Animal alters?

Q: Have you had any experience with animal alters? I have two inside and am having difficulty in communication. - Rell

A: Non-human alters appear to be fairly common. Most Multiples I know have at least one alter who appears to be an animal, ghost/angel/fairy, or some other creature/being. In our system, we have a cat alter who we late discovered was a child (she calls herself Katt!). I think for some alters, being human is just too scary because of what humans do to other humans (abuse, neglect, torture, etc). Admitting your human can be scary because it means admitting you're at risk of being hurt and used in the same ways the physical body is being harmed. I think some alters also pick out beings that they feel a connection with, either because that other being feels safe, powerful, or representative of how they feel or wish they could feel. Approach these type of alters as you would any small child or non-verbal alter. Use body language, eye contact, and written communication to help reach out to these parts.