Do cats really have Asperger's Syndrome?

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I guess there's a book called "All cats have Asperger's Syndrome".

First off I love cats and in some retrospective cats have some behavor characteristics that humans with AS have.

What do you think?

_Eric

Cats are far too attention-seeking to be Aspies.

Yep, I got that book. I love cats, but cant have one 'coz my grilfriend has x2 dogs. Anyway, according to the book, cats do have AS

Yeah, I'm hearing ya. I can't have one because I'm allergic.

By the way, Cool Ren & Stimpy picture. I noticed it's from the episode by Vincent Waller "Rubber Nipple Salesmen". A Classic.

Are you kidding? They're CATS. Do you not understand that Asperger's Syndrome is a condition defined for humans by contrast with normal human social behavior, instincts, and cognition?

It's like saying "Are (domesticated) cats midgets?" No, they're cats, they're normally that way.

Since cats don't have any verbal skills except meow, wouldn't it be more accurate to say they have Kanner syndrome?

no, because they're not human. They're animals. DUH!

The simplest definition of aspergers I can think of is social cognitive deficits and still
interested in social communications despite that.

In the case of a cat he will express himself non-verbally very well by rubbing against those he likes, body language expressing when mad.

They know how to meow to get food and know what it takes to get pet so I say noway cats have social cognitive deficits.

Now do cats have NPD?

No. Within cat society, they follow all the right rules and are quite social. They know how to read each other's non-verbal communication quite well.

dogs FTW /hide

I think a lot of you are missing the point The point isn't that cats actually HAVE a "syndrome", it's that they naturally behave in ways that are sometimes similar to the ways Aspies naturally behave.

cats don't have AS, and that book is a waste of money, cats are not human and all cats are like it

im glad u posted this eric_c, i do have a feeling that animals can develop learning disorders and developmental disorders, i kinda suspect it in my 6 month old akita named dancer,

my feelings towards things, its plausable and i wish i could remember to ask the vet since im always there soo often! (for good reasons that is)

but in a way, im a bit embarressed to ask, fearing ill get a what?1?!? responce from vet, but who knows ill ask this weekend when she goes in to get stitches removed (she was fixed last week)

Flo has Aspergers.
She also has SAD and OCD. I diagnosed her myself.
Seriously though, cats are just 'normal.' We should all aspire to be cat-like. If you took a cat and gave it a human body, it would be diagnosed with AS.

The responses to this post are pretty amusing, given that it is a community of Aspies who are responding. The poster didn't mean that cats clinically should be diagnosed with AS. Clearly, they're cats, and they act how it is natural for them to act. I think some readers understood the post too literally, and had difficulty recognizing that the question was meant to be tongue-in-cheek. Well, they're Aspies!

This wasn't meant to be negative by the way. Just thought it was interesting.

They're *totally* midgets. I mean, look how short they are! They're pretty hairy, too. If you ask me, they're all a bunch of hirsute, midget Aspies in disguise.

How come so many Aspies like cats?