How does one tell if they are Otherkin?

[TheEndIsNearUs]

From my research, I have drawn the conclusion that Otherkin refers to having a deep spiritual connection to something nonhuman and/or believing to have been one's kintype in a past life.

I'm not going to go into my specific beliefs on reincarnation and such, because that's not the point, but I will say that reincarnating to a different species is entirely possible within them.

I am not a very religious person, but I am a very spiritual person. I have always felt a strong connection to felines of all sorts, but specifically domestic cats. I seem to understand them much better than I understand humans [but that just could be my Autism, who knows], and I feel much more at ease with them. One of my spirit guides is in fact a domestic cat, however he is definitely a different entity than myself. Anyways, due to these reasons I find it very plausible that I might have been a cat in one of my previous life cycles, but I'm not certain on that, and I would be okay to find it was false.

Does that make me Otherkin? Or just someone who is spiritually connected to cats?

I also believe there is a possibility I may have even been a bakeneko, but I don't know for certain if those are even real, I just really connect with them. I don't believe in any of that "fictional stuff exists in other universes" bullshit, but I think that there is about an equal chance of mythical creatures existing, or having existed at some point, even in a form different than our human fiction depicts them, or not existing at all.

I'm just confused upon whether or not I would consider myself kin.

[aperson1]

Just a note about my following comment; I'm not an expert on this subject, and should not be relied upon for a final word on the topic. It is my own opinion on the matter, and others' idea on this may differ.

That aside, I want to first note that it seems Therian/Otherkin, unlike typical definitions, is not a title of which you are and aren't, but rather what you feel. In a way similar to being a furry. There's no committee or definition defining some people as furry and some not; if you believe yourself to be spiritually connected to cats, then it, to most normal definitions, puts you well within the range of otherkin(s).

What I'm trying to emphasize is that, while we can make comments and have a discussion about you, the final decision is up to you; just go with what feels right.