Is there anyone else with ASD who doesn't love animals?

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I have never been very comfortable with animals, and I have never felt like I had any greater connection with animals than people. The only animals I have really felt a connection to are my own cats, and I think most people feel connected to their pets. I am however, more comfortable with cats than I am with other animals, but I don't think I would have felt this way if I didn't have a cat when I was really young. With animals other than cats, I don't really feel a connection with them and many aspies have said they understand dog behaviour super well. The behaviours I do understand are behaviours that my cat has that are kind of dog-like and what I have been told.

Animals in fact, make me kind of nervous, especially if they are running really fast towards me. I have been like this since I was 3 or 4! I have heard that autistic people often LOVE horses and horseback riding, I went this summer at camp and I didn't dislike it or anything, but I felt nervous, and the horse was very calm! I held on so tight that my fingers got sore. Also, many aspies have service dogs, I don't think that would be helpful for me, it would probably worsen my anxiety and my few sensory issues are animal-related, like I don't like the sound of dogs barking for instance.

Is there anyone else who isn't an animal lover?

They're infinitely preferable to people.

I still like people much better. Like twice as much. Maybe I don't have autism at all.

never really liked dogs after my grandma's dog died when i was 2 (which i remember). im not overly fussed with animals, i have 1 cat who i love to bits mainly cause if it dont pay attention to her she bites me (very interesting cat) =)
but otherwise i really dont see what all the fuss is with pets... though i did want a pony as a child and did get one... (yes im one of the lucky ones)

I like animals better. Sure your not connected high pitch sound & high places or a fear of been thrown off or falling off. To not liking animals or fear of been ran over.

I only like some animals...like dogs.

I rather be with people than with flies, cats, rodents, and racoons...and did I forget spidersssss

I like animals, they are interesting and beautiful. I've never had any pets, though.

Nope, I love animals. What you say about aspies understanding dog behavior seems, in my experience, at least, to be true though. That might just be because we're more comfortable around dogs rather than some sort of innate cognitive similarity. After all, dogs don't judge you when you don't make eye contact.

I love cats, don't really care for dogs unless it's a special one like I had (he died last year )

~Kate

My first dog was when I was around 2 or 3 years old, a Cocker Spaniel named Rusty. Rusty nearly scratched my eye out and I have a scar next to my eye to this day. Rusty got another home very quickly after that.

My second dog was a mix of a black Lab and a Beagle. Her name was Cindy. My parents got her from a farmer who had abused her. We gave her a wonderful home and she became my best friend. Although she has been gone for nearly 35 years, I still get weepy thinking about her.

My third dog was an indoor Mexican Chi...(sorry, can't spell tonight). Her name was Tipsy and I got her shortly after we got Cindy. I took Tipsy for show and tale once (Mom carried her in the classroom) when I was in Kindergarten. Tipsy got epilepsy and didn't live very long. I loved her like I loved Cindy.

My third dog I got while I was in college (I lived at home though---I drove to college each day). She was a toy poodle called Pepper. I loved her very much. She died after I had been teaching school for several years and marriage. She lived with my parents.

My wife and I tried a couple dogs, but it didn't work out. We were away to work most of the day, and the dogs needed better homes. So we found them homes.

Having pets makes me nervous now. We do have fish on occasion. My sons had two gerbils a few years ago.

I prefer people to animals. Pets to me are just an irritation. Dogs barking, cats making messes. I don't need that.

Its hard for me to understand people who relate more to animals then to human beings. Those type of people do seem to be very common though.

Why are you offended by the fact that I don't like animals? I never said that I don't like people who like animals, I just said that I don't like animals.

Edit: Sorry, I understand now.

Last edited by ocdgirl123 on 18 Apr 2012, 12:14 am, edited 1 time in total.

[Sorry I will just stick this down, even if it makes no sense to you. Maybe I am just sticking 2 things together.]

I just focus on you grabbing hold of the reins tightly & made your fingers sore. Yet the horse was calm. Which if you had a flashback of a horse running at you, then you prepared yourself for it running.

I did not mean it like that ocdgirl123, meant your nervous reaction to the horse. Your grabbing hold of the reins tightly, which suggested your holding on for your life. I am correct to assume the horse running at you, happened before you got on a horse. Which did you think at any point of it running or was it when you looked down.

Your nervous feeling is your fight or flight system kicking in. Same with someone who climbs up a billboard & then looks down. They will grab hold of something, like they life depends on it. Some are in control at this point & just won't come down & some people just freeze up.

It's to prepare for action. Either defend yourself or run, jump out the way. Or your frozen & can't move, which technically I wonder if it is just play dead kinda animal behaviour.

It's OK, I realize you didn't mean it that way. The horse wasn't running at me, I was just saying that when animals run at me, it makes me nervous. This was a separate example.

I love animals and insects.

I can stare at a bee for hours and wonder what it must be like to be a bee.

Maybe I don't have autism either?

I often look at my parrot & wish I could trade places with it.