Is it normal to approach dogs at the walk by?

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Exactly! And if a cat doesn't run, but isn't willing to be touched, they make it plain enough, if you know much about cats. I only knew one cat in my entire life who attacked without giving warning first - and he would attack anyone, whether or not they approached him. I suspect he was seriously out of his mind.

I stop to pet just about every cat I meet, and usually I remember them better than their owners. I usually make noises at the cat as I approach and let it come to me,

I'm different with dogs, I'm a little afraid of them, but if the dog is with its human, it might be an easy way to have a pleasant exchange with the human and get to pet the dog at the same time.

I don't think it's immature to do this, if it's something you enjoy, then you should enjoy it! I've noticed that sometimes people (NT's) feel threatened by things that aren't in agreement with their beliefs. If they wouldn't do something they feel it necessary to discourage other people from doing it. I suppose sharing a belief is a form of bonding for some people, so perhaps the people who call your pet friendliness immature are just trying to be friendly and create an opportunity for discussion?

I'm a cat person. But I love petting animals.

Where I live we're close to farms. And I saw a bunch of cows. I have this strange urge to pet the cows.

Makes sense to me...

Yeah, I do know NTs hate this. Long before I understood why I was so weird, this used to infuriate people.

"You remember Aunt So-and-so, don't you?"

"No."

"But she-"

(While totally ignoring Aunt So-and-so) "Oh, hello, Mousetrap! Do you still like salmon? Want to go chase a piece of string like we did last time?"

"Why, you little-"

The only human who did make a bit of an impression on me was Aunt Millie; she was actually okay with the fact I remembered her cat but not her... which meant I actually did remember her after that. "She's the one who loves cats!"

What's wrong with petting cows? I used to walk past a field with a single cow in it, and I'd stop to pet her and to say hello.

Just be careful about horses. They can be harder to read, and they have a nasty bite.

The way the dogs approach can sometimes broadcast whether they're likely to snap or not.

I find many dogs are pretty friendly with me, and I know I've had owners express surprise at this. Weird.

I don't really want to pet dog. I do find myself making eye contact first with dogs and smiling at them. Then I realize that and remember I'm supposed to look at the owner, too, then i squeeze a grin.

Weird, I've never had trouble with being bitten by horses. They're not the easiest animal for to read, but they've never attacked me. The main thing I was always cautioned about was not to stand behind them, because they sometimes kick. (Although I remember braiding their tails and not getting kicked. Got farted on though. I was told that was a good sign that they were relaxed or something.)

Oh and the way my mom describes it, when I was a kid, basically if we were walking down the sidewalk, I'd suddenly disappear and she'd look around and I'd have run over to get down on all fours and sniff noses with a cat somewhere. I would still do things like that if I weren't really far off the ground in a powerchair now.

do you think we have some sort of ability to read animals differently than NTs? Or that our awkward gait/movements are somehow more appealing or less threatening? I've met many pets who 'aren't friendly' who will come right up to me but run away from others...although I guess maybe the other humans that these animals meet might not be animal lovers and don't know how to deal with critters..

I think I do. I can get along with cats, dogs, and other animals that the owners say don't get along with people. I had one exception on the cat front, but he hated everyone. The only other people who talk about animals in a way I can relate to are also on the spectrum (anbuend is one). NTs seem to focus on anthropomorphizing or eliminating cognition entirely.

I don't think I relate to all animals better than (nonautistic) humans, but I certainly relate to cats extremely well. I hesitate to say things like "I'm good with cats" or "I'm good with animals" though, just because... I know a lot of people who say they're good with cats/animals and what they're really good at is manipulating animals and/or ignoring various "I don't like this" signals that the animals are giving off. But I certainly have an affinity with cats.

I'm just cautious because I know someone who got a really bad horse bite that never fully healed. The person who got bit was someone who knew horses. Maybe it was just a mean horse.

I'm far more likely to "talk" to the animals on my walks than the humans. The animals are authentic, I guess the word is. Easier for me to understand their intentions than most humans.

I have no idea why it would be immature to pay attention to animals. They aren't child's toys; they're animals. I like them better than humans myself. My cousin used to have a cat who didn't like anyone but me.