‘Everyone is being supportive’
A private school in Australia has supported a young girl’s choice to identify as a cat, saying their approach is “always unique to the student.”
The unnamed “phenomenally bright” year eight student no longer speaks during school hours after coming out as a cat. According to the Herald Sun, staff take no issue with her identification as long as it does not distract her or other students.
“No one seems to have a protocol for students identifying as animals, but the approach has been that if it doesn’t disrupt the school, everyone is being supportive,” a source told the newspaper.
The school have since issued a statement that says their students are presenting “with a range of issues, from mental health, anxiety or identity issues.”
They added: “Our approach is always unique to the student and we will take into account professional advice and the wellbeing of the student.”
Kids identifying as animals are more common than you might initially think, but experts say it’s nothing to be concerned with.
“They’re doing a lot of exploring of what it’s like to be someone else, to feel something else, to interact in different ways with other people,” Tracy Gleason, professor of psychology at Wellesley, told the New York Times.
Dr. Yamalis Diaz, a clinical assistant professor of psychology at Hassenfeld Children’s Hospital at NYU Langone, said there are four main reasons why a kid may pretend to be an animal.
Firstly, Diaz says the child may be trying to avoid something, for instance, meowing instead of answering a question. The second reason is that they want attention, and the third is to get something they want. Finally, the child could be trying to communicate something, which is particularly noteworthy in kids who struggle with traditional communication.
Related links:
- Woman explains why she identifies as a wolf
- Here’s how often you should feed your dog – the results even surprised scientists
- Your dog’s kisses may contain a superbug that could kill you, study says
