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autism

post #1 of 13
8/16/10 at 2:15pm
Thread Starter 
can cats have autism
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post #2 of 13
8/16/10 at 4:02pm
my mom's wondered the same thing. one of my kitty's used to stare at the ceiling and wall aimlessly, as well as randomly swat at the air when there was definitely nothing there. he doesn't really do it anymore though, so i don't know what was up - we had thought maybe he was a little slow because we had gotten him from a friend, when he was too young to be away from his mother (but his mom was nowhere to be found) - but he's okay now. i am wondering the same thing, though, i'm sure it can be possible.
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post #3 of 13
8/16/10 at 6:34pm
Animals can have developmental problems, but not autism (maybe primates can ). Cats simply do not have the social hierarchy and non-verbal language that humans do, thus can't have a deficit in it.

Cats staring at something that isn't there is simply them seeing something we don't. If you've ever sat near a sunny window you'll see dust motes and lint floating in the air, cats will occasionally see this and watch it float around.
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post #4 of 13
8/17/10 at 5:29pm
What specifically is your cat doing that prompted you to ask this question?
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post #5 of 13
1/12/11 at 1:20pm
Thread Starter 
He doesn't realise what's dangerous and what isn't like cuddling the iron he never learns (only just seen this having to rely on mum's computer and library computers my laptops broken)
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post #6 of 13
1/12/11 at 1:39pm
Some cats are more clever than others, but all cats lack the ability to do much about planning ahead. They really can't think "this will cause that which will do this". This is why so many cats do things that can seriously hurt them - getting into things they shouldn't, eating dangerous items, running back across the road in front of a moving vehicle, etc.

As for your cat liking heat, some cats do.

So there's likely nothing wrong with your cat, actual developmental issues would have been notice and probably had some health implications by now.
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post #7 of 13
1/12/11 at 2:02pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
Cats simply do not have the social hierarchy and non-verbal language that humans do, thus can't have a deficit in it.

]
Plainly you've never met my cat Friday. Just today he told me how evil I am for taking him to the vet!

There are cats with mental illnesses, no doubt. Have you talked to your vet about the behaviors?
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post #8 of 13
1/12/11 at 2:09pm
Thread Starter 
Do you think I should mention it then? He's got to go in again in May for the vet to check his heart (he's got a murmur, don't know the grading) diagnosed with it in november
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post #9 of 13
1/12/11 at 2:41pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by howtoholdacat View Post
Plainly you've never met my cat Friday. Just today he told me how evil I am for taking him to the vet!?
As someone who has problems reading and sending the right body language to others, believe me cats and humans are very far apart in this.
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post #10 of 13
1/12/11 at 3:28pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
As someone who has problems reading and sending the right body language to others, believe me cats and humans are very far apart in this.
It was only a joke on my cat. One of my close friends is Autistic. I know the difference.
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post #11 of 13
1/12/11 at 4:09pm
Some cats could have problems in their development. I don't actually know if a cat can be autistic. Whatever your cat is doing, maybe you should bring it up to the vet, see what they think.
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post #12 of 13
1/12/11 at 8:45pm
My kitty Yvaine is mentally ill. She's gotten a lot better since I've owned her, and her behavior is a lot more "normal" now than it ever has been, but...some cats ARE different. I don't know if cats can have autism, I somehow doubt it, but cats can and do have mental and behavioral disorders. That being said, they also just act plain weird sometimes and that's normal, so, yeah.

Plus some cats are not graced with an abundance of smarts. My Merlot, gods how I love him, is a total moron. His brainless antics usually amuse me to no end.
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post #13 of 13
1/14/11 at 11:27am
Quote:
Originally Posted by howtoholdacat View Post
Plainly you've never met my cat Friday. Just today he told me how evil I am for taking him to the vet!
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