Hello! My name is Moth or Cowboy, either works. I am a disabled being mainly just trying to advocate for my disability aids, but also use this as a place to rant and talk about my experience with being disabled
More info below
More about me
I am 18 as of posting, born in November
I do not identify as human, do not purposely try to humanize me. When possible please replace any human terms with marten or canine based ones, such as referring to hair as fur or hands as paws. I also will only show myself as that, you will not see my ârealâ face ever
Iâm queer, been in a queer relationship for over two years as of posting, and have medically transitioned, my pronouns are mainly it/he, but as long as it isnât fem I donât really care
I am a self made artist at this moment, and do wildlife photography as a hobby. I am looking to work with animals in someway in the future though
Iâm obviously disabled, will not often give specific details either due to my want for privacy or lack of full medical recognition or understanding at the time. But I deal with full body pain 24/7, have several other issues like major fatigue, mobility problems, and stomach issues, as well as neurodivergence and mental illness
My stuffed service animals
The main point of me making this blog is to share why I use them, fight back against misconceptions, and just in general share a useful tool for me. Below are links to their intros and info on them
Byte - The main outing aid and everyday life help
Harpy - The at home aid and main pain management
Harbor - The secondary outing aid, sensory, and emotional aid
Posts of interest
Unfortunately I donât have the rewritten posts up atm, but as I make them I will have links to things like expanding labels, uses, and misconceptions
Where else you can find me
Here on tumblr:
@cowboy-canine -My main blog, mainly talk about my Alterhumanity here
@a-little-moth -My petre blog, here I also often talk about plushies but itâs mainly showing my collection and ESSAs, not my disability tools
Other places:
byte.sized.supports on both tiktok and instagram, I tend to post there more and cross post my tiktok stuff to instagram sometimes posting photos I wouldnât post on tiktok. I am less open in these places but still try to educate when I can
Boundaries
I donât really have a DNI list, I block freely and go off vibes and such, but I please ask radqueer folks to not interact. Other then that unless I need to add anything else in the future as long as you arenât a uncomfortable to be around, weird in a bad way or rude I donât really care
Beyond that just be a decent person, donât harass me for anything or demand I answer a question I donât wanna answer and were good
I make all my gear for Byte and the others but I really struggle with patches so I am probably gonna bite the bullet and buy some custom ones soon, I picked some out but itâs around 30 dollars sigh
Thatâs not bad for custom patches especially six but I have about 77 dollars to my name atm- I really wanna get them before a convention Iâm gonna be at next month though so I gotta decide if itâs worth the easy to read text soon so they can be made and get to me in time
ironically enough, bringing a plushie to a public setting as an adult requires a tremendous level of emotional development, and attempting to shame an adult for having a plushie in public requires a significant amount of immaturity. this applies to a surprising number of things.
Harbor is the no at recent addition to my team, being a secondary outing aid and sensory aid mainly, but helps with many things
This is a post on info, frequently asked questions, and boundaries I have with Harbor
Basic details
Species: Border collie
Gender and pronouns: cis male, he/him or he/they
Brand: Customized Douglas
Birthday: June 1st 2026
Various photos:
What does Harbor do for me?
I got Harbor as a last effort to find a secondary outing plush originally, but he ended up over-succeeding in his originally purpose and became a very useful tool for me. I haven't had many chances to take him out with me, but he's been a great use nonetheless. He mainly helps me with my paranoia and sleeping, but helps me regulate myself when getting overwhelmed, take meds, and more
List of jobs and or âtasksâ he does
Sleeping aid, helps with my weekly shot, helps me handle eating when I'm struggling with nausea or pain, helps me cushion myself when I need it, regulates me when overwhelmed or overstimulated, helps regulate emotions like frustration, helps me stop paranoia and obsessive thoughts, tactile stimulation, helps me not fall into harmful habits, pain distracting and flare-up aid
My boundaries or other important info
I have grown very attached to Harbors design, so I ask no heavily inspiration. I know he's a popular plush to have and customize but it would be very uncomfortable to find someone who made their collie have almost the same spots
I also ask unless given permission please do not repost any photos or other content of mine, this goes for all my plushies but I feel the need to mention it. Fanart is fine of course, but just taking my photos or videos and posting it anywhere without asking is something I will not allow
This is extremely unlikely to happen, but I also would like to mention if you ever recognize my plushies in public, do not approach me. I do not personally feel comfortable with the idea of someone doing that. Especially do not take photos of me/my plush. The only exception to these is if I mentioned I would be at an event and said it was okay to say hi, but still ask for photos, do not just take them especially if I donât have a mask on.
