RE:ASPERGIANS AND ANIMALS

[Guest guest]

Hello Tom, I'm more of a dogs and cats type of person, goldfish are

nice but that's something my older sister angela is into the more

exotic stuff like snails and turtles,but anyways . But yeah i find

dogs to be comforting and cats are especially relaxing even though

i'm allergic to them it runs in my dads family. There was this

one time where my moms ex boyfriend ken had these 2 cats and 1 dog

in the house. And i remember when he was still living there, there

was this black and white cat he called " prissy " that i used to pet

(it's ok if i pet them as long as i don't wipe my eyes or nose after

petting them ).

I was petting the cat and it was very relaxing and the cat really

seemed to enjoy it too and then when it was time for me to go and

ken opened up the back door to the house, the cat just jumped right

out the back door as if it wanted to escape, it was crazy. And ken

got it back before it got away. But i do agree we probably do get

along better with animals than others do. I'm sure that being with

animals kind of comes as second nature to us because when you're as

socially isolated as we are there's nothing more comforting than

having either " mans best friend " or a cat in the house (if you're

not allergic) or a few goldfish or whatever.

I'm sure it's quite an admiration to quite a few people out there

who wonder where we find our aptitude from. But anyways it's getting

in the late hours and i'm gonna try and get some reading in before i

hit the sack tonight. Surprisingly though i still have enough mental

strength to last me awhile longer. How long i don't know but i still

feel up to par,with the exception of my repetitive errors or typing

the same words twice . I hope to hear from you soon,good luck in

all you do.

Signed,

Greg

TOPIC FOR DISCUSSION: ASPERGIANS AND ANIMALS

Do Aspergians have a built in ability to successfully commune with

or understand animals?

Granted, the person asking this question has unprofessionally

studied animals for years, but it seems to me from reading posts on

other boards that many Aspergians not only have an affinity for

animals, but an ability to get along with them better than most.

To give you an idea of some of the rare and interesting encounters I

have experienced:

1) I was leaning on a railing at an exhibit at the Lincoln Park Zoo

zoo one day 6 or 7 years ago and a squirrel ran up the fence railing

and perched on my shoulder for ten or fifteen seconds.

2) I was at the Indianapolis Zoo one day the winter before last and

a keeper was bring an alpaca from one exhibit to another, simply

walking him through the zoo on a leash. The alpaca stopped, looked

at me, walked over, and looked from keeper to me as she and I

carried on a conversation. I was able to pet the animal for a

while. This whole experience lasted about ten minutes.

3) Last winter a robin flew into a window at my office building

while I was outside smoking. It was dazed and confused, but

fluttered around crazily when other people appraoched it and the

bird pecked at them when they tried to help it. I picked it up in

both of my hands and I sat with it for five minutes, letting it get

warm. Once it was recovered, it fluttered itse wings, indicating

that it was ready to go. I set it down and it flew away.

4) Also last winter, I went to the Cades Cove area of Great Smoky

Mountains National Park and sat in a field while deer grazed around

me. The nearest one was only twenty feet away.

5) And sometimes at dusk I like to go outside and sit in the

backyard for a while. I usually sit on the grass near the bird

feeder and watch the birds, squirrels and rabbits eat. The rabbits,

the most timid of rodents, don't appear to have a problem with my

sitting there. They will eat grass and clover and whatnot within

touching distance.

6) Earlier this year at the zoo, one of the lions had cubs. I came

to see them every weekend. The second weekend I was there, and when

there were no other visitors around, I crouched and made as if to

spring at the cage. The cubs responded immediately by doing the

same, and from that point forward, even until they grew up, they

would run to the side of the exhibit where I was and look at me.

They would always get excited at my arrival. Sometimes we would

just look at each other, sometimes they would trot along the length

of their exhibit after me if I walked away. Other vistors noticed

this and were amazed.

Sometimes I believe that I have a closer relationship with animals

than people. Is this true for any of you? Do you prefer the company

of animals, or people?

Tom