Is it abnormal for an Aspie to NOT be interested in animals?

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Joe90
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02 Jun 2015, 11:25 am

Usually when someone is reading through a paper and see a picture of an animal and they show it to me, I don't feel that interested. I'm just like, ''mm-hmm...'' and really can't be bothered. I like cats the most but I wouldn't call myself an animal-lover, although I would never hurt an animal.

I like having a pet, I do currently have a cat, and when I move in with my boyfriend I would like to get some fish and a couple of pet mice. But a lot of Aspies say they love animals more than people, but I feel that a lot of people love animals more than I do. They see a picture of a cute animal in a book or a paper and go all soppy and say how cute and beautiful it is, and I'm like like ''yeah...cute.''

Am I abnormal for an Aspie?


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EzraS
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02 Jun 2015, 11:40 am

I think I'm about the same way. I get happy and excited seeing animals where I live now that didn't exist where I grew up. Like when I saw a bunch of squirrels romping around this morning it made me happy. And I get a thrill the few times I see a bald eagle. But as far as like peoples pets go, meh cute. Unless it's a barky little dog, then it's "eh annoying little rat-dog". When I was little I actually used to slap at peoples cats and dogs that came to close to me. Hence we never had a pet.



iliketrees
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02 Jun 2015, 12:03 pm

EzraS wrote:
Unless it's a barky little dog, then it's "eh annoying little rat-dog"

:lol:

I do like animals, but I never understood the whole "cute" thing. For whatever reason our teacher was showing us pictures of baby animals and the other 3 guys found them really, really cute but I just didn't get it.

I do like actual animals. Cats have always liked me and I have no idea why. I also like watching the birds outside my house. We're getting more and more birds of prey for some reason and they're awesome :D

So pictures of animals that are "cute" no, but actual animals are always interesting.



ASPartOfMe
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02 Jun 2015, 12:14 pm

I do not like animals. That makes me an abnormal human about this topic not just an abnormal autistic. It does mean constantly having to deal with a subject I do not like either by people trying to force animals on me and having to deal with an animal story on every newscast radio show etc. When people know I do not like animals they wrongly assume I do not like children also. The opposite is true.

I do have a noise sensitivity to barking dogs and sometimes especially in these summer months there is no getting away from it.


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Eirlys
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02 Jun 2015, 1:40 pm

No, I don't think so. People like different things, surely? There cannot be a "one-fits-all" thing based entirely on a medical condition alone.

Chances are because people with Asperger's struggle with socialising with people, they seek companionship and comfort from animals. This will not be the same for everyone, though. Some people will turn to animals, others to books, to music or what have you. People are individuals.



kraftiekortie
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02 Jun 2015, 3:06 pm

I like animals, though I don't feel a particular affinity for them.

I used to be quite afraid of dogs when I was younger.



jimmyboy76453
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02 Jun 2015, 4:27 pm

I'll take a baby animal over a baby human. People's babies are the most uninteresting little lumps and I could hardly care less about them, but puppies are warm and squirmy and I like them much better.

I don't loooove animals, but they seem to love me, and I often play with them when visiting people as a way to not have to talk to the people. So, yeah, I guess I do prefer animals over people.


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League_Girl
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03 Jun 2015, 2:31 am

Not everyone on the spectrum is a animal lover. I am not much of one and I like cats more than I like dogs. I also don't want to have responsibilities of caring for a bunny rabbit or a hamster or a guinea pig or fish. I don't even want pets right now and my husband and parents don't want any anyway. They are done with dogs and cats. My dad re homed them before they did the move and they only took our first dog but she took off the day they moved here which was a relief because I didn't want her in my house. She had incontinence and I didn't want pee all over and our house smelling. She was old so she probably took off to die somewhere. Some pets are known to do that when they know their life is about to end. They find a spot to RIP or try to find one.


But when I was a kid, I just loved animals but I was rough with them so I could not be alone with one. I was a pre teen when I finally learned.


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EzraS
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03 Jun 2015, 3:01 am

It's a stereotype/myth that all aspies automatically have a magical relationship with animals. That said, I've been told some pets unfriendly or shy with strangers are more at ease with me.



msnoname
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03 Jun 2015, 8:49 am

I come from a family of animal lovers: my dad and step mom have three dogs and four cats. I have a dog and two rats, and have also had six guinea pigs, three rabbits, and two other dogs. I love animals. I prefer them to people, honestly. I'm one of those people who don't care when humans get hurt in a movie, but I can't stand when animals, particularly dogs, do. Oh, and children too. Dogs and children are off-limits for me.

A lot of people just don't get it, though, Asperger's or not. I doubt you're that abnormal.



lady_katie
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03 Jun 2015, 12:34 pm

No, I don't like animals. They're slobbery and hairy, and you have to remember to feed them and clean up after them. No thanks. I did have someone tag me in a Facebook post that was all about how people with autism have some super connection to animals, and I was kind of annoyed by it, but I didn't say anything because I appreciated that she thought of me and tried to make me feel included in something that interested her (I've been kind of lonely lately).



BirdInFlight
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03 Jun 2015, 1:00 pm

I love animals more than life itself, and I do feel I'm one of those people with a magical connection to them. But I don't think it's abnormal to be the opposite of that.

Just because someone is on the autism spectrum, it doesn't mean they share every single trait, symptom and also stereotype.

For example, another stereotype is the one about being a wizard at mathematics -- "All aspies are great at math/s."

Mathematics was my worst subject! I can do simple math enough to survive in the real world, but academically I was a dunce at Maths while bright at other subjects.

So if you're being a bad Aspie for not being into animals, I'm being a bad Aspie for having no aptitude for academic Maths. :wink:



Zajie
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03 Jun 2015, 4:04 pm

I like learning and reading about animals but I don't like to pet them



progaspie
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03 Jun 2015, 6:05 pm

I love animals apart from crocodiles, snakes and spiders and have always had pets and rarely visit zoos, because I hate to see animals caged up. It's people I have a problem with.



biostructure
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04 Jun 2015, 2:46 pm

When I was a kid I wasn't into animals at all. At least real-life animals--I liked learning about dinosaurs and whatever.

Now as a young adult I really like dogs, although I don't have the desire to actually take care of one. I think it has to do with the fact that I missed out on intimacy with others as a kid, so I am drawn to creatures that like to interact with me and that don't present the social complexity of other people.

So now I'm like a kid when I see a puppy--yet as a kid I was like "Meh...".



ToughDiamond
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04 Jun 2015, 3:55 pm

I like animals quite a lot, and I often experience childlike warm fuzzies when I see them, which I find one of life's most pleasant experiences, and I often talk to them as if I thought they understood the complexities of what I was saying, though I keep my observable reactions reasonably graceful and dignified. I hate it when people go into this "OOH, ISN'T HE CUTE!! !" thing, gushing all over the poor beast, on and on - maybe it's because I'm British and male, and maybe part of it is that I don't like sudden loud noises. I'm also rather wary of the word "cute," (for reasons I don't understand) unless it's used in an ironic way.