'Aspies' and Cats

[toothless]

i am classic autistic/autie,not aspie but i adore cats more than anything-more than any human i know.
i was severely autistic until my early adulthood and as a child i had no connection to humans,i would process the world around me in a very distorted way and humans were viewed as part of the background,i didnt see them seperately or understand them.
however at 5 years of age,my dad brought a cat back from his work that he and his work mates had been feeding in his warehouse and she was heavily pregnant, he called her twinkle.
i processed her immediately and felt at one with her,she was run over when i was 7 and killed,i still get upset today that she isnt here anymore.

i am always known as a crazy cat guy in any area ive lived in as i just stop and follow cats and talk to them in their own language,or i sit down on the path and let any cats walk all over me.
i also understand cat behavior greatly,like i relate to the ferral cat who visits me because he hates humans but he comes to me for food and that is our relationship and i accept that,that is him [his name is 'black cat'].

i have a support cat called mr shadow and im in the process of applying to my support company to allow me to get a kitten as a friend for mr shadow,im hoping to get a ragdoll or a wedgie/norwegein forest.

to summarise,cats are totally awesome.

 

[Aster]

I think there is a book out there called "Why all cats have aspergers". To me, they have a similar approach and avoidance as humans with aspergers, which is relatable.

 

[Bolletje]

Another reason I love cats: I just came home from a concert that was a little too loud and too crowded for my taste, so I had a bit of anxiety and palpitations. I got into bed and both of my cats jumped on top of me, cuddled with me for a bit and fell asleep on my chest and legs, purring. The reverberation of the purring is very relaxing and together with the immobilization-by-cat pushes my body into sleep mode.

 

[Bellatrix]

I may have given the impression here that I hate cats, but that's not the case: I was just curious about their popularity with those on the spectrum. In fact, there was one kitten (tortoise-shell cat) that my sister one day brought home from a friend of hers who didn't want it for some reason I cannot now recall. After a day or so, the kitten for some reason preferred my company to hers (she ignored my sister completely), and I ended up looking after it.

 

[Bellatrix]

I think there is a book out there called "Why all cats have aspergers". To me, they have a similar approach and avoidance as humans with aspergers, which is relatable.

Yes, and that all dogs have ADD (or ADHD).

 

[Bellatrix]

For me, the attraction is that cats demand an egalitarian relationship: they are not our children, like dogs; they are our friends and equals.

When treated this way, they bloom, and become an enjoyable alien species to share our lives and hearts with.

Yes, this could actually be the answer. It does at times seem as though cats really DO think of themselves as being our equals, whereas dogs can be, and often are, hopelessly demanding. My brother has a dog, and it just always wants to be the centre of attention, which I have to say gets really annoying after a while.

 

[Allicat]

My son is a huge cat fan (as am I), to the point he is devastated when he sees cats who aren't being cherished and adored. I have to be careful about pulling up any articles on cats who may have been mistreated at some point in their fuzzy lives as he gets right upset. Dogs, on the other hand, he barely tolerates. Why? Even though they are often cute and fuzzy, they bark (in his eyes) unpredictably. And loud, especially unexpected, noises are a major issue for him.

The doofus on the bottom of the pic is his BFF.

 

[OkRad]

Cool post. I do love cats. I have save a lot of cats. I have none now because of the sensory issues and my troubles, but I would love to have about two.

 

[pax]

I find I have issues drives not concern about animals on the road. Despite I don't drive much, the trips I do normally there are animals around since I do lots of camping and hiking trips. I'm glad I always have enough time to stop when I see animal on the road. I hope I never have an accident with animal.

I think there some drivers don't have as much concerns of smaller animals as they would't case as much harm to the vehicle compare to larger animals. Regardless of the animals, I find humans should do their best to not endanger an animals life. However, not much we can do about those people that just don't care.

In Australia , we're generally encouraged to avoid driving country roads at dusk and dawn; because despite what all those episodes of "skippy" tell you, kangaroos are not particularly bright. Some of them are a bit like kamikaze pilots to be honest. Some drivers don't care, but most know to be careful.

 

[Clintos]

Yeah my cat is definitely an aspie.

 

[WereBear]

Another way cats are like Aspies is that they have Super Senses compared to humans. There's a flood of information they are processing all the time; just like us.

