From cats, dogs, pigs, chameleons, horses and human beings, animals have been a popular theme throughout the history of the Spectrum magazine.
In issue 98, our ‘pets’ edition, our readers wrote about their pets, and the comfort that animals can offer in a confusing and stressful world.
To celebrate our contributors' love of animals, we’ve cultivated our own ethical safari park of creature features.
No animals were harmed in the making!
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Read our feline themed features here - including Vanessa's letter on being a proud 'Crazy Cat Lady'.
Purrrfect reads for cat lovers
Take a paws to enjoy these feline themed features and artwork by autistic cat lovers!
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Dear Spectrum
As I am a real-life Crazy Cat Lady, I thought I should send you a few of my thoughts about pets. Specifically cats! I would like to talk about the enormously positive effect they have had on my and my husband’s lives. He too is a proud Crazy Cat Man.
We “acquired” our furry pack of ten cats (officially known as a clowder or a glaring) before either of us realised we were autistic. Having that many cats and being “crazy” about them should probably have alerted us to the fact that we were a little bit different. Maybe it did to other people, who knows, but I do know that for us it should have been in the diagnostic criteria!
We did start with two children. They grew up and eventually moved out. At this point the cats moved in — one by one and two by two. Some rescued, and some “posh” pedigrees. We didn’t exactly plan to have ten fur babies but somehow each of them purred their way into home and our hearts. Each time the gang went up in number, the surprised looks and comments from friends and family increased and the more difficult it became to justify our reasoning. We couldn’t justify it to ourselves! All we knew was that we had struck gold and had become addicted to their fluffy little faces, naughty personalities and, above all, unconditional love. We stopped at nine but in fact nine was an odd number and it was inevitable then that this fact would be used as an excuse when kitty number ten appeared and needed a home.
Why so many? people ask. How do you cope with all the work and cleaning up after them? How can you afford them? Do you know all their names? (Yes, that really was a top question).
Well these fluffy little souls ask for very little in terms of care and cost compared to the amount of joy, peace, relaxation and oxytocin release that they bring. Firstly, I needed a new special interest (I did need another one, honest!) and cats fitted that bill very nicely. Just had to buy a few more shelf units to store all those cat books and magazines on. Secondly, I have a lot of physical problems and the mental problems that automatically come with them. I needed a good form of therapy and cats was it — just ask my doctor. Thirdly, my husband and I apparently have poor resistance to feline wiles and in this case resistance was indeed utterly futile — they had us at the first twitch of their whiskers. In my opinion, however, we must have rather good resistance because there were 30+ cats and kittens in one shelter that we went to, but we didn’t come home with all of them did we? No, you see? Plenty of willpower really.
I was only diagnosed as an Aspie in 2016 (just over two years ago) at the age of 46, and my husband in 2017. It was at this point that living with so many cats finally made sense to us both. We both find life difficult in so many ways. We find people difficult. We found raising our children extraordinarily difficult. Cats are non-judgmental. They don’t ask for much. They absolutely ooze calmness, peace, tranquility, acceptance and understanding. They don’t answer back. They don’t take more than they need. They are always there for us and they entertain us each and every day with their wonderfully varied personalities. Who wouldn’t aspire to all those traits?
Our motto is definitely to "be more cat". Our interest has also extended to big cats and whenever we can we support them too. We love all animals as well, and we could definitely see a place for a dog in our hearts and home too, were it not for the current residents having other ideas. But we do feel more attuned to cats over dogs, as dogs tend to be a little more needy and lively than cats. Being Aspie in a neurotypical world is very stressful, very tiring and very difficult. We need ten cats. We adore them, worship them and would do anything for them. In return we receive so, so much. They have also taught us much. And they, in return for their therapy services, receive oodles of love and attention, safety, pristine toilet facilities, plenty of playtime and toys, good food, fresh water, cleaning services, excellent medical care and cosy places for all personalities to sleep and hang out.
"Being autistic in a neurotypical world is very stressful, very tiring, and very difficult. We need ten cats!"
'Snuggles chases a bird'
By Andrew, issue 49
'The Cat'
By Tim, issue 12
'Trick or treat'
By DS Linney, issue 53
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Fido was two years old. He was the most intelligent dog in Rome. So it happened that on the first day of school, he left the house at eight o'clock in the morning. He wanted to get to school as soon as possible, being a very ambitious dog. Earlier that morning, his mother had asked him:"What time are you coming back today, my little puppy?"
