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silly_rabbi
Toucan
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 273
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 Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:17 pm Post subject: Do animals gravitate to you? |
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I've always had multiple cats, a dog, and various pocket pets. No matter what the circumstances of an animal's past, animals come up to me and sniff me/show affection. I've had so many people say their cat does not like strange people and boom the cat is in my lap or on my shoulder and purring. I've had feral cats that were actually okay with me petting them, and cats that had been abused by a previous owner and were standoffish that adored me. When I babysat my neighbor's cats for a couple of weeks, I had them all follow me home at one point. Strange dogs will come up to me when I'm out walking around town. Whenever I've hung out with friends that had pets I walk in the door and their pet was rubbing ankles or jumping up to lick me (depending on whether it was a cat/dog).
Is this something that happens to a lot of you? Do animals trust people on the spectrum more? I know it would be difficult to scientifically test for something like this, but I was wondering if I just had a "this person will adopt anything" scent or if it was more common than that.
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Rainbow-Squirrel
Phoenix
Joined: Dec 27, 2006
Age: 28
Posts: 1184
Location: Siena, Italy
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:21 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, I'm pretty much a magnet for (most) animals 
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Such imagination seems to help the feeling slide... (Placebo) |
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Anemone
Phoenix
Joined: Mar 18, 2008
Age: 43
Posts: 790
Location: Vancouver, Canada
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:25 pm Post subject: |
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With me it's a bit more mixed. I've met lots of big happy friendly (often wet) dogs while out hiking, and they are usually curious and friendly. But I have occasionally frightened a dog, too. Not sure how. Maybe I was just in a crackly mood then.
I think animals can tell when you're interested in them and respond to that. |
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CyclopsSummers
Snowy Owl
Joined: Jun 22, 2008
Age: 21
Posts: 152
Location: Mokum, the Netherlands
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 1:29 pm Post subject: |
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Dogs and their social codes scare me as much as humans with theirs, to be honest. I always felt that dogs were too direct and took to many liberties. This is why I prefer the company of cats. However, cats don't tend to specifically come to me outdoors.
Generally, I am as inaccessible to other animals as I am to people. It's cool when I can feed ducks, geese, etc, and they get close, but most domestic animals usually don't.
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Clarity of thought before rashness of action. |
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PilotPirx
Deinonychus
Joined: May 09, 2008
Age: 38
Posts: 300
Location: Amsterdam, NL
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:18 pm Post subject: |
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I had the same experience with cats as you.
"Ny cat normaly won't do that" is a common comment of owners.
With dogs I don't have any problems too, but there we had dogs when I was a child and I know very well how to handle them and they respond positive to a very small set of well defined signals (hmm, like NTs...). So it's more a question of knowledge here.
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krex
Phoenix
Joined: Jun 21, 2006
Age: 45
Posts: 4995
Location: Village of the Damned
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:20 pm Post subject: |
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Since I was a kid, the first thing I did when I would enter a house was look for the animals. I work with dogs now and they love me....it's a great feeling because they seem to appreciate my feelings for them. The only problem is I hurt when they hurt and I wish I had more hands to pet them because they all want attention at the same time and I don't want any of them to feel left out.
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mysterious_misfit
Velociraptor
Joined: Apr 25, 2008
Age: 27
Posts: 438
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:25 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, definitely. I actually seem to be a magnet for sick, injured, or distressed animals. I have a pet sparrow with a broken wing. I've rescued numerous turtles from the street. Last week I rescued a toad from the parking lot at work. As a child I rescued worms from drowning in puddles. Years ago, I rescued a Green Heron from the side of the road that must have been hit by a car. Also many domestic animals like me. (Except my own black cat who tries to kill me every day  ) Spawn of Satan....
Anyway, I think Aspies have a very quiet demeanor that is very nonthreatening to animals. |
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Ah_Q
Snowy Owl
Joined: Jun 25, 2008
Age: 25
Posts: 136
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 2:52 pm Post subject: |
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| Yes, any cats or dogs in a house will immediately gravitate to me and usually follow me around the whole time. |
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dtoxic
Deinonychus
Joined: Jun 23, 2008
Age: 38
Posts: 313
Location: Boston MA
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:02 pm Post subject: |
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I'm with Cyclops, I don't care for dogs at all and I do not "offer" the signals they are ready to accept. That gets me a split in their reactions: many dogs show consternation with me and growl or bark (including dogs who surprised their owners with this aggression); others are absolutely fascinated by the silent man who doesn't coo or touch them. Both reactions annoy me, since I would rather be ignored.
Enter cats. I get the opposite response with cats, which suits me fine and has caused me to like cats a great deal. They don't flock to me, and I don't get in their face with unwanted interaction, so we become good friends, just not in the first five minutes. I do win over cats who others found standoffish. I like that they have their own life and often ignore me, yet sometimes come by for affection on a timetable that resembles my own.