 

[garnetflower13]

I have never been without a precious cat to keep me company! When I was a child, stray cats would follow me home. At one point, I had eight altogether and they would surround me in bed at night and purr me to sleep. Why I prefer cats over dogs, is that I understand their needs for down time, because I need this myself. And their irritable spells make sense, too. I had one cat who would howl until I placed her in my bedroom and shut the door, where she would happily nap the afternoon away. It was as if she needed alone time and needed me to go through this ritual with her. Aspies and rituals, right?

Dogs are way cool, too. It's just that I perceive them as high maintenance; they bark over everything, they are noisy when you want quiet, they need to be taken outside forcing you to socialize when you don't want to, etc. But they are invaluable for protecting their home space and their humans.

But back to cats; I just can't be without one. They are compassionate despite those who say otherwise. I remember many days of severe depression when I could only lie on my bed and wish for death, and my cat would come creeping as close as she could, to cuddle and purr me back to life. I love cats.

 

[toothless]

I may have given the impression here that I hate cats, but that's not the case: I was just curious about their popularity with those on the spectrum. In fact, there was one kitten (tortoise-shell cat) that my sister one day brought home from a friend of hers who didn't want it for some reason I cannot now recall. After a day or so, the kitten for some reason preferred my company to hers (she ignored my sister completely), and I ended up looking after it.

were you bothering the cat, and looking at her?
or were you just doing your own thing?
if you were just doing your own thing,this is why the kitty prefered you, cats;especially sensitive cats prefer people who dont overload them with social expectations, they need to be left alone and allowed to be the one to approach you-not the other way around, i first read this from a well known cat behaviorist years ago called vicky halls,she wrote an awesome book called cat detective-it was my bible for a while.

aster,ive read that 'all cats have aspergers',i got it when it came out thinking it was actually about cats having aspergers; as it was a strong belief of mine at the time that cats are somewhere on the spectrum,however it was nothing to do with cats having aspergers,it was about people,it just had cute photos of cats in it that they probably ripped off the internet.

 

[Jerry]

I'm like the cat whisperer.. Every cat I've had would follow me around... go on walks with me and such. We seem to have an understanding. I like dogs, too, but they are loud, obnoxious, and very needy. Cats are simpler, quieter, and very affectionate. ..... yea, I'm a cat person .

 

[WereBear]

Cats have their own etiquette, and people who follow it successfully, even if they don't know that is what they are doing, get along with cats very well.

It's a kind of coy flirting; picking up eye contact and breaking away, holding out a fist for them to approach instead of using a grabby hand to go after them, speaking softly and sweetly.

These are friend gestures in Cat.

 

[Bolletje]

Another reason I like cats: they seem very attuned to emotions in the same way I am. My cats are affectionate enough, but when I'm feeling sad I can be sure they'll be around to cheer me up. When I'm audibly crying or whimpering in pain, my female cat will stop whatever she's doing, come over and nuzzle my face (which she doesn't normally do).

I was in a lot of pain due to an injury last night and while I was sobbing, hyperventilating and waiting for the doctor to make a house call, my cat was on my chest, pressing her cold nose against my cheek and headbutting me.

 

[Hedgehog Instigator]

I'm just curious, but why do so many who claim to be autistic (or an "Aspie") like cats as well? I don't understand it, what's the attraction? I myself have never really been all that attracted to them (it must have something to do with my robotic, Sheldonesque lack of empathy).

Never heard this before. I have a dog who is very therapeutic when I'm having a panic attack. I don't feel the same towards all dogs though, I trained Jack to respond in ways that are helpful.

 

[AuBurney Tuckerson]

I'm just curious, but why do so many who claim to be autistic (or an "Aspie") like cats as well? I don't understand it, what's the attraction? I myself have never really been all that attracted to them (it must have something to do with my robotic, Sheldonesque lack of empathy).

When I was little, I was completely dog crazy. I saw dogs are better. But as I grew, I grew to love all animals. But if I was an animal, I would compare to a spotted hyena (crocuta crocuta).

 

[GrownupGirl]

I was once living in a home that had a cat. She was a beautiful, fluffy white angora. One time a staff pointed out how I was gentle and patient with her but not with people. This was several years before my diagnoses.

My dad really likes cats as well. I guess I inherited it from him. But my parents don't have any cats because my mom is allergic.

 

[Aspychata]

I try to save all animals who need help. To date, one turtle, many cats, one duck, one dog, one baby bird.

But l love cats.