'Phenomenally bright' teen identifies as a CAT, school permits it as long as it doesn't 'distract others'
MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA: A teenage girl has started identifying herself as a cat and her private school in Melbourne encourages her "animal behavior." Despite being called "phenomenally bright," the 7th Grade student does not speak during class, The Herald Sun reported.
According to a parent, the girl was permitted to act like a cat at school as long as it did not distract her or the other students. In its statement, the school, however, declined to confirm the student's behavior but stated that its support team was dealing with a number of psychological issues.
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A person close to the girl's family told The Herald Sun, "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."
The school claimed in a statement that students were presenting "a range of issues, from mental health, anxiety or identity issues." It said, "Our approach is always unique to the student and we will take into account professional advice and the wellbeing of the student."
It was also reported that a Melbourne psychologist had treated a boy who, for a time, thought of himself as a dog. In March, female students at a prestigious private school in Brisbane were reportedly cutting holes into their uniforms for tails because they identified as cats or foxes and were walking on all fours.
A worried parent told Courier Mail, "When a girl went to sit at a spare desk, another girl screamed at her and said she was sitting on her tail; there's a slit in this child's uniform where the tail apparently is." The school has rejected the parent's claim.
Other reports of Australian girls identifying as cats exist, though one school claimed its staff was unaware of this. People who identify as animals and frequently dress up in costumes as part of their 'fursonas' are known as 'furries.' There have been reports of students at US schools self-identifying as furries. A Michigan school district was forced to deny that litter boxes were given to students who identify as furries in January after some parents complained. Michael E Sharrow, the district superintendent, reacted by calling it "unconscionable" that he had to address the matter in a letter to parents that was also shared on Facebook.
Judith Locke, a psychologist in Brisbane, said the rise of the furry trend did not surprise her. After romanticizing animals in their daily lives, in movies, and on television, she asserted that it was only a matter of time before people started to identify as animals. She stated, "'But there's a real challenge around the acceptance of people's decisions on how they see themselves these days; it is a fraught area."
In his 25 years of practice, Australian adolescent psychologist Michael Carr-Gregg claimed to have encountered only one client who identified as an animal: a young boy who identified as a dog. Once the stressors in his life were gone, the boy went back to identifying as a human being, according to him.
Fursonas are a form of self-expression
According to the Furry website, Furscience, "Furries tend to be teens and young adults, though there are also plenty of adults in their late 20s and 30s in the fandom, too." The website stated that fursonas were a form of 'self-expression' and 'creativity'. According to the site, "Creating a fursona is a creative exercise, which can have a number of psychological benefits. Inventing a character can help you think about who you are as a person and who you would like to become."
The site also stated, "For example, if you've always stood out in school for being tall, having a giraffe fursona might help you feel more comfortable with your height." Australia is said to have 1 per cent of the world's furries, with the US and Canada accounting for about 50 per cent of the entire furry population.