Neko

In case you're totally new to SL and/or clueless, a Neko is someone with a cat-like appearance (usually ears and maybe a tail are generally considered the minimum) but who retains humanoid features. Cat-people, in other words. Neko is the Japanese term for a domestic cat, and it's also slang for a submissive lesbian. PWND magazine actually did a great issue last month devoted just to Nekoism in SL, so I highly recommend checking it out if you want to know more about it. The really interesting thing that I gleaned from the issue (and have realized on my own) is that being Neko means different things to different people, which really isn't all that surprising. Obviously, this post is about my own take on Nekoism.

When I first joined SL, I knew there were humans (duh), and I knew there were furries, but I hadn't yet encountered a Neko until after about a month. I didn't even know the name of them at the time; I just thought they were "cat people". Right away I did searches to try to find where I could pick up ears and a tail. (As an aside, I still wear my first tail, but I don't usually wear my original ears, since I have a nicer pair now.) What could possibly be the compulsion for me to do this? Well, I've always felt an affinity towards cats, I have often dressed up as one for Halloween (and other masquerade events), and I do have this somewhat moody, very playful, cuddly, funny, cute and slightly devious personality. It just felt natural to express this part of me "physically" in my avatar. Why not? It's certainly a lot easier to do so in SL than it is IRL, that's for sure. So, I did.

As you've probably already read in the evolution of my avatar, change happened gradually...and becoming Neko for me was no different. At first I wore just the ears and the tail, and not all the time:

Then I added the leopard spots to my tattoos (on my arms and my legs):



By this time, I was basically always Neko. I added a few extras like the eyes and the whiskers, and I have an assortment of collars. I don't actually wear these eyes now; the ones I normally wear are much nicer:



I stayed this way for quite a while, until very recently when I picked up the new skin from Hybrid. This skin is the one I wear when I'm roleplaying in Midian City. I also wear it normally as well, but I do still wear the white one. Anyway, this is really cute, but it's about as catlike as I want to take things:



For all you budding Nekos out there, it does help to be around other Nekos...it helped reinforce what I was doing and made me feel accepted. When I first went "fulltime" Neko, I was becoming good friends with Kriss (Lehmann) and Jezebella (Electricteeth), who were/are both Nekos. Of course, as it turns out, I didn't have anything to worry about because people seem to really like how I look and automatically accept me. If only real life were that easy!

As far as Neko culture goes, I'm not a part of the Neko Tribe or any other Neko group, nor do I really visit any of the usual Neko hangouts except for Midian City for roleplaying. I do shop at stores that cater to Nekos, like Gritty Kitty and Miau Haus and Temenos Island, but that's mainly for accessories and things like that. There are certain things I really like about the Neko culture, though. In general, the boys are pretty cute and more on the femme side, and they're pretty snappy dressers, and there's often a sense of friendliness and affection between other Nekos, which I like. Also, a lot of the fashion that Nekos seem to wear is either clubwear or streetwear (I'm a bit more streetwear these days, myself) and often really well done. Of course, you can have any of these things without wearing a set of cat ears and a tail, and also the flip side of that is that many Nekos use the ears and tail simply as a fashion accessory to change their appearance at will. There's nothing wrong with that either. But obviously, it's more than a simple fashion statement for me.

So that's my take on Nekoism. I have to go now; it's time for me to play with my catnip mouse and take a nap. ;-)

(PS: For other views on becoming Neko, visit my friends Menno and Chloe's blogs!)