Commonly asked questions
Q: Where di you get his gear? A: I made pretty much everything myself
Q: What customizations did you do to them? A: painted and sewn in spots, thread sculpted toes, inserted a magnet in his mouth, stood up one ear, and added more poly beads to him
Q: Can I draw Harbor? A: feel free if you want to
Q: Can I offer to trade or buy Harbor? A: this has been an issue recently, NO. Harbor is not for sale. I prefer no one ask or offer to buy any of my plush unless explicitly stated I was open to it for that plush
Drawn references, art done by me
Any other questions are welcome, but I may not want to answer everything
My body has been particularly unreliable the last few days đ
I have projects I wanna work on and to open commissions (unrelated to my plush content, thatâs just how I get money) but Iâve been struggling to do a whole lot even eat or play games so unfortunately Iâm not sure when Iâm getting to them
This may also is slightly slowing down content on all my platforms, logically Iâm gonna be most active here till my body decides to function right again since I donât have to plan out posts here I can just rant
I've seen people say that plushies helping you with pain management is still just emotional support and I'm like Damn. Didn't realize Tylenol was an emotional support pill.
Also, genuinely, calling mental health meds emotional support pills from now on.
Anyway, I have a migraine and it's making me mildly dumb, and the only thing helping distract me from the pain are Mio's different fur textures. Genuinely reduces the pain so much because my brain gets distracted from pain focusing. Especially one spot with like four textures you can touch at once. Sensory input is good.
Trying to argue that people ridiculing and othering those who use stuffed animals as an aid is not ableist because itâs not a âmedically recognized aidâ is not a good argument btw
Much of the ableism towards folks that need/use plushies to help them function, in whatever way that is, is rooted in society's hate for those that are neurodivergent. And even if thatâs not it, trying to claim someoneâs disability aid is incorrect and that they donât need it when it has zero effect on you is the same point people make towards other aids. Where exactly do you draw the line between the âcorrectâ aids and the ânot correctâ ones?
Just because a aid is not â medically recognizedâ (though can be added to accommodations, btw, I know folks that have their plush in accommodation lists) does not mean you still canât be ableist towards that person for it. My friend who needs to wear headphones everywhere because of sensory issues has been mocked and made fun of for them, would you not call that ableism too just because itâs not technically a recognized medical device? What about fidget toys? What about communication cards? I could keep going on the list of tools that arenât technically medical devices but many folks see as aids (yes these all can be added to accommodations as well btw)
Despite if you like it or not I and others have dealt with ableist remarks and harassment because we are using a âchildishâ aid and an aid many people have decided is not a proper aid just because they wouldnât use it themselves. I have been told Iâm faking my disability multiple times because I use plushies to help me handle my symptoms. Others have dealt with a lot worse. Please realize ableism is not just towards medical devices, you can be ridiculed for how you act, speak, look like, dress, and more. Ableism is so much more than just hating medical devices and runs deep in so many things.
(this is not directed at anyone, I just wanted to share this because I had this point given to me in my comments the other day and needed to post this somewhere so maybe I can help some people with the same point understand where Iâm coming from)
I put love and care into every single order, even while I'm on vacation!
I can draw ANYTHING!! animals, humans, humanoids, plushies, toys, robots, bugs, objects â anything!!!! you can order through my ko-fi or message me here if you have any questions! i promise i'm very friendly!
deadline: two weeks, or up to 20 days at most. if you need your commission by a specific date (for example, as a gift), just let me know and i'll do my best to have it finished by then!
please share this post if you can't order but would still like to help! thank you <3333
disabled ppl we need to start lying to nosy people okay? you tell me i'm too young to need a cane and i will tell you point blank that maybe you should tell that to the guy who ran me over. you don't get an explanation of my health issues you get lies and depending on how much of an asshole i want to be that lie will be anything from a humble car crash to a 1 billion lions attack. mind yr business.
"i could never live like that" well maybe you'll have to because this happened overnight. yeah you heard me i was the most able bodied man in the world but then one morning bam i woke up disabled. yeah you could have that too. there's no cure either you'll just wake up one morning and now you have to live like me
nah, when people ask "what happened?" you just gotta stare out into the distance with that haunted look in your eye and go: "that damned seagull..." and just walk away with no explanation
I was once joking around with some other disabled folks about this topic and come up with âI got into a fight with my chinchilla and Guinea pig and they went for the jointsâ and one day I really wanna use that just to see the reaction
Harpy is my longest standing service plush, being my first and still being used to this day. They are mainly a at home aid currently and are not posted very often
This is a post on info, frequently asked questions, and boundaries I have with Harpy
Basic details
Species: High content coydog
Gender and pronouns: Transmasc, he/they/it
Brand: Will likely not answer this question anywhere else besides here, customized weighted wildlife
Birthday: July 15th 2024
Various photos:
What does Harpy do for me?
Harpy is the main pain manager of the team. They are 3-4 pounds which makes them a great tool for my pain. They are also heavily connected to me working through several situations so help me get through things relating to those. They stay at home nowadays because carrying them around for hours would harm my shoulder but used to go everywhere with me
Lists of jobs or âtasksâ he does
Pain management, sleep assistance, regulation in several ways, helping through ptsd, anxiety and other related things. Helps me eat and handle nausea, helps with headaches or migraines by placing them on my head. Tactile stimulation with fidgets or their fur and weight, helps stop self destructive behaviors and thought loops that can cause me to spiral, and being a constant for me.
