Can cats be autistic?

Question

My female cat is nearly 5 years old and still carries on like when she was a kitten. She still has "crazy attacks" and chases her tail every day! She's also very scared - she is extremely nervy and jumps whenever anyone comes near her. It's like she takes a minute to recognise you every time she sees you every day.

I love her so much... seriously, every single day I have had her since 8 weeks old she has made me laugh. She is really funny. Because she acts so crazy and startled every single day over little things. We have the best cuddles, though - she is so affectionate, trusts me and follows me all the time for a snuggle. She's also very talkative. A total baby :)

My relatives who know autistic people have said my cat acts like autistic. Because she doesn't seem to remember stuff and acts like every experience is new. And she is so scared of anyone but me.

What do autistic cats act like? I always knew my cat was a weirdo but she's so super loving that I thought she was OK

Answer 1

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker

Hi,

Well I was reading some articles about this subject which I find very interesting and this is what I found on catchow.com

Can cats be mentally handicapped or autistic?

This is an interesting question. I don’t think there is a feline equivalent to autism. Cats are rarely born with problems that resemble the human equivalent of a mental handicap. Any handicap that would prevent a cat from being able to feed itself would eventually lead to its death from inadequate food intake. People who cannot fully complete the act of feeding can receive help from other family members, but this is not done with cats; they must be able to feed themselves, otherwise, they really don’t seem to be acceptable pets. Cats can develop signs of mental dysfunction secondary to other illness, however. A common example is with a congenital (present at birth) liver disease called a portosystemic shunt. This condition causes blood from the intestinal tract to bypass the liver, avoiding detoxification. The toxins in the blood affect the brain, causing the cat to show signs of mental impairment, such as mental dullness, drooling, blindness and seizures. Fortunately, this condition can be treated either medically, or surgically, and the signs of mental impairment usually resolve.

There is another source with the following info:

QUESTION: Can cats be autistic or have Asperger syndrome?

ANSWER: Currently, we do not diagnose cats with autism or Asperger syndrome. These are very specific diagnoses that we are unable to make in cats. There is a syndrome-like condition in kittens often referred to as failure to thrive or fading kitten syndrome. Sometimes these kittens are simply termed as ‘poor-doers’. The reason for these kittens to do poorly is likely multi-factorial and may be due to congenital anomalies, teratogenic effects, infectious diseases, poor nutrition or a great variety of other causes.

Kittens can have diseases or defects such as hydrocephalus, kidney disease, congenital heart defects, endocrine diseases, hormone deficiencies and many other problems that are never diagnosed because necropsies (autopsies) are not often performed on kittens. It would be difficult to do testing in cats, similar to what is done with people, to be able to make a diagnosis of autism. It is conceivable that cats could have a disease analogous to autism in humans, but it is not a definitive diagnosis veterinarians are currently able to make.

Andrea Ellings, D.V.M, is an assistant clinical professor in the Veterinary Clinical Sciences department at the College of Veterinary Medicine.



I only read an article from a lady saying that her children (her cats) had autism and that all cats are born autistic. Now, if we apply critical thinking and logic here, from what the previous articles say, cats woulnd't actually survive in nature with this problem, right? From what this other lady said, all cats are born with this problem, don't you think this is sort of odd and unrealistic?

Your kitty is one of a kind and you should feel proud of having such a unique pet. Don't worry about this. YOUR CAT ISN'T AUTISTIC. She must look cute though...

Asker's Rating:

Asker's Comment:

Yes, I guess you're right. She's just a weirdo cat, and totally cute to boot. My relatives probably just called her autistic because she acts weird to them. But she feels completely safe with me and I have nothing to worry about. Thanks everyone for your answers! prrrrrr xxx

Answer 2

why not? off course there wont be a proper diagnosis but i have a cat and i swear he is schizophrenic as he has atacs of crazinss without a reason

Answer 3

As long is your cat is happy and healthy, you are fine. Cats have shorter attention spans than humans and many do not like other people besides their owner.

Currently, we do not diagnose cats with autism or Asperger syndrome. These are very specific diagnoses that we are unable to make in cats. There is a syndrome-like condition in kittens often referred to as failure to thrive or fading kitten syndrome. Sometimes these kittens are simply termed as ‘poor-doers’. The reason for these kittens to do poorly is likely multi-factorial and may be due to congenital anomalies, teratogenic effects, infectious diseases, poor nutrition or a great variety of other causes.

