What is with Aspies and cats?

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I am rabbit in cat's clothing.

I have 7 cats. Like Opi, I think I can say I am somewhat of an overgrown cat. I like to receive affection and give it, if it is welcomed. However, I am independent-minded, not a pack animal, and like the space to do my own thing. Cats and I tend to be drawn to each other. Unlike with humans, I usually have a good idea of what a cat is thinking and cats in turn seem to understand me. It's great to have an affectionate and nonjudgmental creature to come home to, pet, and snuggle with after a stressful day with human NTs. My Asperger's definitely increases my bond with cats, but I seem to have inherited some cat-lover genes from my non-Aspie mother. To the dismay of her parents and others, her first word was "kitty" and from childhood she brought home stray cats, secreted them in her college dorm room, etc.

Forget vaccines! Lastest research shows that all autistics are actually cats.

We need to do some serious scientific studies on this.

I think the bottom line is that cats are just way less likely to be as overstimulating as dogs are. I'm not saying that universally, since I know some dogs can be just as laid-back as cats. But on average I'd say dogs generally have a higher chance of being overstimulating. Therefore if you're AS and want a pet, you're more likely going to with a cat.

Last edited by Bitoku on 02 Oct 2013, 4:14 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I have three cats.
I love cats, we have good communication.
I had good communication with wild cats in Spain as well, could touch them when no person could ever touch them before.
Random42, is it your cat in the avatar?
I really like it.

I agree. They are very cute animals. I like the way they walk.

I love cats!! I have 2, but would have more if I could!

this. i love dogs, but bottom line is, dogs whine and cats purr. both animals (any furry really) are grounding to me, but cats make me feel more at peace. and they are simply so elegant. even my fat, furry, shamelessly adoring feline, Clover (RIP) (aka Velcro Kitty).

I really like cats because their independent but I'm also really allergic to them, so it's not a good fit.

I am a cat kind of guy, all the way. I love them so much, they're more quieter than dogs, and they really show their love in a great way.

I love cats

I don't think it's that simple. I'm Deaf and have Asperger's. I have no idea what my neighbour's dog even sounds like. I still prefer cats!

That's about right, plus the tendency to more fully have a will of their own appeals to me. So long as it's not expressed in especially inconvenient ways, but well-socialised cats usually don't get up to anything THAT bad. One of my mother's cats even seems to studiously follow etiquette; he carefully avoids stepping on the keyboard when he decides to hang out on my desk, for example, and doesn't walk on the dinner table with humans eating even though he wanders around on the chairs.

Mind you, he did bring a subdued full-grown live snake inside once. Fortunately it turned out to be a non-venomous garter snake.

I've had ferrets suggested occasionally, and while they seem endearing enough, I think the likelihood of overstimulation is high with them.

It is not my cat. It is a breed of cat I wish I had. It is a Savannah which is bred using Servals and domesticated cats. They have the personality of a domestic cat but look like a wild cat. You can get F1 - F5 Savannahs. The F1s have one serval parent. Each subsequent generation (F2-F5) gets farther from the serval. They are much larger than regular domestic cats, especially the F1s. They are also incredibly expensive. Look up Savannah cats in Google images to get a good look at their size.

Even beyond what they sound like, cats tend to be calmer overall. A cat does not jump in your face and knock you over.

It's not just cats, but it seems like it's more animals in general. I think, because of our socialization troubles, gives us a sense of loneliness, and animal companions such as dogs and cats tend to keep us company. If you think about it, they're easy to talk to, they don't think any weird of you, for some of the things you say, do, or think, and they love you unconditionally.

And I think cats are associated with aspergers, because they're calm, and quiet. They don't bark, and their meows are too quiet to stress out an aspie with noise.

I'm no aspie, but I do have a mild case of autism that people often mistake for aspergers. While I am a dog lover, I also love cats, because they're quiet, calm, and can be just as affectionate as dogs, just in a different way. (Don't have any because my mom is allergic) I've observed some of my aspie friends, and most of them prefer quietness over noise. My moderately autistic nephew is also afraid of dogs, but he loves cats. (Animals in general, too... Except for dogs)

So this has brought me to the conclusion, that because of it's calm and quiet behavior, it makes the cat a loved companion to many aspie or autistic people. (At least for the ones who don't like dogs)