"..." answered Fido. He kissed his mother goodbye and set off for school. And while Fido was at school, his mother, who was very interested in her son's education, glanced from time to time at the clock.
At exactly thirty minutes past midday, she was sitting expectantly on the balcony awaiting the return of her son.
At precisely one o'clock Fido arrived at the front door of their building. He entered, ran up the staircase and found his mother sitting in front of their apartment.
"Hello, Fido," she said.
And Fido replied, "Miaou, miaou."
"Fido, what are you saying?" asked his mother. "Why are you imitating a cat, when you know perfectly well how to bark like the rest of us?"
"Actually, I'm not just barking," responded the puppy. "It's just that I wanted to show you that I'm intelligent. This year at school we're learning a foreign language. So here goes, I'm going to tell you the first two words: miaou, miaou."
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My love of animals has been a major part of my life. I have been drawing and taking photographs of animals since I was four years old. Most of my inspiration has come from my many visits to London Zoo and Whipsnade.
I have been told that I have a “flavour” of autism, so I have always had problems relating to human beings — I find them to be unreliable and unpredictable. Animals have helped me manage my feelings of isolation. They have an attraction for me as they help me make a bridge between myself and others. I love the detail of different animals: the gorilla’s cheeks; the anteater’s claws — their eyes are almost human. Over the years, I have had many obsessions with different animals, including sharks and chimps, but of all the different kinds of animals, for me the anteater is king.
I decided that conventional art school was not the route I wished to take, as I like to work alone most of the time. After leaving school, I attended City and Islington College to learn life skills, but I was also encouraged to work on my art. In recent years I have been learning new techniques such as etching, drypoint and collographs (all forms of printmaking) at City Lit and the Mary Ward Centre. I think my drawings have humour, but they can also look a bit desperate. However, I like to put the animals up on a pedestal, and make them almost majestic.
Over the years I have had periods where my mental health has made it difficult for me to draw, but generally it makes me feel happy. I am very proud to have this exhibition, as showing my drawings and sharing my love of animals helps to communicate with other people, and find a common ground for conversation.
I have previously exhibited work at the Shape Open 2012, Bite printmakers at the Mall Galleries, London, and the MOMA Wales.
I would like to thank Monica, my support worker, as I
would not have been able to learn etching without her.You can find Jack's work on the Outside In website here.
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A review of the Gerald Durrell Zoo in Jersey
As a child of the Seventies, I have vivid mixed memories of my first visit to a zoo. The zoos of my childhood were dark and dreary places; I have deeply unsettling recollections of the tiger pacing in a cramped cage, staring unhappily at my freedom. The cage’s proportions were akin to Harry Potter’s cupboard-under-the-stairs: the concept was like fitting it with a window and charging an exorbitant price to gawp at the inhabitant. No wonder the tiger roared! Zoos, then, for me, resembled a prison for animals. There are those who declare that zoos are not dissimilar to freak shows, in the way that they attract such voyeuristic entertainment at the expense of the animals’ freedom, especially now that some intriguing cross-species have been created, such as the zeedonk, liger or tigon. Surely these freaks of “un-nature” are just aberrations?
Given my memories of the unhappy tiger, it was not surprising that I should feel reluctant to visit one again, thirty years later, whilst on holiday in Jersey, but the general consensus was that it would be a great day out to a famous zoo, so I went along with it.
Despite the slightly disturbing moment when the orangutan fell in love with me, a fellow ginger, I couldn’t have been more pleasantly surprised. It seems to me that, if this was anything to go by, the zoos of my childhood, like the smelly and cruel circuses, were a thing of the past. Many of us are familiar with My family and other animals, either the book or the television series, and Durrell’s love and respect for animals was abundantly clear in this zoo. The animals had spacious, clean habitats, tailored to their needs, and the zoo was bright, clean and friendly. The inhabitants looked happy and healthy as they roamed about; no miserable pacing up and down. Even the shows revealed enthusiastic performances from creatures who clearly had warm relationships with their dedicated trainers.
In my teaching work, I once read an extract from Durrell to a class, where he recalls his realistic view of the animal kingdom and his philosophy behind keeping a zoo. The extract recalled an operation on a monkey to remove a parasite. He describes the procedure in gruesome detail, including his observations of his young assistant that day, a journalist, who had misgivings about animals in captivity. She had not realised how much distress was suffered from parasites, and how much less discomfort they felt in captivity, where they could be monitored. He was able to treat animals for conditions from which they would be very uncomfortable, even die. The lady acknowledged that he offered a service which was definitely in the animals’ best interests. Durrell reflected that it would be wise to understand a little more about animals living in the wild before condemning those placing them in captivity.