Kittens can have diseases or defects such as hydrocephalus, kidney disease, congenital heart defects, endocrine diseases, hormone deficiencies and many other problems that are never diagnosed because necropsies (autopsies) are not often performed on kittens. It would be difficult to do testing in cats, similar to what is done with people, to be able to make a diagnosis of autism. It is conceivable that cats could have a disease analogous to autism in humans, but it is not a definitive diagnosis veterinarians are currently able to make.

Answer 4

I don't know if autism in cats is possible, but I think your relatives are confusing autism with something else. Autistic people are WITHDRAWN...not outgoing. They tend to rock bock and forth for self stimulation. Also, they generally do not speak without intesive therapy.

Answer 5

I really don't know if it's possible for a cat to be autistic but anything is possible!

Answer 6

I'm not a vet but I've never heard of an autistic cat - my cat is 8 years old and she will still play like a kitten when we give her a string to chase or a toy to play with and she makes herself dizzy when chasing her tail. Your cat's skittishness could be due to bad eyesight or maybe she's just a bit high strung. It doesn't sound like your cat is behaving abnormally but if you're concerned take her to the vet and get a thorough check up.

Answer 7

I am really not sure if cats can be autistic, my mother is an educational assistant, and she works with people who have autism everyday. I think in your case with your feline friend, I think she is just the type of cat that is used to only you, maybe she wasn't socialized with humans enough as a young kitten. People with autism (specifically children) can have a range of symptoms. The problem with autism is that the symptoms can be similar to other illnesses and disorders, which is why early diagnosis is so important. Children with autism typically seem to be withdrawn from the rest of the world, they may not like affection, which is the biggest symptom. Most children love to be hugged, kissed, and they liked to feel loved. Children with autism act oblivious to such actions.

So no, if your cat is acting very loving to you, I don't feel that she would have autism, and I don't even think autism is really found or even common in cats. It's a disorder, commonly found in adults and children. Very interesting question.

Source(s):

Have had many cats.

Answer 8

I've had cats that RUN everywhere like someone's always chasing them...
Have you had her since she was a kitten? Maybe she's suffered some kind of head trauma?
Maybe she's just got an overactive imagination!
I'm sure she's ok... maybe she really enjoys getting a reactin out of you and making you laugh?!
>^..^<

(I think it's possible to 'look' like you have a condition that you don't really have... I've always thought it looks like little babies have CP, the way they can't control the movements of their face & limbs, even though most of them don't have it)

Answer 9

of course she's a cat, she can be whatever she wants, thats the beauty of being a cat

Answer 10

i believe that ur cat is not autistic. Autistic children have a small emotional capacity. That means, they are not very likely to behave affectionately towards sb.

But i do believe ur cat is a little crazy, or -i'd prefer to call her-eccentric. I have friends with cats and dogs that behave just like you decribed it. Try teaching her something, chances are she's less likely to grasp a skill unlike other cats.

Eccentric or not, every animal is unique in its own way, just like humans. Give her love and care, she desires them as much as we humans do =)

Answer 11

Do you wake up in the middle of the night with these thoughts and the feeling that you must interfere and ask us busy nightshift workers....... or are you awake all night with us crazy people?

I suspect your cat has a form of ADHD, you know some animal breeds have different behavioural tendancies, you know like agression and all that. But some breeds have more "maddness" than others in them. I had a boxer dog that was like that most of his life, an absolute loony, so it is possible that your cat will have a lifelong mental disorder that keeps you amused well into the wee hours of the night for a long time to come. Enjoy her behaviour, it keeps you happy, and in turn it amuses people like me in the middle of my busy busy night....lol

maybe she is autistic....

Answer 12

There are actually some books that have been published for people living with Asperger Syndrome called "Cats have Aspergers" or something similar (will find a link).

Someone has noticed that cats share a lot of similarities with people with this form of autism, and use those similarities to help kids with autism work things out.

However I don't think there is any real way of knowing if a cat has good mental health, at least with our current capabilities.

Your cat sounds a lot like my cats ~ gorgeous, unpredictable, sweet and just a little wild.

They win my heart every single day!

Regarding the whole tail chasing thing, a friend has an old boy, he's almost 20 years of age! He still occasionally "gets the wind up his tail" as my mother calls it, and spends a few minutes chasing his tail about. It's hilarious.

Their tails always look like they have a mind of their own ~ maybe cats are as perplexed and amazed by them as we are! :-)

Cheers :-)

Source(s):

http://www.nas.org.uk/nas/jsp/polopoly.j…

http://www.autismvox.com/can-animals-hav…

http://www.cvm.umn.edu/newsandevents/fac…