My boundaries or other important info
Due to certain connections I make with Harpy, I am uncomfortable with interacting with âdoublesâ or others posting with the same plush. I will never be rude about this of course, but if I notice anyone commenting about having the same plush or posting with it I will delete the comment, block, or ignore. I often will dodge around questions on where I got them because of this so refer to this intro for that info. I will not tolerate harassment over this. I was already almost chased off tiktok for a harmless boundary and that will not be happening here if I can help it
I also ask unless given permission please do not repost any photos or other content of mine, this goes for all my plushies but I feel the need to mention it. Fanart is fine of course, but just taking my photos or videos and posting it anywhere without asking is something I will not allow ever
This is extremely unlikely to happen, but I also would like to mention if you ever recognize my plushies in public, do not approach me. I do not personally feel comfortable with the idea of someone doing that. Especially do not take photos of me/my plush. The only exception to these is if I mentioned I would be at an event and said it was okay to say hi, but still ask for photos, do not just take them especially if I donât have a mask on.
Commonly asked questions
Q: Where did you get itâs gear? A: I made 99% of it, and anything else is customized by me
Q: What customizations did you do to them? A: I sewed on longer fur to the inside of his ears and back
Q: Can I draw Harpy? A: Feel free to if you want to
Q: Why do you not post them often? A: As stated Iâve in a past post Iâve dealt with harassment and folks possibly trying to copy them, so I really only post him here and even then thats not often
Drawing references, art done by me
If you have questions feel free to ask, but depending on what they are I may not feel comfortable answering them
july is disability pride month. it is also summer in the northern hemisphere, and this summer we have seen record breaking hot temperatures across the globe. it might be apt to remember that disabled people are a population vulnerable to extreme weather, and significantly more at risk of death or health issues during a heatwave. "the global mortality rate of people with disabilities in natural disasters is up to four times higher than people without disabilities." (source). disability may increase the relative risk of a heatwave more than old age, socioeconomic status, and being outdoors (source). even in the places most affected by the rising heat, disabled people are barely included in action plans for public safety, if at all (source). global warming is a an issue that affects a wide range of people, but let's not forget it is also a disability rights issue
Byte is my main outing and everyday life service plush, what I would count as my âmainâ I suppose as a lot of my presence online is based around them and they are used the most often
This is a post on info, frequently asked questions, and boundaries I have with Byte
Basic details
Species: Yellow throated marten
Gender and pronouns: Agender, they/them
Brand: Handmade plush I commissioned from SilversDenUS on Etsy
Birthday: December 31st 2025
Various photos:
What does Byte do for me?
Byte was designed to be used as a outing tool, and very much excels at that. They are the only plush I feel comfortable enough to take out with me near people I'm anxious about having my team out with and are able to help me with a variety of things. They have been to many places with me and will continue to do so so I can continue to do better in public settings
List of jobs and or âtasksâ they do
Sometimes holding meds, salt, and other things for long outings so I have a quick way to access anything I may need when out, they can help me eat and help distract me from my nausea, help me get through pain spikes, temperature regulation assistance, helps keeps me grounded, can have fidgets on their gear or act as a tactile stimulation aid, not the plush I go to for this currently but can help me take my meds and weekly shot, can be a pillow if I get extremely fatigued when out and need to lay down, help me be able to exist as a disabled person on public, labeling me as disabled so if a emergency were to happen they know I have preexisting health issue, help me with species dysphoria, and other minor aids like anxiety and such
My boundaries or other important info
When it comes to Byte I donât need many boundaries, but all I mainly ask for is do not heavily copy them. I had them commissioned for a reason, inspiration is fine, but copying their markings or many things about them to the point I could look at them and mistake them for Byte would make me very uncomfortable
I also ask unless given permission please do not repost any photos or other content of mine, this goes for all my plushies but I feel the need to mention it. Fanart is fine of course, but just taking my photos or videos and posting it anywhere without asking is something I will not allow ever
This is extremely unlikely to happen, but I also would like to mention if you ever recognize my plushies in public, do not approach me. I do not personally feel comfortable with the idea of someone doing that. Especially do not take photos of me/my plush. The only exception to these is if I mentioned I would be at an event and said it was okay to say hi, but still ask for photos, do not just take them especially if I donât have a mask on.
Commonly asked questions
Q: Where did you get their gear? A: Almost all of it is made by me, the few things that werenât were modified by me
Q: How much were they? A: Almost 100USD
Q: Can I draw Byte? A: Feel free, you can refer to the art Iâve posted or various photos on my blog for references
Q: Why did you choose the species they are? A: I am also a yellow throated marten, itâs basically impossible to find anything regarding my species, so I took it into my own paws
Drawn references, art done by me
I apologize for such a long post lol, prepare for similar ones regarding the other members of my team
If you have any questions not answered here let me know! And thank you for reading
Alright Iâm finally gonna lock in and do things like my plush intro posts and stuff, but I am probably gonna rewrite my intro and maybe my info posts, so as I get those done Iâll try to space out my posting so itâs not all at once but if I donât do good at that sorry lol
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