Summary

The author, Bryan Dijkhuizen, humorously reflects on the quirky behavior of his cat, Speedy, drawing parallels to autism, and suggests she exhibits characteristics similar to those on the autism spectrum.

Abstract

Bryan Dijkhuizen shares a personal and humorous account of his cat, Speedy, who displays unusual behaviors such as hoarding items and exhibiting distress during routine changes. Drawing on his own experience as an autistic individual, Dijkhuizen playfully suggests that Speedy might be considered autistic, citing her dislike of excessive attention, sensitivity to noise, and need for familiar surroundings. He recounts an eerie period when Speedy seemed to react to a ghostly presence in their temporary home, adding a supernatural twist to her already unique personality. Although acknowledging that a veterinary diagnosis for autism in cats is not feasible, Dijkhuizen affectionately embraces Speedy's idiosyncrasies as part of what makes her a beloved member of the family.

Opinions

The author humorously implies that his cat, Speedy, could be diagnosed with autism based on her peculiar behaviors.
Dijkhuizen references Kathy Hoopmann's work, suggesting that all cats might exhibit traits akin to Asperger's Syndrome.
The article conveys a light-hearted take on the concept of autism in animals, emphasizing the bond between the author and his pet.
The author believes that Speedy's reactions to a supposed ghost friend and her protective behavior are indicative of her unique personality.
Dijkhuizen does not intend for the article to be taken as serious medical advice but rather as an entertaining narrative.

My Cat Got Diagnosed With Autism Today

Speedy is a little freak, and I love her

When my cat, Speedy, was a little kitten, she stole all kinds of stuff from us. Rings, earrings, hairbands, keys, you name it.

When we eventually noticed that these things were missing, we started looking everywhere in the house and the end we discovered that our cat, I’ll call her Speedy from now on, actually took these things and hid them under her bed.

There are probably loads of things to tell about Speedy that didn’t really make sense.

Don’t all cats have autism?

If we trust Kathy Hoopmann, they do.

What we know about the autism spectrum is still limited. But things, like don’t want to be touched, little to no communication, or repeating routines, are typical for people with autism, so why can’t we diagnose cats?

Speedy is just a perfect example of that. She hates too much attention but also wants it so badly. Or the fact that she is terrible with loud noises and changes in her daily routines.

Like the fact that when we moved. She was completely stressed out for weeks.

Speedy doesn’t like to be in places she’s not very familiar with. But when we moved back to our old place — she seemed to be fine, like she needed to be at her old place.

Speedy has a ghost friend

Some kids have imaginary friends.

Speedy has a ghost friend. Or foe, nobody knows. But something’s bothering her when she’s looking up an empty corner.

She first started doing this in the temporary house when we just moved in. It almost seemed like she was trying to protect us from the dark things happening in that house.

It appears to be that tortoiseshell cats are protective creatures. They seem to protect their humans from demonic activity.

My sister, Sanne, even heard weird voices during her sleep. Creepy.

The most terrifying part: Speedy was looking up to the corner where her ghost would be.

Another pretty creepy moment was that Speedy was looking up to the same old corner, and then suddenly, she rotated herself 180 degrees and jumped off the bed, and while doing that, she peed the room.

When we moved back, the paranormal speedy disappeared.

Wrapping Up

Obviously, we didn’t take Speedy to the vet to get her diagnosed, that’s probably not even possible but as an autistic person myself, I think I’m eligible to make the diagnosis myself.

So summing everything up gets me to a point where I’m pretty sure that Speedy is autistic.

Fits in the family. But we all love her and we wouldn't want to live without this little freak.

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Disclaimer: This article is true at some points but mostly humourous. Don’t take this as medical advice for your cats, or yourself. Enjoy reading.