I’ve been considering that we don’t impose the dog paradigm of communication, where tail wagging means ‘I am happy or excited’ and ‘please give me more…’ on the cats we know and love…

It is interesting that we realize the difference and read the cat’s message of intent in this same physical response as, ‘STAHP that or else!!’ rather than pathologizing the kittyism as poorly executed dog communication…

Perhaps this observation could be teased out with the logical progression of deductive reasoning; the assumption or inference would be that humans possess the ability to learn to understand and interpret communication that presents in a wide variety of ways.

I wonder why we so often fail to apply that understanding to other humans…
It seems unnatural…

~

Suspiciously eyes social constructs…

Non-existent tail swishes air in warning…

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30 Days of Autism is a project designed to fight stigma, promote civil rights, and increase understanding and acceptance for those who process and experience the world differently.

© Leah Kelley, Thirty Days of Autism (2015)