and nuzzling against my hand. No words. No traditional negotiation. But clear communication.
And here is where I think some of the real beauty of pet play is. I think that we all take for granted that non-human animals don't really need to bother with social niceties. If they're into it, they'll tell you. Clearly. By leaning into it enthusiastically. By play bowing, pouncing, by rolling around at your feet. And if they're not into it, they'll tell you. Clearly. By growling, by hissing, by disengaging without any need to apologize or explain their reasons. And it's totally okay either way.
And sure, in theory, humany humans can also growl, walk away, or otherwise disengage without any need to apologize or explain their reasons. But I think that many of us, for any number of reasons, are uncomfortable giving such a blunt no. Receiving such a blunt no isn't often a terribly comfortable experience, either. I think there's quite a damn bit of room within our culture to get better with "no."
But within this little niche of kink, things seem to be moving along a-okay in that department. I'm unsure how much of this is my own perception, or if others have picked up on the same thing. I will say this though- hanging out in the kitty room at Shibaricon is a fantastic study in nonverbal interactions. It's a room full of people navigating interactions with very, very few words. Kitties negotiating play and belly rubs with humans, negotiating kitty schenanigans or brawls with one another. On the fly. Without a word.
