Wearing a bridle may not be for you, but in ‘Slutever’, we meet people who love horsing around

In all her years investigating all aspects of human sexuality, Karley Sciortino admits she has never dressed up as an animal. But she soon discovers that pet play is more common than you might think.

Horse play: just one example of pet play. Source: SBS

If you don’t know what pet play is, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Pet play is all about a human dressing up and taking on the role of an animal, most commonly a puppy, kitten or pony, and being “controlled” by a handler. 

And it’s not necessarily sexual either. But it can be.

Cat Girl Manor

What if there was a massive chateau set on a sprawling estate that was filled with a large group of women dressed as all manner of kittens? Turns out there actually is, and it’s filled with residents like Kawaii kittens, feral kittens (approach with caution!), domesticated kittens and shy kittens, just to mention a few – a place where all types of kittens are embraced and supported.

Maybe you’ve been wondering what a cat wedding would be like? Well, after this visit to Cat Girl Manor you will wonder no more.

The residents of Cat Girl Manor attend a cat wedding. Source: SBS

Pony play enthusiasts

Tromper Pony always knew he could never mix it with the agility and gracefulness of show ponies, so for 22 years now, he has been dressing up as a heavy-footed draught horse. Tromper has his own handler but their pony play is not usually sexual. But sometimes it is. For Tromper, the feeling of someone else being in charge in his pony play is a form of relaxation – kind of a more nuanced sub-dom relationship.

In Tromper’s fascinating pony play workshop he uses 3D printers to make his own pony play accessories like hooves and horse headpieces.

Is pet play ever sexual?

Well yes, yes it is. San Francisco has one of the largest pet play communities out there, and it’s here that Sciortino meets Amp, a puppy, and his handler. This is dungeon pet play – there’s a bit more leather involved, and yep, it is the more sexual stuff.

“And I thought my sex life was weird,” Sciortino contemplates.

Amp, who works in a large leather retailer and manufacturer by day, shows Sciortino all the accessories you need to be a successful puppy. But take caution with the puppy tails – they certainly have an interesting way of attaching, so make sure you don’t stand up near anything breakable if you ever try one.

This episode of Slutever airs on Tuesday, 23 April at 9:30 pm on SBS VICELAND. All eight episodes are also streaming now at SBS On Demand. Watch 'Pet Play' now: