A teenage girl allegedly received permission from an unnamed private school in Melbourne, Australia, to identify as a cat. Several media reports claim that the school will let the child to “act like a kitty,” although it’s unclear what exactly that implies. The school will permit the nameless girl to “act like a feline” and to refrain from at least one clearly human habit, namely talking. According to reports, the school would permit the girl to be “nonverbal” in class as long as her actions do not annoy other students.
The fact that one of its kids has chosen to identify as a cat has not been confirmed by the institution. They did, however, make a statement in which they claimed that the pupils there had “a spectrum of challenges, from mental health to anxiety to identity concerns.”
The school continued, “Our approach is always unique to the student, and we will take into account expert advise and the student’s wellness.”
The young woman in question was also referred to by the school as “phenomenally intelligent.”
No one appears to have a system for pupils identifying as animals, but the attitude has been that if it doesn’t disrupt the school, everyone is supportive, according to an anonymous individual who is reportedly close to the girl’s family.
The girl appears to be just one of a small number of Australian teen girls who recently came out as cat people. The Mirror claims that four other female teenagers in Brisbane, Australia, who live 18 hours away, have reportedly started to walk on all fours and rip holes in their clothes for a tail, though it’s unclear whether the girls identify as cats or foxes.
One of the girls apparently even yelled at another for “sitting on her tail,” according to a parent at the school who spoke to media.
Numerous media sources covering these events have questioned whether these generally isolated incidents are a part of a bigger so-called “furry” subculture where individuals adopt “fursonas” and act out characteristics frequently linked to a certain animal. These “furries” are most frequently seen adopting dogs, cats, foxes, lions, tigers, and wolves. The “phenomenally intelligent” young woman in Melbourne or the four four-leg dog walkers in Brisbane, however, don’t appear to be involved with the furry subculture.