- Joined
- Apr 6, 2006
- Messages
- 3,152
- Purraise
- 86
As some of you know, I'm an Aspie (a person with Asperger Syndrome, a mild form of autism--think stereotypical "nerd" and you'll have the gist of it). I get together online with other Aspies and autistics, which is cool because we all have things in common, and often the same problems to solve.
Now and then, we talk about cats. A lot of Aspies love animals, and have special connections with them. Many of them can "charm" animals--communicate with cats, dogs, or horses better than most people--and there are some who have pets such as former ferals, dogs who used to have behavior problems, and horses who used to be skittish or uncooperative. It's not a universal talent; but it seems to be pretty prevalent.
I'm guessing that, at least with cats, the cat-charming Aspie:
1. Doesn't make eye contact--which is rude if you're a cat
2. Doesn't try to anthropomorphize a cat--sees a cat as a cat and not a furry human
3. May be obsessed with cats and consequently know a lot about them (I'm like that)
4. Isn't neurologically "wired" to read human body language--and so doesn't interpret cat body language in terms of human body langauge
People with Asperger's and autism have trouble socializing. People have a lot of nuances and subtext that isn't immediately apparent; so we deal with facts so much more easily than emotions. But animals are really straightforward; they are almost never deceptive. If a cat doesn't like you, it doesn't pretend--it just turns its back on you and ignores you. If you're being annoying, it swats with a paw. If it likes you, it purrs and kneads and rubs against you. Those are so easy to read that even socially-handicapped Aspies have no trouble; and it's a refreshing break from the "real world" with all its confusion.
I think a lot of Aspies, if they like cats, would be greatly helped by owning a cat.
Low-functioning autistics are probably better off with tougher, more durable animals like a Golden retriever or a patient horse--their sensory confusion can be so great that they may not know they are handling an animal too roughly because the sensory input coming in is so scrambled.
But an Aspie... Well, Aspies are very cat-like to begin with; and having a companion with no strings attached--a dog or cat--could really help. I know that going to the shelter and cleaning cat rooms helps me; because the cats are just straightforward, interesting, and nice to touch.
I know that usually a therapy animal is a dog or a horse; but for a person who is often introverted and may withdraw into his house, a cat might be better--you don't have to take a cat for walks in the bright sun, heat, or cold (which bugs some Aspies--not me, thankfully, except for heat >80 degrees).
An Aspie or high-functioning autistic would really benefit from a cat if:
-They like cats
-They can scoop the litter box without odor sensitivity getting in the way
-Any meltdowns (sensory overload-induced temper tantrum or crying fit) are infrequent and nonviolent
-They live alone or are socially isolated
-They are capable of taking care of a pet (most HFA/AS people are).
Anybody have thoughts?
Now and then, we talk about cats. A lot of Aspies love animals, and have special connections with them. Many of them can "charm" animals--communicate with cats, dogs, or horses better than most people--and there are some who have pets such as former ferals, dogs who used to have behavior problems, and horses who used to be skittish or uncooperative. It's not a universal talent; but it seems to be pretty prevalent.
I'm guessing that, at least with cats, the cat-charming Aspie:
1. Doesn't make eye contact--which is rude if you're a cat
2. Doesn't try to anthropomorphize a cat--sees a cat as a cat and not a furry human
3. May be obsessed with cats and consequently know a lot about them (I'm like that)
4. Isn't neurologically "wired" to read human body language--and so doesn't interpret cat body language in terms of human body langauge
People with Asperger's and autism have trouble socializing. People have a lot of nuances and subtext that isn't immediately apparent; so we deal with facts so much more easily than emotions. But animals are really straightforward; they are almost never deceptive. If a cat doesn't like you, it doesn't pretend--it just turns its back on you and ignores you. If you're being annoying, it swats with a paw. If it likes you, it purrs and kneads and rubs against you. Those are so easy to read that even socially-handicapped Aspies have no trouble; and it's a refreshing break from the "real world" with all its confusion.
I think a lot of Aspies, if they like cats, would be greatly helped by owning a cat.
Low-functioning autistics are probably better off with tougher, more durable animals like a Golden retriever or a patient horse--their sensory confusion can be so great that they may not know they are handling an animal too roughly because the sensory input coming in is so scrambled.
But an Aspie... Well, Aspies are very cat-like to begin with; and having a companion with no strings attached--a dog or cat--could really help. I know that going to the shelter and cleaning cat rooms helps me; because the cats are just straightforward, interesting, and nice to touch.
I know that usually a therapy animal is a dog or a horse; but for a person who is often introverted and may withdraw into his house, a cat might be better--you don't have to take a cat for walks in the bright sun, heat, or cold (which bugs some Aspies--not me, thankfully, except for heat >80 degrees).
An Aspie or high-functioning autistic would really benefit from a cat if:
-They like cats
-They can scoop the litter box without odor sensitivity getting in the way
-Any meltdowns (sensory overload-induced temper tantrum or crying fit) are infrequent and nonviolent
-They live alone or are socially isolated
-They are capable of taking care of a pet (most HFA/AS people are).
Anybody have thoughts?