In many ways, the zoo in Jersey resembled a wildlife park. We were able to see many animals which were in danger of extinction and could be best protected in a zoo, and we were able to get close to several of them. As for those new, crossbred species, perhaps it is a good thing to expand the animal kingdom, even if it did feel a little “manufactured”?
If you happen to visit Jersey, which is certainly a beautiful place to see, don’t fail to pay the zoo a visit. If you are an animal lover, you won’t be disappointed.
I recall the somewhat disturbing moment when an orangutan fell in love with me.
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For as long as I can remember I have always felt a natural empathy with non-human species; not aliens I hasten to add! This empathy is with the animal species equus – i.e. the horse. When I look back through photos spanning the 23 years of my life I can find many photos of me with horses and other animals appearing to be in natural harmony. I am never happier than when hacking out in the country side, cantering across a field or just being around horses. In fact, a lot of the time I wonder if I actually relate better to horses than I can to people! The language of the horse is something I actually seem to innately understand. It is a complex language, which relies on visual associations. It can be learnt through theory and tapping deliberately into the psychology of the horse. Some years ago I began to consolidate what I felt I innately experienced around horses by reading material on the psychology of horses. It dawned on me that it already was quite natural to me and that a lot of it I found I subconsciously already understood.
Around this time last year, I was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome. This did not come as a shock to me as I had suspected that I had it for about a year earlier and years earlier than that suspected there was something ‘different’ about me. However, I had no name for what it was or even any idea that I could be on the autistic spectrum. This was something I had only ever associated with the people I had got to know on voluntary befriending schemes and social groups that I helped out with at organisations such as Mencap and Barnardos. These individuals had severe learning difficulties who didn’t relate or related in very challenging ways to other people. Little did I imagine that I could have more in common with my autistic cousins than neurotypicals! Although, I must admit that I always enjoyed the company of these ‘challenging’ individuals but never knew why until now!
I also began to reflect recently as to why I also always felt so happy in the company of animals and most notably with horses. While engaging in research on Autism and Asperger’s syndrome I stumbled across the work of Temple Grandin, and realized that I knew exactly where she was coming from. I would dearly love to meet Temple someday as I fully agree and respect her theories and views on the humane and successful handling of certain animals by viewing things from their point of view. In her article, In Thinking the way animals do, Temple explains a number of points which identify the links between the behaviour and outlook of horses and autistic individuals.
I have learnt through my own observation and experiences now that I am aware of my own autism, that those who handle horses and other animals in a wholly neurotypical way tend to achieve less of a bond and fewer trusting relationships with them. The two horses in the picture are called Gracie and Dan (see photo below). I spend a lot of time around them both talking to them, caring for them an of course, horse riding!! They belong to a lady, Vicky, a psychologist who specialized in learning disability and autistic spectrum. Vicky appears herself to be certainly on the autistic spectrum. She shares a similar approach to the horses as I do. This approach has often been called ‘natural horsemanship’ which considers the good of the horse over human desires. This approach is championed by famous horse personalities such as US based, Monty Roberts and UK based Kelly Marks.
In his book, Horse sense for people, Monty Roberts describes his observations of traits autistic individuals and horses have in common. Such things are:
- fear of loud and unusual sounds
- thriving on routine
- distress at direct eye contact
- dislike of forced touch
- distress at unfamiliar sights and sounds.
Monty Roberts describes his belief that, ‘perhaps it is not surprising that the horse, a visual thinker with an extraordinary ability to sense the intentions of its rider, is quite comfortable being ridden by autistics and, furthermore is able to cope with their often unusual behaviour’. (Horse sense for people, 2000)
Hence, from my own experiences I can now understand and feel very glad that my Asperger syndrome has significantly enhanced my relationships with animals, especially horses. This example of unusual skill is one of many factors that support my view that the unique psyche of the individual with autism has an enormous contribution to make to our world. I believe that the autistic way of thinking, which is often highly creative, unusual and alternative can only serve to enrich the lives of others when allowed to blossom in the appropriate environment.
'Comforted by a collie puppy during COVID' by Roz
the Spectrum issue 107, July 2021. Scroll to see more artwork.
'Winston' by Willow
the Spectrum issue 98, April 2019
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