Last Updated on April 14, 2020
More and more light is being shed on autism for both children and adults. Many pet owners are quickly learning that a lot of our mental and emotional illnesses can be shared with the animal kingdom. With the observation of symptoms in autistic patients, you may be wondering if it is possible for your cat to have autism.
What Is Autism?
Autism, also known as ASD, is a complex disability within the developmental region of the brain. For most, signs of ASD appear in early childhood which greatly hinders the person’s ability to form relationships, communicate, and bond with others.
Common signs of autism in children include:
- Delay in speaking or lack thereof
- Little to no interest in forming relationships
- Minimal or no eye contact
- No imaginary play or creative thought
- Repetitive motions or use of words
- Fixation and obsession with specific objects
Do Cats Develop Autism?
When comparing the list of signs commonly seen in humans, one may wonder if their cat is autistic to some degree. Asperger syndrome, in particular, stands out the most to cat owners because people with Aspergers actually sound like cats in behavior.
Common signs of Asperger syndrome in humans:
- Inappropriate social interactions
- Repetitive speech
- Lack of eye contact
- Self-talk, tendency to focus speaking to themselves
- Obsession with unusual objects (or one specific object)
- Nonverbal communication challenges
- Awkward mannerisms and movements
A cat’s natural behavior is very similar to someone with AS
While we humans can share a lot of emotional and mental struggles with our feline friends, Autism isn’t one of them. Cats can, however, make a difference in the lives of those who have Aspergers or friends and family of someone with this syndrome. A book by Kathy Hoopmann “All Cats Have Asperger Syndrome” sheds some light on what the syndrome is like through how cats typically act. She uses how cats view and react to the world around them as a demonstration of how it can be for someone with Aspergers.
Yes, all cats are a bit autistic. They even walk on their toes and have rage attacks.
As a person who suspect she has Asperger syndrome herself, I find this idea very interesting, and it’s probably true. But autistic people can show affection, and so do cats, just in their own way. Cats are very loving, but they need alone time, and they don’t react very well to being part of a large group.
Interesting article. It is true that characteristics of Aspergers Syndrome are found in most cats.
I’m not one of those readers that comments on articles often, but yours really compelled me. There’s a lot of interesting content in this article that is interesting and bold.