I think that AS has similarities to the interaction codes of many animals. Even though I don't like dogs, I feel I understand their motives and protocols better than most. I spent one afternoon watching back-to-back episodes of the Dog Whisperer and was was filled with contempt for the dog owners, as I understood both the dogs and the Whisperer dude. These hapless owners think the dog understands English when what he understands is the agitation level with which the meaningless words are delivered, so they reinforce the dog's wildness when they yell at him to calm down. It was obvious to me that the correct approach was to become stony and silent, and the dog will pick up on it.
As for non-domesticated animals, I have an instinctive patience and a tendency to become still and quiet when I see them (because I want to watch them). Most people I know have a lot of trouble standing still and silent, so they scare off shy creatures, whereas I can get some animals to come much closer. |
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KingdomOfRats
Phoenix
Joined: Nov 01, 2005
Age: 24
Posts: 2675
Location: Manchester
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:17 pm Post subject: |
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having a profound connection with animals,and having little to none with humans is very common amongst auties and aspies.
but its not as simple as saying animals go to those who are interested in them,as cats at least,are often known to go for those who hate them-as they are not giving eye contact,making lots of noise or babying them.
have always connected with cats,am known as 'the cat woman' locally and am followed by cats everywhere.
they all try to start fights with GFB in the car park though,but he just sits there not doing anything.
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["Even through the darkest days, this fire burns...always"-Killswitch Engage]
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Age1600
Bonita-Azul
Joined: Apr 23, 2007
Age: 23
Posts: 1936
Location: New Jersey
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| Posted: Fri Jun 27, 2008 3:39 pm Post subject: |
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I think animals do love me, but most of them do not know what to do around me, especially if i'm hopping through the house, screeching to the top of my lungs, flapping, jumping on the couch, spinning like crazy, or rocking making weird noises, while staring at the fan or lights, my animals kinda stay wary of me, like what is going on lol. They all give me weird looks and stares. Both my cats i love, their my babies, but even them give me the occasional "what the heck" look haha. My dogs don't know how to react, they sorta hide, or cower.
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Dxed Classic Autism(moderate to severe as a child, now moderate to high functioning as an adult) & Dxed Tourette Syndrome... 
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PunkyKat
Phoenix
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 698
Location: Twlight Zone
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:01 am Post subject: |
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Yes. But mostly animals that everyone else has deemed as "impossible", "agressive" "not friendly to people", "shy" or "wild". When I was younger there was a sick dove near our house. Everyone was wondering where it went to find it on my window sill. I once had a cat at a friend's of one of my mom's friend's come to me and cry to be picked up. When I did the owner commented that he never lets anyone even touch him. Our old house was joked to have an invisable sign that said, "All strays welcome". An abused begal come to us and eveyone was worried that he would be agressive. I came out with a box of dog biscuts and sat them down in front of him until he came to me and ate one out of my hand. He was bonded to me than anyone else. At the petting zoo, the whole goat heard followed me dispite the fact that I was the only one without food. Another time a bush baby tried to climb on my hand and a rhino came up to me and acted excited when it heard my voice. My former riding instructed had a horse that she refured to as the devil and was considering euthising, I even saw her downright abuse him with a whip. (And she thought that a turtleless turtle shell would tramatise me) He reared and put her in the hospital with a broken back once. Serves her right. I also found out that her husband would come and grab him when he was a baby in attempts to get him used to people. I think that had something to do with it. Gentle stroking is one thing, maybe even lightly sticking fingers in mouths is okay but not grabbing. I went to look at him and he came up and let me pet him. No agression what so ever. People have always said I have a gift with animals. That they can sence I like them and am not a threat.
I like both cats and dogs. It's chimpazees I am not crazy about. They are ugly and look like people. People often tell me that cats are not friendly. My brother used to say they had no personalty and said that he would never become a veternarian because he might have to take care of a cat. I work at a cat shelter and all the cats are friendly. Some are more shy than others but they all have their own indidvudal personalties. Dogs are just too in your face and people notice that I think. |
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Danielismyname
Troglodyte descended
Joined: Apr 03, 2007
Posts: 5926
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 12:06 am Post subject: |
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| They tend to bite me. |
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silly_rabbi
Toucan
Joined: May 15, 2008
Posts: 273
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:03 am Post subject: |
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| PunkyKat wrote: | | ... I work at a cat shelter and all the cats are friendly. Some are more shy than others but they all have their own indidvudal personalties. Dogs are just too in your face and people notice that I think. |
yeah, I've had a bunch of cats over the years (something like 17 altogether, not all at the same time of course), and they're all different. Ours are all friendly, but in different ways, and only to me and my dad really. We have one that is so serious but will sit on my shoulder for as long as I let him. Another of ours only lets me pet him with my feet, and gets quite insistent on it whenever I'm in the kitchen. My kitten sits on my head if I let her, dunno why. And if I'm out in the living room watching tv or a movie, I turn into instant cat lady, I've usually got all four sitting on me somewhere.
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There are only 10 types of people in this world: those who understand binary and those who don't. |
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Marrshu
Raven
Joined: Oct 12, 2006
Posts: 110
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| Posted: Sat Jun 28, 2008 1:10 am Post subject: |
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| I have a dog sitting on my bed staring at me right now. She's one of six animals in this house, four of which have an attraction towards me, and two me and me alone... so yeah. |
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