Pigs and pups and bears, oh my! The gaining world overlaps naturally with a number of other niches, many of which are all about exploring our animalistic side. From the ever-shifting categories of the bear community, to the various forms of pet play, to the fatfur subculture of the furry fandom, we love imagining ourselves as animals almost as much as we love making ourselves and others fatter!

But it’s not all sunshine in the animal kingdom--there's a shadowy place, too. Animal identifiers sometimes function like exclusive clubs, and can leave us feeling left out and inadequate when we don’t fit the dress code. Animal labels are sometimes foisted upon us without our permission, and even used to demean and belittle us.

For our fourth issue, we want to share your art and writing about these animal affinities and their intersections with gaining and encouraging. Draw your fat fursona enjoying their favorite food. Tell a story about an insatiable werepig, or a big-bellied kaiju monster. Craft a poem about having your belly rubbed while in pup mode. Channel your inner cooking blogger with a vegetarian recipe paired with a thinkpiece on our relationship with animals as food. Write a personal essay about reclaiming, or not reclaiming, the “piggy” language that your childhood bullies used against you. Pen a manifesto for radical inclusion in—or abolition of—the bear community. Work that explores the meaning and significance of our animal side is especially encouraged, but don’t be afraid to get frivolous if that’s where your heart leads you!